2010 PT Cruiser Couture Edition

In dire need of fresh products to attract customers, but with nothing new to offer, the Chrysler Group is in sad shape. That desperation is all the more evident in recently updated product offerings unveiled this week across its Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler lines.

Instead of bringing forth all new models or making significant mid-cycle changes, the product poor Chrysler Group is making do with what it has by offering new packages based on old themes. Long awaited all new models underpinned by Fiat technology are still more than a year away, but the automaker hopes that customers will flock to showrooms based on its repackaged offerings.

Will this move work or will it hurt Chrysler’s image?

The Chrysler Group recently separated its Ram truck line from Dodge, a curious move to say the least. All four brands are offering special or limited edition models many of which were announced yesterday in advance of next week’s North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Supposedly, these “new” models will be on display when the show kicks off to media on Monday.

But the changes are mostly cosmetic including the Chrysler PT Cruiser Couture Edition, representing Chrysler’s feeble attempt to modify its woefully outdated retro model first introduced in 1999. That PT Cruiser, riding on the extinct Dodge Neon platform, was killed off by Chrysler and later resurrected by Fiat once Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy protection this past summer and was placed in Fiat’s arms. Fiat wanted to keep the PT Cruiser around given that the Chrysler Group’s small car line up had one car left: the Dodge Caliber.

Chrysler describes the latest limited edition PT Cruiser as offering a bold look featuring exterior changes such as “chromed body-side moldings, door handles, 16-inch polished aluminum wheels.” Inside, “chromed detail rings” and “all-new Radar Red leather or Dark Slate Gray seats” highlight this edition’s offerings. The car will go on sale later this quarter for $19,995.

Other changes include:

• The Dodge Caliber receives a redesigned interior.

• The Chrysler 300 gains a pair of new models – S6 and S8, vehicles featuring “blacked-out grilles with chromed surround and body-color fascia accents.”

• Jeep expands the lines of two of its models by introducing the Liberty Renegade as well as the Wrangler Islander and Wrangler Mountain editions, the latter sporting 32 inch tires.

• Dodge Nitro receives changes to sub-model names with Heat, Detonator and Shock emphasizing updates to exterior styling as well as standard equipment changes and a new safety package.

Other changes involve several Dodge models including Avenger, Journey, Challenger, and Viper, as well as for the Chrysler Town & Country.

If Chrysler can hold off for a year, the Fiat 500 will soon be available through select dealers followed by a bevy of new cars, riding on Fiat platforms. But with sales off by 36 percent last year and market share sinking rapidly, time is not on Chrysler’s side nor does it have new vehicles to sustain itself through what promises to be yet another challenging year.

Photo Credit & Source: Chrysler Group LLC

2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty

Having a steady supply of new models to offer is critical to the success of any automaker. In Chrysler’s case, a dearth of fresh vehicles is weighing in, the result of steep cutbacks in product planning and engineering dating back to DaimlerChrysler days.

New Heavy Duty Trucks

For 2010, Chrysler will not be selling one completely new model. However, its popular Dodge Ram line will receive an important update as heavy duty versions of the truck – the 2500 and 3500 – are being rolled out in November. The 1500 was updated in early 2008 for the 2009 model year, but cash strapped Chrysler held back on modifying the heavy duty Rams until now.

On the surface, the new Rams seems like the wrong truck for the wrong time. Gas prices are accelerating again while demand for all large pickup trucks is down by at least one-third over recent peak levels. Yet, the Ram is profitable for Chrysler and these trucks could be snapped up by constructions crews and other small business folks as the economy continues to recover.

Maintaining Market Share

Of note, Chrysler’s share of the full size truck market has held up under trying economic conditions. The Ram remains the perennial third best selling big truck line behind the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado, but it continues to easily outpace the Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan.

The heavy duty Rams offer seating for six passengers, a fresh interior, six speed automatic or manual transmissions and are paired to a 5.7L HEMI V8. However, the top of the line 3500 comes standard equipped with a Cummins 6.7L turbodiesel.

Pricing will be announced tomorrow and are expected to run slightly below 2009 model prices. That will keep the Ram competitive in a very tight subsegment of the full size truck market. Expect that a fully loaded, Ram 3500 to retail for above $50,000, representing the most expensive vehicle sold by the Chrysler Group after the Dodge Viper.

