More On Gladiator No Go
Date 2006/9/11 7:49:03 | Topic: Concept/Demonstration
|  The Toledo Blade recently ran an article a few days ago about the recent Chrysler Group decision to not move foward with production of the Gladiator. Here's a snippet:
"Although Chrysler officials deemed the Gladiator wouldn’t be profitable in the near term, the automaker hasn’t scrapped the idea, Chrysler spokesman David Barnas said yesterday.
“You can never say ‘never’ forever,” he said. “For right now, we’re not doing it.”
The Gladiator concept made its debut last year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Its production version was to have a body-on-frame construction like the Jeep Wrangler, the latest version of which began production in July at a $900 million multifactory plant off Stickney Avenue.
Consumers are turning to cars and car-based sport-utility vehicles instead of compact pickups, and that segment is likely where Chrysler wants to concentrate limited financial resources, said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research Inc. in Bandon, Ore.
“The market for that type of vehicle [compact pickup] is really small,” he said.
Mr. Spinella said the Detroit-made Jeep Commander has not sold well, and Chrysler is rethinking the Jeep brand, which is getting two car-based models built in Illinois this year. Still, he said he wishes Chrysler would produce the Gladiator."
|
|