Chrysler Heir Tells Us His Thoughts On What The New Chrysler CEO Needs To Do!

Chrysler Heir Tells Us His Thoughts On What The New Chrysler CEO Needs To Do!​

As Chrysler New Leader CEO Comes Into Office, Tomorrow...​

Earlier this past week, Stellantis announced that Christine Feuell, formerly the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions will join the company effectivity tomorrow, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chrysler brand.

We thought we would reach out to our good friend Frank B. Rhodes, Jr. (the great-grandson of Walter P. Chrysler) and a man on a mission to save the Chrysler brand and his grandfather’s legacy, for his thoughts on the move to introduce a new CEO to what he thinks needs to be done to push Chrysler forward into the future.

Chrysler Heir Tells Us His Thoughts On What The New Chrysler CEO Needs To Do!

Earlier this past week, Stellantis announced that Christine Feuell, formerly the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions will join the company effectivity tomorrow, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chrysler brand. We thought we would reach out...

moparinsiders.com

 

[TripleT]

Imperial was a separate Brand, Airflow was significant but a commercial failure.

Again you talk about passionate Love affair with the Chrysler brand but list some models and years.

Given the 300 letter cars which still exist today.

 

[patfromigh]

I also believe a sense of what Chrysler was, the flagship of all the vehicles of the Chrysler Corporation in a luxury execution, must be part of the formula.

The De Soto brand kept the Chrysler brand from sharing Packard's fate in the early postwar period. De Soto used the same platforms as Chrysler, but instead of Chrysler's prestige offerings, De Soto catered to the livery services with the LWB taxi models. Ironically, the De Soto Sky-Dome taxis had a prestige image in their own right. Imperials were a top trim Chrysler until the Imperial was spun off into a separate division. At the same time a decision was made to do away the depression era strategy of selling Plymouth through all brand showrooms. Decoupled from Plymouth, Chrysler started drifting down market. This cut into De Soto sales and hurt Chrysler prestige. De Soto was paired with Plymouth until that brand was cancelled, then Plymouth was paired with Chrysler. The Chrysler-Plymouth division allowed the Chrysler brand to gain prestige once again.

Chrysler cars were big and expensive compared to the popular makes. Chrysler wasn't a "blue collar" luxury car. The saying back in the day was lawyers drove Cadillacs, doctors drove Buicks and engineers drove Chryslers. BTW, Imperial was a separate brand from 1951 to 1975. When Chrysler the company was 50 years old, Imperial was a separate make for only half the time.

Was there ever a Chrysler golden age? There were certainly some high points, the late Twenties six cylinder Le Mans racers, the straight eight custom bodied cars in the early thirties, Chrysler the company was a solid number two in the industry behind GM while at the same time Chrysler the brand sold aspirational automobiles all during the 1940s. There were also the letter cars and lastly the LH sedans. Plymouth's slide into oblivion has put a serious hindrance on the Chrysler brand's quest for reclaiming lost prestige. The brand will never have volume by being what it was, offering exclusively large pricey vehicles for successful people. The way forward is don't chase volume and go back to what is was. Electrification will allow the Chrysler brand to sell large vehicles once again. Cadillac never seemed to recover from the Cimarron and Catera models. The auto buying public seems to hold the Chrysler brand to a different standard and has mostly forgotten the K-car based Chrysler cars.

 

[TripleT]

Great History less @patfromigh

I would list 3 Golden ages... but none of them are volume.

Pre-War bespoke custom coach works ...... like you said the Lower offering help them survive the Depression era. Where some of the other classic high value perished

Late 50s Hemi powered Fin cars mostly the Letter cars.

Tom Gale LHs brief time before the Eaton Era.

Since the Mid 70 there have 3 distinct and poor era.

The B body Cordoba years underpowered over soft.

Lebaron years Wire wheel.. Landau Roof... Horrible.

K car years. Chromed up Kcars with wood plastics, plush leather seats. Really as bad as the Cimarron.

The birth of the 300M which was to be a Eagle followed by the Hemi 300C created a mini-Peak. But accounted for mostly by a single model. 300C suffering form the Retro Curse and not have a way to evolve. Then basically having it fate sealed by the failure of Lincoln Continental.