2009 Dodge Challenger

A 1970s era muscle car is back and modernized for 21st century driving.

For a ten year period that began during the mid-1960s, a new segment of automobile reigned — muscle cars – loosely defined as rear wheel driven, intermediate sized, two door coupes with an emphasis on performance. Ford is credited with fueling this sector when its 1964½ Mustang was introduced, with General Motors, Chrysler, and American Motors following suit with their own models. During peak production years the four automakers combined to produce as many as 700,000 performance cars annually underscoring the popularity of this body style.

Alas, by the mid-1970s most muscle cars were discontinued thanks to higher fuel costs, steep insurance rates, and tightening pollution regulations; the latter introduced by the then newly formed US Environmental Protection Agency. The Ford Mustang soldiers on, but even General Motors exited this segment when the company dropped its Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird offerings in 2002.

A Blast From The Past

This past May, Chrysler LLC ripped a page from its own history book when it re-introduced the Dodge Challenger, a performance car based on a model the automaker produced between 1970-1974. Taking its styling cues from the original, the latest version accurately points to its heritage while offering a thoroughly modern drive, a pleasant and proven blend that has sparked widespread consumer interest.

Partial credit for the latest generation Challenger must once again be given to Ford which redesigned its Mustang in 2005, offering a style reminiscent of the fastback Mustangs of the late 1960s. This critically acclaimed Mustang caught the attention of Chrysler and General Motors who responded by promising to bring back their retired Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro respectively. By 2006, concepts of the new Challenger began to travel the auto show circuit and soon thereafter Chrysler announced that production was on.

True to form, the latest Challenger offers a strong reminder of the original, but with some significant differences. Although the original model’s crosshair grill isn’t part of the newest design, plenty of other styling features remain including a blacked-out full-width grill, integrated fog lamps, C-pillar design, side mirrors, racing stripes, even the inscribed “Fuel” stamp on the gas cap. The platform is thoroughly modern, the same one currently underpinning the Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and the Dodge Magnum.

8-Track Player Not Included

Inside, the newest Challenger provides many improvements over the original not least being bolstered seating, available 13-speaker sound system (sorry, no 8-track player), cruise control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, and satellite radio.

The dashboard, four-spoke steering wheel, and quad display of circular shaped gauges hearken back to the first model, somewhat of an unfortunate decision as all three design features tend to cheapen the interior. Seating is for five, but pity your back seat passengers especially the person who must sit in the middle – just like the first Challenger, the raised center drive-train hump means you’ll be competing with your neighbors for leg room. Indeed, the Challenger is best enjoyed by two adults sans kids.

The most significant improvements for the Dodge are mostly those things you do not see, including performance, handling, and safety features non-existent 35 years ago including front and side impact airbags.

V8 For Performance Or V6 For Economy

Back “in the day” a muscle car had to offer a V8 so the newest Challenger faithfully offers two: a 5.7L HEMI V8 in the mid-level R/T model or the 6.1L HEMI V8 in the top of the line SRT8 model. These particular engines parallel the original engines of the first generation Challengers as they are big, powerful, and fuel thirsty. Fortunately, a V6 powerplant is available for the economy minded, the standard motor for the base SE model. Transmission choices vary according to model with a four-speed automatic standard on the SE, a five-speed automatic for the R/T, while drivers of the SRT8 can choose either the five-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.

Choose the biggest engine and you’ll also pay a $1700 gas-guzzler tax as the SRT8 achieves an EPA 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway. If you buy the recommended premium fuel and fill up the Dodge’s 19 gallon fuel tank, then you’ll be handing the gas station attendant one Ben Franklin bill for every visit. Select the Challenger SE and you’ll squeeze out 25 mpg on the highway, trading away plenty of performance.

Besides its nostalgic appeal, Chrysler expects that the Challenger’s road performance will be a significant selling point for the coupe.

