Chrysler to cut 13,000 jobs

[Flatbutt1]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/14/news/companies/chrysler_jobcuts/index.htm?cnn=yes

Ford now Chrysler. What will it take to get American car manufacturers to wake up?

How will all of these people make a living? Combined with Ford's losses thats coming up to alot of people out of work. Yes I know its up to the individual to be responsible for themselves and provide their own living but it sure is getting hard to do.

Even my organization Glaxo Pharm is laying off. After awhile there simply won't be any jobs left. Even the self employed, entrepreneurial types will enentually suffer if no one can afford them. And no, most of us can't pay our way on farm worker's or laborer's wages.

He11 of a situation, no?

I'd like to see NASA get intothe alternative energy game, at least for the internal combustion engine. Then when they perfect a commercially viable alternative, we can re-tool Detroit and get it moving again.

[Jim Richards]

Screw manufacturing. We'll be fine with a 100% service economy. We can all be servants. I'd like to be the chauffeur.

[MichiganMat]

Just look at the crap they are trying to build:



Is it any wonder this is a company in trouble? Detroit needs to pull its head out of its ass and try making cars for Americans, not Detroiters.

[Jim Richards]

OMFG!

[berettafan]

Too many years of uninspired, gimmicky junk.

[MichiganMat]

It looks like a Z4 parading around as a Viper and not doing a good job of it either. Who do these clowns think they're fooling? I wouldn't be caught dead in that heap, much less pay money for it.

[Sarc]

Originally posted by MichiganMat
Detroit needs to pull its head out of its ass and try making cars for Americans, not Detroiters.

That has to be the most profound quote regarding this situation that I've read. Well said.

[kach22i]

Food for thought:
http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/policy/readingroom/update/economy/current/index.cfm

U.S. CAR PRODUCTION



U.S. LIGHT TRUCK PRODUCTION

Despite the compositional changes, however, total U.S. vehicle production has remained relatively stable over the past 20 years. And although the geography of the American auto industry has changed throughout this period—notably by expanding southward beyond the Midwest

[john70t]

US companies should each produce an econobox and keep production of the same car year after year, such as the escort/beetle/rabbit/civic for parts interchangability, and not change the thing!
A complete redesign costs too much money and consumers have gotten wise to the unique/throwaway confusion they've been offering for the last three decades.

I personally don't care if the new Volvo/Ford has blind-spot radar, tailgaiting radar, or a freaking heartbeat sensor inside, I want economy, price and reliability.

[Jim Richards]

At some point, those light truck numbers are going to plummet and stay down. Then, Detroit might find itself little more than a footnote in automotive history.

[Moneyguy1]

Ford did keep the Taurus for a long time with few styling changes. In fact, they are bringing back the name in 2008. I have owned domestic and foreign cars and see very little differnce in basic reliability. The worst I ever owned is a tie between a VW squareback and a Dodge Aspen. Both were basically junk. Our "stable" right now has an older VW Pisant and a 7 YO Taurus. I trust the Taurus FAR more not to strand me than I do the VW. Go figure.

I like my cars as simple as possible. I agree with John. All the bells and whistles just add to the weight and complexity.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by kach22i
Food for thought:
http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/policy/readingroom/update/economy/current/index.cfm

U.S. CAR PRODUCTION



U.S. LIGHT TRUCK PRODUCTION

Are those graphs correct? I guess the Light Truck Graph must include, SUV's, vans and crossovers.

[Superman]

Originally posted by john70t
US companies should each produce an econobox and keep production of the same car year after year, such as the escort/beetle/rabbit/civic for parts interchangability, and not change the thing!
A complete redesign costs too much money and consumers have gotten wise to the unique/throwaway confusion they've been offering for the last three decades.

I personally don't care if the new Volvo/Ford has blind-spot radar, tailgaiting radar, or a freaking heartbeat sensor inside, I want economy, price and reliability.

Reducing the long term cost of automobile purchasing is not their agenda. This is capitalism, remember?

The CEO will be lauded as a hero. Because he screwed up so badly that thousands of workers need to be layed off. Our economy is interesting like that. The interests of workers and consumers are amusing, but the interests of investors is what's important.

[MichiganMat]

I know a few of the bigdogs around the auto industry in Detroit and while they are good people, great family-men, etc etc, they lack any sense of style or concept of quality. They are usually tucked away in their suburban enclaves, highly conservative, and in an environment that is part industrial-park / part ghetto / and part suburb.

Just look at the streets around some of the neighborhoods in the area and they are a soul-less wasteland with no sense of community, roads are usually 4 lanes wider than they need to be and covered with potholes, downtowns are vacant, and strip-malls are the building of choice. Its a disposable society, its no wonder they make disposable cars.

[Zef]

Same for Ford-GM-Chrysler...And Toyota-Honda-Nissan-Mazda are building new factory...it pay on the long run to make reliable cars...!

[Jim Richards]

Maybe the designers in Detroit need to take an annual sabbatical to France or Italy to reinvigorate themselves.

[hardflex]

Doncha worry boys, our leaders told us during NAFTA, GATT, Et al that the American Workers even with our high wages could still compete with anybody. Just look at all the countries we have a trade surplus with..... lemme see, Holland is one, and, and, and, there has to be a lot more than that, come on where are all of them????

There are actually 2 last time I looked. It was an African country, I forget the name. It is not a first world country.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by hardflex
There are actually 2 last time I looked. It was an African country, I forget the name. It is not a first world country.

Mauritius?

[lendaddy]

Damn Clinton for NAFTA

[dafischer]

Old Dieter didn't look like the soft & cuddly commercials guy when he was alluding to Daimler cutting Chrysler loose, on tonight's news.