Chrysler Moving Michigan Plant to Russia

6 news wlns.com ^ | Apr 17, 2006 | wlns.com

[vertolet]

Another auto plant is closing in Michigan. This time it's a Chrysler assembly line moving to, of all places, Russia. A Russian automaker says it's buying the Sterling Heights assembly line from Daimler Chrysler. That line builds the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus. The company will now produce the cars in Russia under license from the German-American automaker.

[Thunder90]

GM is the next set of cooperate idiots to sell this country down the river. We should NOT be putting production plants into countries that represent near term threats, and Russia certainly qualifies.

[Thunder90]

Ping. Another mistake by a US company.

[Spktyr]

I'm guessing that you're not real familiar with the Stratus.

Hint: This isn't a plus for Russia, believe it or not.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Good. Get the heck out of Michigan and stick it to the corrupt unions and that commie Governor Granholm.

[restornu]

Thank you Chrysler, for taking US welfare from US Citizens in the 80's, only to take your A$$ to Russia

[Iris7]

Corporations that sell their stock to the public are required by law to put the shareholder's interests first. This means corporations must maximize profits. Exxon NOT going for every cent possible is illegal. Diamler-Chrysler is in the same boat.

If this is bothersome to you (it is to me), should then the folks in Exxon do what is illegal? Especially when they will be out of there like a rocket?

Does not the fault lie with the laws involved? Doesn't it?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Thank you Chrysler, for taking US welfare from US Citizens in the 80's, only to take your A$$ to Russia

Chrysler is not an American company anymore.

Besides, they paid back the loans.

[F.J. Mitchell]

That move is soooooo damn appropriate. The last few Chrysler vehicles I owned were about as dependable and durable as a Yugo.

I just hope this doesn't piss off Russia to such a degree that they launch their entire nuclear arsenal at us. But if they did, my last dying thoughts would be,"forgive them Lord. They only do what we would do, under similar circumstances."

[Iris7]

Diamler-Chrysler is a German company. Daimler (Mercedes-Benz) bought Chrysler's assets and got rid of the parts they did not want to keep.

Daimler-Chrysler is no more an American company than is Daewoo or Toyota.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Chrysler has produced some great vehicles since their merger with Daimler-Benz. Chrysler has always been on the cutting edge of design and risk taking, something that the other two hair-brained auto companies can't accomplish.

[vertolet]

LOL!
Isn't you the very person who writes anecdotes? :)

[FreedomCalls]

That move is soooooo damn appropriate. The last few Chrysler vehicles I owned were about as dependable and durable as a Yugo.

Yugos were made in, well, Yugoslavia. The Russian car made for export was the Lada.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I just noticed Dodge stopped selling the Intrepid, since what, 2004? Another incompetant mistake by Detroit - taking once-popular models, neglecting them, and tossing them aside and replacing them with nothing at all, ala Ford Taurus. Idiots. You'll never see Toyota or Honda do that with the Camry/Accord.

[Southack]

Russian wages are less than China's wages.

The average Russian wage is $303 per month. The average Ukranian makes only $165 per month. http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/87/347/15919_salary.html

The Chinese urban worker earned $0.95 per hour in 2002, $1.07 per hour in 2003, and $1.22 per hour in 2004 (http://www.morganstanley.com/GEFdata/digests/20060407-fri.html)...and was likely up to $1.54 by this year.

For the 2640 hour average Chinese workyear (10 hours per day, 22 days per month, 12 months per year), that's $4,065.60 per year....$338.80 per month.

[Arrowhead]

LEGALLY, Daimler/Chrysler, i.e Chrysler AG, is an American company. And you would know that if you had read the corporate "merger"-assuming you understand all the legal jargon. Ownership is in name only. But as far as how the investment rules are played, they are ruled by US law, therefore making Chrysler AG an American company.

You may want to get your facts straight before inadvertantly misleading others.

And as to those who want to lump Chrysler into the other misleading comments in this thread-with an exception of Mr. Exremely Extreme-Chrysler is on a swing upward in meeting quality benchmarks that is game to surpass Toyota by 2008. Innovative design is a given, but the benchmarks I speak of are those most notably given to Toyota.