Acceleration Rivaling BMW

Accelerating from 0 to 60 in 4.9 seconds puts the SRT8 in BMW M5 territory, with a top speed of 170 mph limited only by wind drag. Unlike the original which could zig but not zag, the Challenger handles corners with ease thanks to its multilink short and long arm suspension in the front and its independent rear suspension. Helping matters are the wheels which include seventeen inch Goodyear Integrity touring tires on the base SE model, eighteen inch Michelin MXM4 sport tuned tires on the R/T, and whopping twenty inch Goodyear Eagle performance tires on the SRT8. 4-wheel disc brakes, anti-lock braking, and traction control help bring the Challenger to a full stop quickly and safely.

Trunk space is just over 16 feet, but storage is vastly expanded when the 60/40 split rear seat is folded forward. Cupholders, nonexistent when the first Challenger ruled the road, are plentiful with many other storage areas found throughout the Dodge’s cabin.

Priced Low To High

All 6400 of the initial production run 2008 Dodge Challengers were snapped up by collectors or claimed by car dealers, but finding the exact 2009 Challenger you want is much less daunting. Prices start at just below $22,000 and top out at twice that amount with a fully loaded SRT8.

Much like the original Challenger, the latest interpretation of a classic may be short-lived thanks to high gas prices and increasingly stiffer federal fuel and emissions requirements. Definitely not intended to be your commuter car, the Dodge is for the driver who values heritage styling and road performance, attributes this iconic coupe delivers in abundance and with exuberance.

See Also — American Muscle Returns: The 2008 Dodge Challenger

Old Meets New: 26 years of minivan building has yielded 12 million Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth models. Along with the Ram truck, Chrysler's minivans are a money maker for the automaker.

The twin pillars holding up Chrysler these days are its burly Ram truck line and time honored minivans. That may not sound like much, but when you’re remaking yourself post-bankruptcy and lacking fresh product for consumption, you have to see what works. Pickup trucks remain popular and, surprisingly, the minivan market has bottomed out and stabilized giving industry leader Chrysler a chance to promote one of its chief money makers in the years ahead.

Still Leading The Market

Through September, Chrysler has sold more than 125,000 minivans and still controls 40% of the market with its Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan models. The Honda Odyssey (now the best selling name plate) and Toyota Sienna have made significant in-roads and are considered to have higher quality ratings than the Chrysler products, but Chrysler is holding its own and looking to gain sales.

After a horrible summer when Chrysler filed for bankruptcy and shut down production in order to reduce inventory and slash expenses, the sales slide has stopped while minivan demand has risen. Indeed, in September Chrysler began to build minivans for overseas markets, equipping some with right hand drive and adding diesel engines (2.8L CRD).

Overseas Market Gains

Outside of North America the “Chrysler Grand Voyager” is available in more than eighty countries, with 21,513 units sold abroad in 2008 alone. To date, more than 12 million Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth (Voyager) minivans have been built, with the Windsor, Ontario factory producing today’s models and is currently the only Chrysler plant where all three shifts are in operation.

According to The Detroit News, minivans will continue to hold three to four percent of the car market through 2016, as demand for crossovers continues to rise while SUV sales slide. Fortunately for Chrysler, no new minivans are entering the market this year, although Ford will lead the charge with the C-MAX in 2011, a mini minivan from Europe. Around that same time, GM will roll out the Chevrolet Orlando, a mini minivan based on the Chevy Cruze platform.

Smaller Chrysler Vans

Down the line, Chrysler will likely produce a smaller van to compete in the smaller van segment, using a Fiat platform to underpin the body. For now, Chrysler and Dodge dealers will need to work diligently to market what they have, giving the edge to Dodge which has both the Grand Caravan and its line of Ram pickup trucks to draw crowds and to bolster company sales.

Edmunds and others reported last week that Chrysler Group LLC was considering separating its Ram pickup truck line from its Dodge brand. Along with the beefy Ram trucks, other models including sport utility vehicles, its midsize Dakota truck and the Grand Caravan minivan could also be relabeled.

Ram Tough Brand

The change would come as the automaker’s Fiat overseers decide what direction Chrysler will take over the coming years. Last week, The Auto Writer noted in Chrysler, Fiat and Donning Your Rose Colored Glasses that Fiat was considering changes involving the Chrysler and Dodge brands whereby Chrysler would be pushed upmarket while Dodge would fine tune its macho image. Jeep would continue to be Jeep, perhaps the only Chrysler brands that isn’t broken, though damaged.

