The Auto Writer

Daimler once gave serious consideration to bringing the Imperial back, but scrapped those plans. Fiat wants to elevate Chrysler to battle Lincoln and Cadillac, but me thinks that someone is wearing rose colored eyeware.

Chrysler is in a lot worse shape than anyone at Fiat imagined. At least that’s what several auto pubs are telling us following an announcement from Sergio Marchionne, the erstwhile Mopar savior, stating the same. For those of us who have been following Chrysler in its many different iterations (Chrysler Corporation, DaimlerChrysler, Chrysler LLC and Chrysler Group LLC) that news isn’t surprising at all.

What is surprising is the long range plans Fiat has for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. Jeep will continue doing what it does best and that is being Jeep – no surprise there. Dodge will see its muscle car image transform from brute force to driving dynamics. In other words, if Dodge had something equal to Ford’s EcoBoost technology, we might see smaller, yet powerful engines underneath the hood…not much of a surprise there either.

Chrysler Steps Up?

The big surprise is how Fiat SpA envisions the Chrysler brand to look down the road. Fiat would like Chrysler to be a “notch above Lincoln, a notch above Cadillac” which, on the surface, is a ridiculous statement. Chrysler can barely compete with Buick whose own efforts to move upmarket are well underway. Cadillac has the CTS line, which can compete against the best of Europa, while the 2010 SRX is a compelling new crossover designed to burnish the brand’s image. Eventually, a replacement for the STS and DTS will be on the market and, someday, a much improved Escalade will roll out. If the Chevy Volt succeeds, Cadillac will also get a Voltec model. Don’t forget the gorgeous CTS coupe.

I can’t see Chrysler having a shot at upending Cadillac. Not now. Not ever.

A few years back I would have said Lincoln was an attainable goal given the wholesale neglect of the brand by Ford for many years. Now that Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and soon Volvo will be out of the way, Lincoln will get some loving and eventually should give Cadillac a nice run for top American luxury line billing. The MKZ has improved, the MKS is a decent American full size luxury sedan, while the MKT is competitive with what Europa makes. Look for Ford to update or replace the Navigator and the MKX while the aged Town Car will keep fleet sales humming for a few more years.

Moon Shot Mentality

The thinking at Fiat is reminiscent of the Apollo moon shot program which aggressively set standards for the US to reach the moon by the end of the 1960s. That goal was reached against all odds, nevertheless the resources of the US government working with ardent lunar devotees ensured its success. Chrysler won’t have the same federal support with this program and the company no longer has the staff to bring about luxury products let alone push the Chrysler brand upmarket.

Likely, the recent sermonizing by Fiat was merely eyewash to give people something to hang onto. Fiat realizes that Chrysler is in much worse shape than they thought, a true calamity that will be hard enough to salvage let alone advance. Sure, I wish the best for Chrysler and Fiat, but global competition and economic realities will likely dictate the fast reordering marketplace.

See Also — Is There An Imperial In Chrysler’s Future?