Asside from your nice run down, I am still waiting to hear for the flowery cheerleaders the Chrysler golden age models that hold special place in people heart that has relevance to what great grandson and other think the name sake should carry.

I heard a rebuttal that Maxwell was own by the bank by the time Walter swept in and Recused it. Sound logic, applied to recent events the Brand should be called FIAT.

 

[BWS]

The De Soto brand kept the Chrysler brand from sharing Packard's fate in the early postwar period. De Soto used the same platforms as Chrysler, but instead of Chrysler's prestige offerings, De Soto catered to the livery services with the LWB taxi models. Ironically, the De Soto Sky-Dome taxis had a prestige image in their own right. Imperials were a top trim Chrysler until the Imperial was spun off into a separate division. At the same time a decision was made to do away the depression era strategy of selling Plymouth through all brand showrooms. Decoupled from Plymouth, Chrysler started drifting down market. This cut into De Soto sales and hurt Chrysler prestige. De Soto was paired with Plymouth until that brand was cancelled, then Plymouth was paired with Chrysler. The Chrysler-Plymouth division allowed the Chrysler brand to gain prestige once again.

Chrysler cars were big and expensive compared to the popular makes. Chrysler wasn't a "blue collar" luxury car. The saying back in the day was lawyers drove Cadillacs, doctors drove Buicks and engineers drove Chryslers. BTW, Imperial was a separate brand from 1951 to 1975. When Chrysler the company was 50 years old, Imperial was a separate make for only half the time.

Was there ever a Chrysler golden age? There were certainly some high points, the late Twenties six cylinder Le Mans racers, the straight eight custom bodied cars in the early thirties, Chrysler the company was a solid number two in the industry behind GM while at the same time Chrysler the brand sold aspirational automobiles all during the 1940s. There were also the letter cars and lastly the LH sedans. Plymouth's slide into oblivion has put a serious hindrance on the Chrysler brand's quest for reclaiming lost prestige. The brand will never have volume by being what it was, offering exclusively large pricey vehicles for successful people. The way forward is don't chase volume and go back to what is was. Electrification will allow the Chrysler brand to sell large vehicles once again. Cadillac never seemed to recover from the Cimarron and Catera models. The auto buying public seems to hold the Chrysler brand to a different standard and has mostly forgotten the K-car based Chrysler cars.

Well said, thank you for your post. You are spot on the current situation I believe.

 

[BWS]

Great History less @patfromigh

I would list 3 Golden ages... but none of them are volume.

Pre-War bespoke custom coach works ...... like you said the Lower offering help them survive the Depression era. Where some of the other classic high value perished

Late 50s Hemi powered Fin cars mostly the Letter cars.

Tom Gale LHs brief time before the Eaton Era.

Since the Mid 70 there have 3 distinct and poor era.

The B body Cordoba years underpowered over soft.

Lebaron years Wire wheel.. Landau Roof... Horrible.

K car years. Chromed up Kcars with wood plastics, plush leather seats. Really as bad as the Cimarron.

The birth of the 300M which was to be a Eagle followed by the Hemi 300C created a mini-Peak. But accounted for mostly by a single model. 300C suffering form the Retro Curse and not have a way to evolve. Then basically having it fate sealed by the failure of Lincoln Continental.


Asside from your nice run down, I am still waiting to hear for the flowery cheerleaders the Chrysler golden age models that hold special place in people heart that has relevance to what great grandson and other think the name sake should carry.

I heard a rebuttal that Maxwell was own by the bank by the time Walter swept in and Recused it. Sound logic, applied to recent events the Brand should be called FIAT.

Here’s my list from the flowery amen corner. All early years30’s- 40’s Imperial. Any New Yorker, Imperial or 300 from the 50’s. Any late 60’s through 72 Imperial. These were some of the finest cars on the road when Fiat was building tricycles or something like that . Cordoba. It might not be your cup of tea, but it was perfect for the times and superior to it’s contemporaries in most ways. Any Lebanon convertible from the 80’s or early 90’s. Again, we get it, not your cup of tea, but none the less trend setters, popular, and caught the competition flat footed. And finally any LH Chrysler. Owned a few, all fine cars .

