Chrysler - did Cerberus blow it?

They lost their arse with that purchase and made nothing off of it. Bought it for 35 billion and sold it for a bit over 7 billion. Chysler has got not cash to carry them through unless they get major concessions and many industry analists agree too.

Only one side is happy here and it is not Chysler. I will be really surprized if they are still around in a few years. Not that I want them to fail but the deck is stacked against them right now.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

To compare a Chysler hemi to the quality of a Mercedes motor and drive train is very wishful thinking. The Hemi is well below it in refinement.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

And on average S-Class Mercs put in very high annual mileages because senior execs use them.

DAS

For direct replies replace nospam with schmetterling

Now that IS poppycock.

1. Germany does not NEED to put in general speed limits. The environmental impact is not as great as some people like to think. Anyway, huge chunks of the German motorway network are already limited (to 130 km/h or less) and much of the time in certain sections traffic is too heavy to go much above the speed limit.

Furthermore, stretches of motorway have a guide max of 130 km/h. Whilst that is not a legal limit, it could have insurance payout implications when having an accident above that.

1. Mercedes is not only for the rich. It is for everyone. Even omitting the A and B Classes, in Germany the C is a top-selling car and has been for years, as is the BMW 3. (around number 5 or better).

DAS

For direct replies replace nospam with schmetterling

100+ mph is still the norm on rural autobahn for the larger cars, the ubiquitous econoboxes kept around 120kph, and speed limits in the cities. I was there last month, rented a BMW 3-series *diesel,* what a great car that was. Had it up to 228KPH (about 140mph) at one time but usually I kept it around 160-170KPH (100mph) and still returned about 26mpg. The only cars passing me were the big Audis and Mercedes.

No diesel smell, no clattering, very smooth. When will these diesels be available in the US?

I strongly disagree - without the possibility of driving at top speed, German cars (from VWs / Opels - MB / BMW) wouldn't have the brakes and steering that they do. I've driven at 185 km/hr in a 1.7L TDI Opel Vectra which around town got the equivalent of more than 35MPG and still got nearly 20MPG at very high speed (160+ km/hr).

The German car makers couldn't sell a car in Germany unless it was mechanically and dynamically safe to drive at its top speed. With sped limits they would be like French mainstream cars, nothing very special.

now, back to the main program ...

reboot

Well, you can sure say Mercedes owners don't buy for styling. Mercedes hasn't used any. If styling was important, Mercedes would have gone out of business 40 years ago.

I'd have to disagree with that. Most Mercedes (other than the "SUV's") look great. You don't think an SL500 looks sharp? Even the little 230 Kompressor looks pretty hot.

So? You can get a V8 in a Chevy Impala for less than a Cadillac, or in a Crown Vic for less than a Jag.

You knoweth not of which you speak.

You knoweth not of which you speak.

That is patently false. Chrysler _had_ no cash.

BS. DC was profitable before the merger and except for 1 year, it's been Chrysler dragging down the profits ever since.

Yep, those low cost Compass and Caliber interiors.

Mercedes are for rag heads and Europeans. they are ugly, expensive, and ride like logging wagons. wayyyy over priced and expensive to get worked on. nothing good to say about them. send them all back to Europe or that toile in the desert - the Middle East. And while you are at it - have them each tow a BMW - another POS made by a country that cares less about pollution than any other. besides france of course. there is a real winner.

"Political Correctness is a doctr>> In article ,

Thanks for that. Always good to have a moron expose himself to everyone on Usenet once in awhile.

If anyone cares to think about it, the troubles in this country grow from Wall Street -

when corporations which had been happily moving along for years making money and reinvesting it back into new products, research and so on - all of a sudden had to learn to concern themselves about stock prices, how to TRY to keep from being the victims of a hostile take over and having years of profits burned up to light some billionire's cigar, and most importantly how to keep the market happy and support all the Wall St. silk suited parasites that have sucked the blood out of and destroyed so many fine American companies, to line their own greedy pockets.

WHO CARES about how many Americans we put out of work, let's squeeze out another Gulfstream Bizjet, Custom yacht, Million dollar one bedroom apartment or $500k sports car for us....

If the people that originally started the NYSE could see it today, they would most probably be first ashamed at the way it has been corrupted over the years, and then probably burn it down...

I do hope I don;t appear too harsh =)

Bill

Yes in the past Mercedes cars were a bit ugly, but you obviously haven't looked at the recent Mercedes E series of cars. IMO they are lovely looking. Mercedes passed on the ugly looks to the Chrysler 300.

Geez, what an objective statement. You might inform yourself that many people consider a number of MB models gorgeous -- especially the S, CL, SL, and CLS. OTOH, the Compass, Caliber, Charger... need I go on?

Gee, a bigot heard from.

And a dumb one at that.

Wouldn't expect you to know anything.

So, burn any crosses lately?

There speaks a real connoisseur...

BTW, for us Europeans, what's a "rag head"?

DAS

For direct replies replace nospam with schmetterling

???? On that logic you wouldn't have Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, TVRs, Jaguars,Subarus,Honda NSXs,Mitsubishi EVOs etc etc as they are all built in countries with speed limits... I'll leave my US friends to add in the wealth of muscle cars as I can't be bothered to type more.

Dave Milne, Scotland

Lloyd Parker leases a Mercedes because he is "fiscally conservative".

Right Lloyd ?

Dave Milne, Scotland