"-----wonder what they (Daimler) did wrong---(in their acquisition of
Chrysler.")
There are plenty of theories in the biz media and have been almost from the
onset. One can't overlook the most obvious and that is the human element.
Chrysler came out of the late 80's and went thru the 90's until the acquisition
in strong Detroit contention. They had vehicles that much of the public liked,
wanted and bought and gave GM and Ford a real run for their money in many
important areas. Internal matters were also the envy of GM and Ford regarding
plant efficiency and others. But almost coincidental to the German acquisition
many of Chrysler's top executives, the shakers and movers who brought all this
about, jumped ship, others quit soon as they got a taste of how Daimler was
determined to run things. The company was left with big shoes unfilled and
continues to this day with that sad situation.
Some observers comment that had the acquisition never taken place Chrysler
might now be in bankruptcy. I'm not so certain. Had the winning management
team remained in place and continued to attract, as they did previously, some of
the best of the up and coming newcomers, they may well have continued to be
better off than either GM or Ford, notwithstanding the recession. What is so
regrettable about this is the new cars and trucks that might be on the street at
this time that will never be built.
Paul Sahlin
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Feb 06 2004 - 11:46:59 EST