 

[patfromigh]

Elwood Engel's 1969-73 "fuselage" Chrysler cars were masterpieces. They were well built, and also had better all around performance with better engineering than the competitors in their class. The bad news is, like the big Chrysler's corporate cousins the E-body Challenger and Barracuda at that time, they were terrible sellers. Despite my love for Chrysler products at that time, I wasn't going to buy one because I didn't have a driver's license yet. When I did have a decent paying job and a license, all the good stuff was out of production. The later 1970s were marked with transverse torsion bars and lean burn.

The problem with the later K-car based products was the platform didn't allow for width increases. This placed the high line Chryslers at a disadvantage, especially when compared to GM's cookie-cutter large sedans. This is strictly my opinion, but I think the last blaze of glory for the Chrysler brand was from 1994 to 2000. The K based cars were put out and replaced by the Cirrus, Sebring and LH cars. The T&C minivan was still prestigious, but when Plymouth died the floor fell in. There were suddenly too many cheap products cursed by Daimler penny pinching. The PT Cruiser was supposed to be a Plymouth. The low-line short wheelbase T&C and Voyagers next sold as Chryslers killed any aura the name had. The Chrysler 300 wouldn't have lasted this long if the Lincoln LS wasn't such a botched job. Chrysler and Dodge are fortunate that FCA put up a lot of money to fix the interiors a decade ago.

The Town & Country minivan got off to a bad start in 1989 because it was stuck with the Ultra-Drive 4-speed auto. Lido just had to one up everybody else's 3 speeds and rushed the problem plagued transmission into production. The relaunch of a proper T&C should have been with the 3-speed to play it safe. The V6 engines at that time were not that powerful so the old 3 speed could handle it. It is hard to believe the T&C went from a mammoth wagon to a K-car wearing a costume in just six model years. I think they sold more of the K based ones than the last few years of the big one. Life is strange.

 

[TripleT]

I too like the late 70 cars but as you said they were not popular and volume was low. Still points to most of Chryslers history was low volume and low model count. Also point to time when vertical lines and large grilles were that classes norm.

Just points to people like us with true passion for the brand not just trumped up flowery language and odd demands, which are really just vailed criticism.

The brand will never be more than it was historically in the current consumers lifetimes, expectation should be tempered.

Best thing that can be done is to buy a 300 or Pacifica, and the new EV CUV the moment it comes out.

 

[TripleT]

I remember sitting a common supplier that had the blueprints out for the Daimler PT cruiser refresh. I was applaud. They gutted it. And honestly if wasn't saving money per component. The original was actually quite clever on the use of single process components with the proper resin choice to give the interior a rich feel but without the secondary process costs. It was just nickel and dimeing on the tooling. Honestly the way Daimler treated CDJR after the botched attempt to acquire Mitsubishi use Chryslers cash reserves should have been criminal. Squeaky, angular, miss matched patterns, no secondary processes just horrible.

 

[patfromigh]

I have driven the PHEV Pacifica. It was only a short distance just to bring it up to line where the available rentals go. This was on the third floor of a parking ramp. It is the only hybrid I have driven that didn't cut in the ICE engine on the way up. What I wasn't expecting was everybody staring at me because it is obvious the van is moving with the motor off and the air conditioning is on. The Pacifica hybrid is a premium vehicle inside and out. I hope Chrysler can have a crossover with that plugin hybrid setup.

There is no need for the Chrysler brand to ever go back to selling econoboxes. With the plugin technology offered in-house the door is now open for Chrysler to be large semi-premium vehicles.

There needs to be a PT Cruiser sized BEV available in the CDJR showrooms. The Centoventi concept looks promising, but I don't know if the styling would suit American tastes. Hopefully the Chevy Bolt's woes don't kill the market for that type of vehicle. Something needs to take the place of Plymouth to support the specialized brands. I would definitely sell the new Fiat 500, even in small numbers, but there needs to be something larger.

 

[TripleT]

Key to Fiat would be to sell it at EVERY CDJR in good standing.... 2000 dealers plus give the car at that price point a good chance to get sales. Your not going out of your way to buy that sort of car.