Autoblog noted that the Ram brand, “Would free Dodge from rough-and-tumble heavy-duty products, leaving it to fend for itself in the compact, mid-size and performance segments – although it’s destined to receive some help from Alfa Romeo in the form of joint product development.” It meshes with earlier reports that Fiat plans to make Chrysler a luxury brand to compete with Cadillac and turn Dodge into a performance brand, losing its current muscle-car image in favor of cars with sportier driving dynamics. Jeep would remain the off-road-focused SUV brand it has always been.”

Five, Then Three, Now Four?

Adding another brand would move Chrysler in a direction opposite where GM is currently heading. GM, top heavy with eight brands, will soon have four to manage – Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet. However, as recently as the late 1990s, Chrysler had five brands in-house with Plymouth and Eagle in that mix.

One has to wonder what Fiat is thinking by splitting up Dodge. Chevrolet, which has some sixty percent of GM’s market share in the United States, has successfully sold a wide variety of vehicles under one banner, from the diminutive imported Aveo to its Corvette sport car. Trucks, vans and big SUVs each wear the Chevy ribbon, a true American brand that Dodge has been attempting to emulate.

Creating Buzz

My thoughts are that Fiat-Chrysler may be looking to create some buzz (a publicity stunt) by offering the Ram name up separately. Chrysler is still trying to plan its products over the coming five years, finding that its internal resources (designers and engineers) as well as its external resources (dependable suppliers) may not be able to bring everything to pass.

Separating Ram from Dodge may have worked n the 1990s, but in this day of consolidation a unified Dodge brand may be what ensures Chrysler’s success.

Built by Daimler for Chrysler, the Dodge Sprinter will soon be no more. Instead, select Mercedes dealers will soon begin to sell Daimler's line of commercial vehicles in the US.

Daimler, Chrysler battle continues….

The DaimlerChrysler marriage is over, but the animosity continues. Late last month, Chrysler sued Daimler for breach of contract, alleging that the German automaker wasn’t living up to its obligations as agreed to with the Old Chrysler business and assumed by the New Chrysler. Additionally, Chrysler charged that Daimler was attempting to extort from Chrysler monies for a diesel engine that Daimler agreed to cancel months earlier.

My, what sharp words!

Daimler apparently has decided to strike back, discontinuing supplying Chrysler with its Dodge Sprinter vans, its line of commercial vehicles. Introduced through Dodge dealers for 2003, the Sprinter replaced Chrysler’s aging full sized vans a segment that the American automaker will now have to exit due to the Daimler cancellation.

The Sprinter Returns To Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC announced earlier this week that they would “assume responsibility for the sales, marketing, distribution and service of Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter commercial vehicles in the United States.” To that end, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG was being formed a company to be called Daimler Vans USA, LLC.

The Dodge Sprinter is currently sold through 400 Dodge dealers, but will instead be sold as either a Mercedes or Freightliner product beginning next year. Originally introduced in the US as a Freightliner model in 2001, the vehicle will be sold through select Mercedes dealers.

Fiat Vans To Replace Daimler

For its part, Chrysler Group LLC (the new Chrysler) says that the termination was mutually agreed upon as Chrysler is currently in deep talks with Fiat’s Iveco to supply commercial vehicles (CV) to the US including the Fiat Ducato and the Iveco Daily. Fiat owns a 20% stake in Chrysler, but effectively oversees the US automaker’s business.

To date, more than 130,000 Sprinters have been sold in the US with approximately 100,000 sold through Dodge dealers. Built in Germany, but assembled in South Carolina, the CV is likely to see some changes to it before it goes on sale next year. Currently, the model is available in three body styles and two vehicle lengths and is powered by a 3.0L diesel V6 engine.

No Love Lost

So, what’s next in the Chrysler-Daimler battle? Chrysler continues to accuse Daimler of stripping billions of assets from the automaker before its sale to the Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. Group in 2007. Cerberus is no longer involved with Chrysler, having forfeited its 80.1 percent stake in the automaker when the company declared bankruptcy this spring while Daimler had sold its 19.9 percent stake in Chrysler earlier.

