D-C might become just D and C.

OMG! GM Talks? Doesn't GM make the Hummer? For all those who were bashing the Germans for what they've done to Jeep just imagine what the manufacturers of the Hummer will do to Jeep.

"DaimlerChrysler is in talks with General Motors to sell Chrysler to the world's largest carmaker, Manager Magazin reported, citing unidentified company sources. The talks are at ``an early stage,'' it said.

Zetsche, dur> DaimlerChrysler is in talks with General Motors to sell Chrysler to

I doubt it, the reports in the Detroit news have been to the contrary. It comes from pressure from the European shareholders to dump Chrysler but I don't think they will.

Wouldn't it be great if Jeep broke off and became its own entity again? Maybe then we could dump the libby, IFS, and get a small Jeep again.

Wishful thinking I know. Sigh...

I ran across this...

Report: GM in talks to buy Chrysler

Dale Jewett | | Automotive News / February 14, 2007 - 4:39 pm

DaimlerChrysler is reportedly talking with General Motors about the possibility of GM's buying the Chrysler group, according to the German magazine Manager Magazin.

The magazine cited company sources as saying the talks were in full swing but still at an early stage.

The report came today as DaimlerChrysler AG said it was open to all options for the Chrysler group. Chrysler today unveiled a restructuring plan as it posted a $1.47 billion loss for 2006. That plan calls for cutting

DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche declined to comment on the report.

"I cannot and will not go into any further details," Zetsche told reporters in Detroit, where he announced the automaker's 2006 results.

A GM spokeswoman also declined to comment on the report.

DaimlerChrysler has retained JPMorgan Chase & Co. to consider options for the Chrysler group, the Detroit News reported this afternoon.

In a report on its Web site, the newspaper quoted unidentified company sources as saying the automaker had hired the investment bank.

No mention of Jeep...

I wonder what is the smallest size a viable car company in the current US market is? Would an independent Jeep be able to survive on it's own?

Somehow I doubt it, and if it DID it would really have to be a privately held company, otherwise someone would swallow it up.

For Jeep to be a successful company all on it's own I think it would either need someone or a small group of people with very deep pockets.

Hmm, wonder what Bill Gates drives?

Jeff DeWitt

Clap Trap wrote:

I'd guess Mercedes.

Imagine Jeep by Microsoft! I shudder at the thought...you'd have to reboot the ECM every other day.

I wouldn't mind if Ford buys Jeep, then they can use the JK platform for a real return of the SWB Bronco...

But Ford is having its own problems. GM, too. Neither one of them is in the financial position to buy Chrysler, so I take these reports with a liberal grain of salt.

ABC this morning said GM is look into acquiring Chrysler and combining their design facilities.

Coasty

Not necessarily. It IS possible to take two ailing companies and turn them into one profitable one. That's all GM would need to do is prove that their acquisition of DC would put the resulting company in the black and the banks will go for it.

Facility mergers, man power consolidation, product line trimmings and such could conceivably make GM a stronger and profitable entity again. That's not to say it WILL, only that it is possible for a weak company to buy a weak competitor and come out strong in the end.

Toyota is the most likely buyer for Jeep.

Nope, probably won't happen. Neither GM nor Ford is in a financial position to acquire Chrysler, even though it's a good deal right now.

I'd guess if D-C sold off Chrysler, it might be purchased by a Chinese manufacturer to get a boost in American market share. That will be a sad day if it ever happens.

The Jeep factory in Red China is still making the XJ and it is probably superior to the US version as far as off-roading is concerned.

That's pretty much the way GM came onto being in the first place - buying up or merging smaller brands. The DC problem is the product mix - too many big boxes - and GM has an image problem. Neither rate well on reliability although the DC warranty program helped a lot. Remember when no one would even talk about Hyundai? Look what that 10yr/100k warranty did for them.

What I saw on the network news is that you have to pay U.S. autoworkers too much, to be able to make the cars cheaply enough, so that the same U.S. workers will buy them. I don't get how you can fix this, by having some other investor buy the company.

Earle

underestimated."

How about the new 2008 Jeep "Fat Boy"???

Harley Davidson could buy JUST the Jeep group and jettison the newer B.S. products, then take Jeep back to their real Jeep roots that the Germans disolved while trying to make a buck. I am not exactly a Harley fan, but they DO have "some" patriotism left in their company!

Bruce

No they don't. They're just as multi-national as everyone else.

Earle

I sure hope they all have sense enough to Buy Chinese. That way the evil foreign car company can't suck up all their profits and ship them back to their home cou.....uhmm, wait a second.

Does anyone fail to see the irony in this, given the general "Buy American" "Evil Foreign Companies" attitude that is prevalent here?