 PT Crusier to be Manufactued At Jeep Plant?
Posted by mike on 2000/9/7 23:00:00 (1866) reads
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Yahoo news is reporting that DaimlerChrysler is considering building the ultra-popular PT Cruiser at the current Jeep assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio when the current-generation Cherokee is retired next fall. The next-generation Cherokee (KJ) will go into production in the coming months at the new Jeep assembly plant, also in Toledo.
The interesting part of this article is that it metions that due to rapidly declining Cherokee sales, the plan to continue current-generation Cherokee production for the next few years may have been scrapped in favor of just going with the next-generation Cherokee beginning next fall (2002 model year). Here's a snippet: DaimlerChrysler AG's American unit is weighing whether to build the PT Cruiser, a hot-selling melding of car and sport utility vehicle, at its Jeep assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio, sources familiar with the company's plans said on Wednesday.
The German-U.S. automaker's Chrysler group is looking at whether to build the PT Cruiser at one of two old Jeep factories when it stops making the current Jeep Cherokee SUV next fall. Chrysler is building a new factory nearby to assemble the redesigned 2002 Cherokee starting next summer.
The Toledo plant also makes the Jeep Wrangler SUV. The Toledo Blade first reported the story on Aug. 19.
PT Cruiser, with its 1930s gangster getaway car styling, bulging fenders and bullet-shaped headlights, is made at DaimlerChrysler's Toluca, Mexico, plant and production of the vehicle at the company's Graz, Austria plant will begin next spring or summer.
DaimlerChrysler spokesman Trevor Hale wouldn't confirm or deny the report.
``We are looking at the market and demand for the vehicle and evaluating whether we need to add more production.''
Full production has been reached in Mexico and after it is achieved in Austria, the company will be making PT Cruisers at an annual rate of 230,000 units.
One source said company officials have put the odds of Toledo building the PT Cruiser ``at less than 50 percent.''
``At one time, (Chrysler) fancied the idea of keeping the old Cherokee in production for a long time and it's just dropped off the sales chart now,'' another source said. ``They realise that may not be a good idea to keep it around so they're going to lose volume, so use PT Cruiser to make up the difference.'' Be sure to check out the entire article.
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| Anonymous |
Posted: 1969/12/31 18:00 Updated: 1969/12/31 18:00 |
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 Originally posted by: trucker here is my commenthey john, I agree with you about harley's and jeep's. I have both, I like the old ones better,mainly because I can't afford a new harley or jeep.neather of which is worth 20grand or more.they do the samething the olds ones still do,for 15,20,or25 thousend DOLLAR'S more! and when you show up on a old one,everybody loves it. and wants to know more about it.huarry for the new. thank GOD for old!! see ya! ''TRUCKER''.
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| Anonymous |
Posted: 1969/12/31 18:00 Updated: 1969/12/31 18:00 |
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Originally posted by: John Sannes With all the faults the Jeep has, its parallel is the Harley Davidson Motorcycle(We Own several of Both) Is it (the Jeep or Harley) the best? A-No. Do they have character? A-Yes with a PLUS. Would I want a Gold Wing or a Ford Explorer with lots of plastic and not an ounce or character? A-Absolutly not. We have many years with Harley and Jeeps, but with the new jeep's looks and the small bits of information and photos I'e seen, it looks like we will just have our three Harleys in the coming Future. Possibly a Suzuki SUV will have us? JOHN
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| Anonymous |
Posted: 1969/12/31 18:00 Updated: 1969/12/31 18:00 |
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Originally posted by: Griff I think they should build the Pt Cruiser in the new jeep plant they are building for this great and wonderful new Cherokee. You are thinking, What is this guy talking about. Well look at those spy photos of the new Cherokee and picture a PT Crusier with about 4 more inches of ground clearance and the name plate Jeep on the front and sadly you will be picturing the new Cherokee from the looks of it. One person compared it to the mustang II mistake that Ford made. The only difference is that i think Jeep will have a hard time fixing this mistake of a truck once they figure out how many past owners they have alienated. The Cherokee is already in a competitive market and it doesn't need a mistake like this up and coming Cherokee to hurt sales. This is worse than the Mustang II mistake, they are killing that solid axle inline 6 square beast we all love and replacing it with a one of those pansy IFS, V6 Car-utes.
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| Anonymous |
Posted: 1969/12/31 18:00 Updated: 1969/12/31 18:00 |
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Originally posted by: otto wrkr Dc would be stupid to build the PT in that old rat filled plant. Toledo is one if not the worst plants in the whole company. Quality from toledo is very poor!! on a jeep that has basically been around since 1940 .They still cant build it with quality. This would be a huge mistake.
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Posted: 1969/12/31 18:00 Updated: 1969/12/31 18:00 |
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Originally posted by: Gene Sannes here is my comment: Some years ago the Mustang was drasticlly changed to the Mustang II. Talk about a bust. When Lee Iaccoca was interviewed some years later about the decision to change the Mustang so drasticlly. He indicated it was the stupidist thing Ford ever did. They dropped an icon to cover a short term good deal and then the good deal lost favor the Mustang was already gone. There seems to be parallel here.
My wife and I went to look at another Jeep Cherokee today, as we gave our 92 model 4WD to our son, who just became a teacher. The dealer said, he can't keep the cherokee in stock and the Grand Cherokee is too much like a car, for our taste so we don't want it. Its like the military does (ask me how I know) when everyone has finally figured out the secret codes and terms to finally work a system and now really likes it. Now you change it because someone can finally figure it out. Making sure you do not keep anyone satisfied or happy. Stupidity comes to mind and that was a previous Ford management person that said it, but it echoes what the rest of us already know.
One last item; I've seen the partially covered versions of the new Cherokee, and Honda Passport comes to mind. Does the word SUCKS mean anything to Chrysler?
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