Source: Mercedes-Benz USA

See Also — Ford To Counter The Dodge Sprinter

When Nissan and Chrysler began to make agreements with each other early on in 2008, I thought that their pending arrangements would be good for both companies. Taking Japan’s #3 automaker and putting it with America’s #3 automaker in order to build or share select models and parts seemed like a good idea to me. With Nissan being part of the Renault-Nissan juggernaut and Chrysler freed up from its awful relationship with Daimler, the move was well timed too.

The Ties That Unbind

Fast forward a full year and the global automotive landscape has changed sharply. Suddenly, China is the largest car market in the world, GM and Chrysler have been ushered through bankruptcy, Tata Motors now owns Jaguar and LandRover, while Mahindra & Mahindra will soon be selling its vehicle in the US market. Oh, by the way, Fiat now controls Chrysler which is yet another significant change.

The Nissan-Chrysler partnership came about shortly after Cerberus Capital Management, LP wrested control of Chrysler from Daimler in late 2007. By Spring 2008, the first product tie-ins between Nissan and Chrysler were announced and included the following arrangements:

• Nissan agreed to build a small car for Chrysler which was to be sold throughout much of Latin America. That model, supposedly a compact, would have helped Chrysler expand its reach in a booming, yet competitive market.

• Nissan agreed to supply the platform and quite possibly the entire body which was to replace the midsize Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring sedans. That car was to be built at a Tennessee factory by Nissan for Chrysler.

• Chrysler agreed to supply the truck platform expected to underpin the next generation Nissan Titan, the automaker’s full sized truck. Based on the Ram platform, Nissan would use many Dodge components and quite possibly become the basis for the next generation Armada (big SUV).

Don’t Count Everything Dead Yet

The first two agreements are dead for the simple reason that Fiat will supply everything that Chrysler lacks going forward. However, the Dodge Ram-Nissan Titan deal could still come through especially since that plan wasn’t expected to begin until 2011.

Volume for the Titan is considered to be too low to justify making an all new model, thus Nissan will likely still need a partner or kill the model which is something the automaker insists won’t happen. Chrysler is the logical choice, so don’t kill this partnership off completely. At least just not yet.

Source: The Detroit News

See Also — Nissan, Chrysler Fuse Partnership

There are some people who see Fiat as the savior of Chrysler while there are others who are doubtful at best, downright hostile at worst that Sergio Marchionne can pull of this newly crafted business arrangement. I’m in the latter camp as I believe that Chrysler’s chance to remake itself (with Fiat assistance) is something that must be accomplished before a fast closing window of opportunity slams shut.

That window will remain open only until a whole bunch of newer products begin to appear next spring including the Ford Fiesta, the Chevy Cruze as well as several hybrid and pure electric cars arriving from a variety of manufacturers. I don’t believe that consumers will embrace every new hybrid or EV that comes to the market, but I believe that Chrysler’s aging fleet may not be able to change over fast enough to keep up with the onslaught.

Alfa Dodgeo? That’ll Work!

Perhaps sensing that time is truly of the essence for Chrysler, word is coming forth that Fiat may marry the Dodge and Alfa Romeo names. Alfa Dodgeo won’t be the name of some newly minted brand for the automaker, rather Alfa Romeo models could find themselves rebadged and sold as Dodges in the US while Dodge models being sold in Europe would carry the Alfa Romeo name.

There are some similarities between Dodge and Alfa Romeo that most people don’t know about at least that is what Fiat is indicating. Both brands sell “muscle cars” in their respective markets, but even that definition has different meanings where these kinds of cars are produced. The Viper is a true, blue sports cars while the Challenger represents the current iteration of the pony car theme for Dodge.

“The level of competition between these two brands is tremendous because they are both going after the same customer,” Marchionne said in an interview with Autocar magazine. “Dodge is the American muscle car, while Alfa Romeo is the European muscle car. How we dovetail these two brands is very important.”

I haven’t seen Alfa Romeo models up close and personal in many years, but most of their muscle cars are smaller and narrower than what the average American driver prefers to drive although I could certainly see the Spider and Competizione finding a following in the states, but only if they’re sold under the Alfa Romeo brand. But that’s just my opinion.

