Downsizing

[rov1200]

Now that Chrysler are to be taken over by Fiat will the American consumers buy it?

[rov1200]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8027109.st m

[VHG]

>Now that Chrysler are to be taken over by Fiat

When does having a 20% stake in a company means they are "taking over"?

Fiat only have a 20% stake in Chrysler.

Many US car firms have been making awful cars for years, with a huge labour force, expensive health schemes, aging workforce, highly unionised and so on.

They all need a good shake out to get rid of the dead wood and start making decent cars.

They could learn a lot from some of the japanese car makers (as we could in the UK as well)

[maxximus]

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context =va&aid=13438 some reading material, spelling is such a hasle!

[jake-the-peg]

So basically Crysler has produced more cars than people want to buy.

Not such an issue of union problems and health schemes and more an issue of management continuing to build the sort of cars people don't want to buy.

Sort of an American Rover then!

[JimmyCooper]

Producing too much of a product, thats is over priced, that people dont want.

Why is the car industry different to any other?

They should let them go to the wall

[Gromit]

It is all a big con so that Crysler can get a huge bailout off the US Taxpayer.

Obama says he will help the car industry, but the car companies have to have a plan of what they will do different in future before they get any state help. As has already been pointed out, the cars that Crysler build are poor. They are mostly very fuel inefficient.

By getting Fiat on board, Crysler can tap into their more advanced technologies, including how to build more fuel efficient cars.

Crysler will then be eligible to get a Government bailout.

[maxximus]

gromit, on top of things as usual. cheers!

[Gromit]

Managed to find a link

...(Fiat) will offer Chrysler "advanced technology and intellectual property" and "access to a global distribution network", according to the Obama administration.

So Chrysler will be able to use Fiat's technology to make more fuel-efficient cars and engines.

The White House has said that it expects Chrysler's bankruptcy to last between 30 and 60 days.
Upon emerging from bankruptcy, the US Treasury will provide the new Chrysler with a $4.7bn loan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8028113.st m

To answer Rov1200s question. Yes the US customers will buy it. Crysler have been building the wrong cars for years. They have still been making large vehicles when the American public have been buying small, more economical (Mostly Japanese) ones. Given the choice of being able to buy a cheap to run US car, the public will buy it.

[rov1200]

What like this Gromit?

http://www.fiat.co.uk/showroom/?id=10023#showr oom/new_500

[maxximus]

cool, love the accent!

[jno]

I was in California last month and as far as I could see Americans are still heavily into buying SUVs, possibly Governor Arnie's cast-offs, and seldom having more than one person at a time in them. (There are priority lanes on a lot of LA motorways for cars with two or more people in them, but they were going almost unused.)

Having said that, they've been happily buying Japanese cars for years, but I think reliability rather than size or price may be the big factor. Any Americans out there please feel free to set me straight on this.