I don't know the source, but we have a person who works for the DC folks
that may have inside news. But Richard, if my source is correct, the Ram
will take a more aggressive front end stance and a MAXIPAD rear-cab appeal.
Along those lines the Dakota will follow suite the following year.
Now Chrysler folks want a high-price truck in there line-up beside the PT
Cruiser. They wanted a truck/car spin-off that will be the Blackwood
fighter from Lincoln (Ferd). It makes a lot of sense seeing the upper scale
division want a deluxe driven truck base vehicle for the over 50 club. Hmm!
May work if it is like the 300M series.
-------------------------------------------
Steven St.Laurent
Test Engineer
Test Branch, GSD, MCTSSA
MARCORSYSCOM, USMC
760-725-2506 (DSN 365-2506)
Work:mailto:stlaurents@mctssa.usmc.mil
Home:mailto:saint1958@home.com
<<...>> <<...>>
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard A Pyburn [mailto:rap777@juno.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2000 8:11 AM
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
Subject: DML: Dodge to build the MAXXCAB?
Here's a story from the buzz that says Dodge will build the Maxipad, I
mean Maxxcab. Unlike previous stories, however, their not saying it will
be a Dakota. Yes!
Here's the story: Here's the
link:
http://www.car-truck.com/chryed/buzz/b050200.htm
DODGE TO BUILD MAXXCAB?
Warning: This column is often based on rumors
and information derived from
unsubstantiated sources. We do not guarantee the
veracity of any of the information
contained in this column. For news and in-depth
features please visit the News,
Features or Reviews sections of this site. The
opinions expressed in this column are
those of the Buzz Watcher, and do not represent
those of Car & Truck News or our
advertisers. Read on at your own risk.
Ward's Automotive is reporting that DC plans to
build a
production version of the Dodge MAXXCab concept.
According to the report, Canadian suppliers have
told
Ward's that the hybrid van/truck will be built
at DC's
Pillette Road Truck plant.
It sounds plausible. The MAXXCab looks more like
a van
then a pick-up, perhaps Dodge plans to build it
as both a
van/truck hybrid and a full-size van? It's a
move that seems
to make good economical sense.
Pillette currently builds about 75,000 Ram Vans
and
Wagons annually (note: the "van" is the
windowless cargo
version, the wagon is the windowed, passenger
version). For
the past year I've been reporting on buzz that
DC would add
a second product to the under utilized Canadian
plant.
Late last year DC announced that they would add
a state of
the art paint shop to the plant ensuring the
plants future
and guarantying that a second product will be
added to the
mix. The buzz has been that Pillette's will
build a van
(possibly an US version of the Mercedes Sprinter
) and a full
sized SUV.
Back in late December Buzz Watch broke the story
that the
full size Jeep SUV codenamed SJ had been
canceled. In the
same report I broke the story that DC was
developing a full
sized Dodge SUV (codenamed TR74) instead.
According to
the Ward's report, they have completely
"shelved" both the
big SUVs?
I checked with my original source and he reports
that TR74
is still in the works. Perhaps this full sized
Dodge SUV is
going to be something completely different.
According to a
high-ranking source at Dodge, the Chrysler Group
has "no
intention of walking away from the full-sized
van market."
This leads me to believe that an all-new
Van/Wagon is in the
works, despite previous reports to the contrary.
Could the MAXXCab, or more accurately the MAXX
platform be Dodge's answer for several different
vehicle
niches? The notion makes fiscal sense. Imagine
three
different MAXX configurations. MAXXCab, a
van/truck
hybrid basically identical to the vehicle they
unveiled in
Detroit. MAXXVan/MAXXWagon, the replacements for
the
current Ram Van/Wagon. MAXXSuv, essentially a
MAXXWagon but with all-wheel-drive and more
SUV-like
amenities.
In order for the plant to be profitable DC
need's to build
over 120,000 units there annually, they
currently only sell
around 75,000 Ram Van/Wagons. The Buzz is that
when the
plant upgrades are complete Pillette will be
able to produce
140,000 units per year. Obviously it's going to
take more
then a new van to use up that capacity.
So will that capacity be filled by the MAXXCab
and possibly
the MAXXSuv? It seems like a likely scenario.
However just
because manufacturers are bidding to supply
parts for this
vehicle doesn't necessarily mean that it will be
built, after
all, they were doing the same thing in
preparation for the
full-size Jeep SUV.
That said, this does seem like a logical
direction for DC to
pursue. The ability to build multiple niche
vehicles based on
the same platform would allow DC to easily
tailor the
plant's production in response to shifting
market trends.
If that's the direction they are headed,
Pillette could be
transformed from one of DC least high tech
facilities into
the blueprint for the assembly plant of the
future. I'll keep
you posted.
________________________________________________________________
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