As a matter of fact, the company has been hiring Smart Manufacturing troubleshooters from Toyota and they think that Toyota is becoming complacent and saying the Chrysler track has the momentum to surpass Toyota in terms of quality benchmarks by as early as 2007.

At the risk of boasting, I should know...I have worked for Chrysler for the last 11 years.

[Lorianne]

Oh, cool. Can't wait to see the sequel to Roger and Me on this one.

[sine_nomine]

Thanks for the info. That's why I love Free Republic. I enjoy the insider comments. I learn a lot.

Chrysler has had ups and downs. I had a Dodge Aspen, one of the all time lemons, but we loved that little car for some reason. We had a Fury III that must have been the test bed for the Abrams tank. It had a 383 engine with a 4G acceleration when the engine was completely tuned. It was black. I waxed it once a week and kept the body in good shape, in spite of Michigan salt. One mechanic said with awe, "You can see that Fury III a block away."

Our current car was stolen from our driveway. It was a Sentra, very reliable. Making autos is rough work. I admire the people who make such good cars.

[F.J. Mitchell]

If you have taken one Commie made auto for a test drive, you have experienced the same walk back to the dealership so representative of them all.

[durasell]

Where do the profits go? Back to Germany or to American stockholders?

[F.J. Mitchell]

Lol! I have never earned one cent from my exceptionally brilliant ancedotes, but being the absolutely honest and modest critter that I am. I have no choice but to answer: "Yeah...I am."

[F.J. Mitchell]

Chrysler has been on the cutting edge of extinction, more times than I can count, during my seven plus decades of life upon this planet and were always rescued from their own stupidity by the American tax-payers.

The Chrysler Cooperation rewarded the American Tax-payers some time ago, by selling out to Mercedes and now comes the final insult as they sell their souls to Russia.

Okay, let them sell their vehicles to those who build them, just as American's purchase and drive automobiles built by Americans.

[Iris7]

I understood the "American corporation" stuff to be an attempt to forstall Kirk Kerkorian. Perhaps not.

Or perhaps so. One might ask Mr. Kerkorian his opinion.

The "merger" documents are likely to be what one would expect when many excellent lawyers and many millions of dollars have produced them. A dazzling intricacy of interlocking parts.

I do wish the best for you at Chrysler.

Juergen Schremp is being talked about as Rick Wagoner's successor. I hear that Mr. Schremp is actually a third rate man, arbitrary and mean spirited (unlike Wolfgang Bernhard and Dieter Zietche).

I like the Tomahawk a great deal. One hears that Mr. Bernhard wanted it in production. I think it would have been a masterstroke.

Any word on the ME 412? Or are we seeing another stillborn masterpiece?

[AngelesCrestHighway]

And the auto workers union put another nail in the coffin....

[ExGeeEye]

The assembly line equipment for an older line of vehicles is, indeed, being moved to Russia. New equipment is being brought in, and the plant will continue to produce updated Chryslers.

[sit-rep]

Diamler bought out Chrysler years ago...Oh, indeed they called it a merger, but we all new that was BS when it happened!

[snowsislander]

...the company has been hiring Smart Manufacturing troubleshooters from Toyota...

That's a good move, I think.

It is my opinion that GM should be trying to hire management from Toyota.

[AlexW]

"GM is the next set of cooperate idiots to sell this country down the river."

I think you should take your complaints to the UAW.
They are the ones that destroy the auto industry in the US.

[ExGeeEye]

This post has half the story. See the rest here.

[shekkian]

So now they're going to make them into high-priced Ladas?

[DustyMoment]

The last few Chrysler vehicles I owned were about as dependable and durable as a Yugo.

My last Chrysler product was a 1977 Dodge Aspen. Dumped that POC ASAP and have never looked back. The sooner that Chrysler folds up their tents and moves their circus somewhere else, the better.

IMO, Chrysler and the Russians deserve each other.

[Roccus]

Actually, the gov't. only guaranteed the loans. The US even made money on those guarantees.