 

[American workman]

I must begin with a thank you to all who have so skillfully presented excellent opinions, deep held opinions and intelligent thinking focused on solutions. I present my summary answer, one may not share or understand the passion of many about Chrysler or not see Imperials or Airflow Chrysler’s as significant, but that is not the issue. I seek only a plan to preserve Chrysler and its tradition of affordable luxury and yes my love affair. In the end it will be finding an identity and the right vehicles to survive, this I know. The tough part will be defining the brand. There will be enough building blocks of platforms and architectures to choose from but finding a niche that is enduring and profitable (ROI) will be difficult, but not impossible. I also believe a sense of what Chrysler was, the flagship of all the vehicles of the Chrysler Corporation in a luxury execution, must be part of the formula. I will never apologize for my love affair with Chrysler, it is too vivid and fulfilling to compromise, even if it is only in my mind. Job well done blog mates!

 

[American workman]

Mr. Burke, you have been very forthright about Chrysler. It is one of America’s iconic brands

And by the way the new modern Chrysler in 1924 was in no way a rebadged Maxwell. It was new from ground up. However the Maxwell facilities were used to produce it.

Also why bash Honeywell before Ms.Feuell even walks in the door.

Anyway ,a few of my thoughts for the people who wrote in this forum.

 

[TripleT]

Very flower thanks for sharing again .....
Both Pat and I have presented ...... the Highlights and low lights.

It ok to be passionate but this still seems to be purposefully vague. How can one be passionate and STILL unable to name a vehicles and years?

Or point to a time when the Brand was significant contribution in their lifetime. Vividly describe the era and models. It always been low volume niche vehicle that mostly existed in a class that has died by consumer preference.

The hope of it being more died when Lee picked Eaton. MB would always be the premium brand.... Now Maserati will, define the modern luxury definition.

Be happy it survived and there is plan for the future. Buy what is offered. Flower language is meaningless

 

[TripleT]

The 26' 4 - Cylinders Chryslers were rebadged Maxwells.... my family is from New Castle.

 

[patfromigh]

Key to Fiat would be to sell it at EVERY CDJR in good standing.... 2000 dealers plus give the car at that price point a good chance to get sales. Your not going out of your way to buy that sort of car.

I agree. Such a vehicle needs to be available for the people who want one. If the new Fiat 500e is imported, the investment costs should be lower. The important vehicle will be the Centoventi type BEV. It has to be affordable, which is a tall order for a battery electric vehicle. This is the hand the regulators dealt the automakers and Stellantis has to play it out.

The reason I bring this up in a Chrysler thread is because the brand was sustainable in its market niche only when the other corporate brands formed a solid foundation of affordable products. The challenge is what the larger EV should be. A production Centoventi might be too European in style to suit American tastes. Will the typical consumer buy a Fiat branded vehicle? What brand would such a vehicle be sold under? If I was in charge of the Chrysler brand, I would resist any attempt to sell such a vehicle under the Chrysler name.

The 1928 (29?) Plymouths were rebadged, four cylinder Chryslers. Chrysler's purchase of Dodge is what made Plymouth possible. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

[American workman]

You are correct in some respects concerning the 4 cylinder platforms. However I am speaking about the new Chrysler six introduced in 1924 and not 26 when about that time the Maxwell name was discontinued. ZSB was responsible for improving the mechanics of the 26 four which was a Chrysler.
So Maxwell had thousands of unsold cars due to a real axle problem . It was defective and would break on rough surfaces. Chrysler reinforced the axel, reduced the price of the cars and came out with an advertising campaign called the "Good Maxwell" The inventory started to move to raise cash. Chrysler had been successful in managing issues like this in his early days with Buick.

 

[TripleT]

You are correct in some respects concerning the 4 cylinder platforms. However I am speaking about the new Chrysler six introduced in 1924 and not 26 when about that time the Maxwell name was discontinued. ZSB was responsible for improving the mechanics of the 26 four which was a Chrysler.
So Maxwell had thousands of unsold cars due to a real axle problem . It was defective and would break on rough surfaces. Chrysler reinforced the axel, reduced the price of the cars and came out with an advertising campaign called the "Good Maxwell" The inventory started to move to raise cash. Chrysler had been successful in managing issues like this in his early days with Buick.