Source: Autocar

See Also — Alfa Romeo

Adding insult to injury, Devon Motorworks appears to have made a $5.5 million offer for the Dodge Viper, well below the $10 million fire sale price that Chrysler LLC has reportedly been asking for its iconic sports car line. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Devon Motorworks is building its own supercar based on, you guessed it, the platform underpinning the Viper.

According to an article published in Wednesday’s issue of The Wall Street Journal,  Devon made a May 15th offer to purchase the Viper brand and to lease the Detroit assembly plant that builds the car until December. Devon must still demonstrate its financial wherewithal in order to have its bid considered but it isn’t known whether they have done so or not.

Lots Of Tire Kickers, No Serious Buyers

Chrysler LLC continues to insist that a number of parties have expressed interest in the Dodge Viper, but no one has approached the ten million dollar figure that Chrysler is asking.

Many automotive enthusiasts are stunned by the low asking price for the Viper, but given the current state of affairs for the global automotive industry it would seem that most automotive assets would fetch far less money today than they would have as recently as a year ago. That’s bad news for Ford which is trying to sell off Volvo and for GM who is looking to sell off Saab, Hummer and Saturn while finding an investor for Opel.

Devon GTX To Tackle “The Ring”

Scott Devon created Devon Motorworks which hopes to release the Devon GTX in the near future. Designed by Daniel Paulin, a Swedish automotive designer whose clients include Hyundai, Tata Motors and Volvo Trucks, the GTX will attempt to break the world lap record at the famous Nürburgring “The Ring” track in Germany this July. Le Mans, European FIA and GT2 World Champion and Trans-Am winner Justin Bell will be behind the wheel of the GTX when it makes its way around the German track.

Scott Devon, the owner of Devon Motorworks, also owns Cole’s Quality Foods Inc., a company who makes frozen breads, cheesticks, pizza sticks and bread sticks.  In addition, Devon Motorworks produces an electric bike that comes with a portable battery pack and can travel as fast as 60 mph.

Chrysler LLC is expected to emerge from bankruptcy within the next few days which means that its business will be sold to a group of automotive investors led by Italy’s Fiat SpA group.  It’ll be up to them to decide what to do with the Viper, but my thinking is that the company which builds Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo performance cars may still see some value in keeping the Viper within the Dodge fold.

Last summer Chrysler LLC mentioned that its iconic sports car, the Dodge Viper, was up for sale. No, not just one car but the entire model line, the tooling and the factory in Detroit where the Viper is built. Back then, some were speculating that Viper could raise perhaps as much as a few hundred million dollars for Chrysler who was putting the model up for sale even before the big financial meltdown of September 2008.

Well, the people reporting at The Detroit Bureau (an excellent online publication by the way) have shared that Chrysler’s asking price for the Viper is a measly ten million dollars. That’s right: low enough for a bunch of us auto enthusiasts to pool our money together to buy Viper ourselves. Had we known, we might have submitted our own bid.

Fire Sale Price For Automotive Assets

Perhaps most surprising of all is that even at this fire sale price, there hasn’t been a single party to express interest in Viper. Gosh, let’s get ten people together to scrounge up $100,000 each and offer Chrysler an even one million dollars to take Viper off of their hands! No thanks.

As The Detroit Bureau mentioned, none of this bodes well for other automotive assets on the market, namely GM’s Saab, Hummer and Saturn brands. Moreover, with Volvo up for sale, you have to wonder if Ford would get anything near the five or six billion dollars they want for the Swedish make. In my opinion, if Ford is able to do so they should simply hang on to Volvo and ride out the depressed market.

What Is The Value Of Car Assets?

Perhaps most interesting of all is this point — exactly what is the federal government funding when it comes to helping Chrysler and General Motors? When all is said and done tens of billions will be expended to move Chrysler to Fiat and hundreds of billions to lift General Motors out of its own ditch. Perhaps the feds have overestimated each company’s actual value?

No demand for the Viper actually plays into the fed’s hands when it comes to settling Chrysler and GM’s debt as pertaining to its bondholders. Holders of Chrysler and GM debt are not happy to get what amounts to be just pennies on the dollar for their investments, but with the federal government as the only party interested in shoring up the two companies, whatever they end up getting will be more than what these assets are probably really worth which is as close to no value whatsoever.

See Also — Dodge Viper, The Heart And Soul Of Dodge