[DustyMoment]

I have worked for Chrysler for the last 11 years.

I was raised in a Chrysler family. My dad bought nothing but (and I think the world of my dad and his decisions). However, the incompetent people at Chrysler managed to put me off of ever buying another Chrysler again. When I complained directly to the factory "customer service" people about maintenance problems I had with my last Chrysler product (and, I DO mean LAST), their brilliant response was "What do you want me to do about it?"

Trust me, that was all they needed to do about it. I have never (and never will again) purchased another Chrysler product. Chrysler Crap is exactly what it is and what it always was.

"You may want to get your facts straight before" you proceed to lecture the rest of us on the wonders of the crap Chrysler puts on the road.

[RightOnline]

That's good to hear, but face it......Chrysler may have some gutsy designs, but their well-deserved rep for shoddy quality is a major hindrance to them gaining market share.

It would take one HELL of a lot for me to ever even consider buying a Chrysler product again based on my own past experiences and those of many of my acquaintances.

[RusIvan]

I just hope this doesn't piss off Russia to such a degree that they launch their entire nuclear arsenal at us. But if they did, my last dying thoughts would be,"forgive them Lord. They only do what we would do, under similar circumstances."
===

:)))) Funny:)).

[Muleteam1]

I'm not a Chrysler fan but it is only one assembly line that is being moved out of the country. Studebaker moved its entire production to Canada before they became extinct. The American auto industry has been trudging its way to the tar pits since the 1970s. America seems bored with automobile production anymore.

[njmaugbill]

"Ping. Another mistake by a US company."

Au contraire - Daimler-Chrysler is a German company......

[GarySpFc]

Russian wages are less than China's wages.

That is not quite true. Go to the CIA World Fact Book and you will see the GDP Per Capita for China is only $6,300, whereas for Russia it is $10,700. The Russians have many benefits which are not included in their wages.

[GarySpFc]

The Russian manufacter purchased the assembly line. What is so very wrong with American products being sold to Russia?

The majority on this thread are also overlooking the fact that American auto manufactuers are producing cars in Russia, and are making very good profits and products. It appears some of you do not REALLY believe in capitalism.

Ford Increases Capacity of St. Petersburg Facility

Ford will boost the the plant's annual capacity from the current 40,000 vehicles to 60,000 vehicles by January 2006. The St. Petersburg facility, launched in July 2002, recently started production of the new generation Ford Focus, Ford's top-selling vehicle in Europe. The Focus is also produced in Valencia, Spain and Saarlouis, Germany.

[Wolfie]

Eh. As long as we're selling out to the Chinese, who actually could kick our asses all over the map, I don't think worrying about the Russians is of much use.

[Graybeard58]

My dad bought nothing but (and I think the world of my dad and his decisions)

My dad did too, I have never understood it.

I still remember the push button transmission that he put in park and went back in the house to let the engine warm up. When he went back out the car had put itself in reverse and was now across the street and on the neighbor's lawn.

I do remember with fondness his '49 plymouth where I had my first "romantic encounter" as a teen ager.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I think you should take your complaints to the UAW. They are the ones that destroy the auto industry in the US.

In the end there will one very obese union official sitting in the union headquarters eating Dunkin Donuts by the fistfull when the lights go out.

[Izzy Dunne]

When he went back out the car had put itself in reverse and was now across the street and on the neighbor's lawn.

Hey - it could have been in his neighbor's living room.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Thanks.

[Tokra]

Another mistake by a US company.

It isn't a US company. Chrysler was bought by Daimler several years ago - it's now a German company.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Ditto.

[1rudeboy]

Don't bother. Some folks are on a roll.

[1rudeboy]

Check out some of the replies on this thread.

[Kewlhand`tek]

well actually the LX bodies(magnum,chrysler 300 and charger) are the next evolution of the LH (intrepid,concord lhs)models. they couldve called the lx's intrepids.
just like they quit making neon's replaced them with the Caliber(which I would be purchasing one if I didnt still have payments on the 2001 Ram)
I have a 1997 intrepid sport, and it is THE best car I have ever owned, had it since 2000.