Welcome to the Forum, a little odd for someone to join and post the same day... but welcome.

If you read through the entire thread, No one is discounting the efforts to turn around Maxwell, as nearly identical to what happen Q2 2009, basically defunct company with bad quality, product problems, and bad management.

It become problematic when one starts assigning value to something pre-depression era as a reason that the Brand "deserves" specific attention. Especially by someone that has no more stake then genetics.

Maxwell is just a deserving as Chrysler at this point, which to means NONE. When Cerberus's intention to kill Dodge and Chrysler, and break 2 brands, and one product to three separate companies were in the last hour short circuited (something I understand is not widely known or understood). By apply the same logic the brand could have been remarked as Lancia or Elkman. But fortunately for Chrysler brand they did not. And at the time there was some concern that Dodge and Chrysler would be rebranded.

So at this point maybe a little appreciation that Chrysler is getting some more attention (when in truth it already did the 200 and Pacifica were MASSIVE investments into the Brand), instead of the complaint of the relatively small amount put into Alfa (this was a small investment from a capacity and implementation standpoint and I frankly tired of explaining the cost differences between capacity levels to people who think all implementations cost the same and all car have the same volume capacity when it is incremental), and other product for Fiat HOME market. The childish brand jealousy is tiresome even when it came from Alfa, who was put off 5 years to fix NA.

So again it cool to be passionate about a brand, my heart still breaks for Plymouth, but you know I can point to models and era why I am so passionate about it. Be interesting to have the same from those who claim this connection to Chrysler, with models sold in this lifetime and point to era in recent memory that the brand was as relevant as claimed. Not the Company the brand. The brand has always been a few Niche models beyond the badge engineering days of old PT Barnum Iacocca.

 

[DodgeFL]

Chrysler Heir Tells Us His Thoughts On What The New Chrysler CEO Needs To Do!​

As Chrysler New Leader CEO Comes Into Office, Tomorrow...​

View attachment 5154

Earlier this past week, Stellantis announced that Christine Feuell, formerly the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions will join the company effectivity tomorrow, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chrysler brand.

We thought we would reach out to our good friend Frank B. Rhodes, Jr. (the great-grandson of Walter P. Chrysler) and a man on a mission to save the Chrysler brand and his grandfather’s legacy, for his thoughts on the move to introduce a new CEO to what he thinks needs to be done to push Chrysler forward into the future.

Chrysler Heir Tells Us His Thoughts On What The New Chrysler CEO Needs To Do!

Earlier this past week, Stellantis announced that Christine Feuell, formerly the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions will join the company effectivity tomorrow, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chrysler brand. We thought we would reach out...

moparinsiders.com

 

[patfromigh]

I have owned two Chrysler Town & Country vehicles. Both were used when I bought them, there was no way I could afford to purchase either one new. My first T&C was a 1972 three row station wagon. It was a huge car powered by a 440 big block. The interior of my 1972 model was amazing for the time period. It was roomy and well trimmed. Our family nick-named it the Thunder Bus. Cadillac didn't offer a station wagon from the factory. Custom built ones were available, but for many years the Chrysler T&C was the top wrung on the luxury wagon ladder. There was some competition from the Ford Country Squire and Mercury Villager wagons, but it was the T&C that most people aspired to. GM was late to catch on about luxury station wagons in the style of the 3 row Town & Country. The traditional, full size 3-row Chrysler Town & Country slowly bled sales until it breathed its last at the end of 1977. The full sized Plymouth and Dodge wagons also expired at that time.

My other Town & Country was a 2000 with AWD. It has a beautiful interior with four bucket seat and a third row. Having owned Dodge and Plymouth wagons and minivans the difference in the interior environment was noticeable in the Chrysler. Plymouth died in the year 2000, there might have been some 2001 Plymouths, but it was 2000 when the executioner pulled the trap door. Afler that there was very little under the Chrysler brand name to aspire to as lessor models filled the gap.

There is a sad fact in that VW took Chrysler's corporate minivan and out-premiumed the Town & Country with the Routan in 2009. Chrysler was no longer a prestige buy at that point.

 

[TripleT]

NS was the Minivan peak. RS and RT Diamler era trashing of the product.