Chrysler to revoke franchises of 6 Houston-area dealerships

KHOU-Houston ^ | 5-14-09 | Lee McGuire

[Snickering Hound]

HOUSTON -- Chrysler is revoking their franchise with six Houston-area car dealerships.

The dealerships include Rogers Dodge of Alvin, Baytown Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Archer Dodge in Stafford, Archer Chrysler-Plymouth in Houston, Archer Chrysler Jeep West in Houston and Jim Archer Chrysler-Jeep in Houston.

Chrysler made the announcement as part of its bankruptcy court filing Thursday morning.

The franchises will be revoked by early June, the company said.

Through his secretary, dealership owner Robert Archer told 11 News he would have no comment today.

[Snickering Hound]

A quick search at FEC.Gov shows that a Robert Archer from Sugarland is a heavy donor to the Republicans.

Repeat after me, this is NOT political.

[a fool in paradise]

Houston news:

(NOT from the article)

A quick search at FEC.Gov shows that a Robert Archer from Sugarland is a heavy donor to the Republicans.

Repeat after me, this is NOT political.

[catbertz]

Ouch.

[a fool in paradise]

The world let Hugo Chavez get away with such stunts.

[elpadre]

they might as well lift the license on our local dealership. Although I have driven Dodge pickups for many years, I am driving the last one now. It's a dandy, but I do have scruples, doncha know?

[Hatteras]

25 dealerships between North & South Carolina...

[WoodstockCat]

The entire list of closures needs to be weighted against political contributors and then sent to the RNC.

[Tarpon]

I they are lucky, when they get done, the Jeep name may still be salable.

[Onelifetogive]

Do dealerships cost the company money? Why does the company care?

[Sequoyah101]

There isn’t another truck as well built for pulling stuff than my Dodge Cummins but it is the last I will ever buy. I just hope I can get parts for her.

[Myrddin]

Will Chrysler return the money the franchisees spent for the franchise? It's unilateral breach of the franchise contract by Chrysler. Such franchises often cost multiple millions to establish.

[Dan(9698)]

Chrysler is revoking their franchise with six Houston-area car dealerships.

How do they think this will help their position in the marketplace?

[mnehring]

We have two Chrysler dealerships in our small town, one that sells Dodge one that sells Chrysler & Jeep.. the latter are strong Republican owner downers and is being kept open, the Dodge dealer are owned by Liberal dem owners and are being closed..

[Finny]

I bet there aren't many dealerships whose owners AREN'T Republicans. One of the biggest, most successful dealerships in So Cal, Tuttle Click (also is connected to dealerships in AZ) are owned by guys who are very outspoken Reagan Republicans. Bob Tuttle knew Reagan and worked for him, and these dealerships treat their employees very well, among other things, helpign to send employees' kids to college -- all employees, from the low-skilled ones that wash the cars to the highest level execs. I have had many candid discussions with dozens of auto dealership owners, and it's safe to say that the majority of these mostly self-made men (and a few women) were Republicans at least, if not downright conservative right wingers of the type that the DHS warned against, like we FReepers!

I think the general public has zero idea, not a clue, of the full negative impact loss of auto dealerships will have on their towns, cities, and neighborhoods. Aside from being pretty much the major source of income for city governments' tax coffers, dealerships employ dozens if not hundreds of people, and donate quietly and generously, by the tens of thousands of dollars, to charities and schools.

[knarf]

Chrysler zero to revoke franchises fires the employees of 6 Houston-area dealerships, thus contributing to the unemployment crisis he created and will (spit) fix.

[smokingfrog]

Wow. Archer has been around for a very long time. At least since the 70’s that I know of.

[pnh102]

If sales are down it simply makes no sense to have extra dealers who are not selling product. I would figure even without bankruptcy non-performing dealers would be shutting down on their own anyway.

[pnh102]

The world let Hugo Chavez get away with such stunts.

To be fair, 0bama didn't exactly "seize" Chrysler. Chrysler willingly threw itself into the arms of the government when it agreed to take taxpayer money (again).

[RobRoy]

>>How do they think this will help their position in the marketplace?<<

It won’t, but they have to do it, jsut as a first step ws for Curcuit City to close a number of stores.

This is the beginning of the “official” impact.

[Dan(9698)]

It won’t, but they have to do it

Pairing Chrysler with Fiat will be just like it was in the fifties, when Studebaker and Packard were merged.

People who were buying Packards didn't buy Studebakers with a Packard name on them. They bought Lincolns or Cadillacs.

People could buy Fiats now, but not many do.