Youch... please tell me the jobs that they cut won't impact the (lack of) support we already have on our cars... I know they don't go hand-in-hand however there has got to be an impact at some point.

Record earnings for a fifth consecutive year at DaimlerChrysler Financial Services helped offset a “significant decline” in Chrysler Group earnings, according to a statement released by automaker DaimlerChrysler AG. The German-American automaker posted net income of $4.3 billion, an increase of 13% compared with profits of $3.8 billion in 2005.

Worldwide sales for Chrysler Group dropped 5%, and it posted an annual operating loss of $1.5 billion, compared with an operating profit of $2 billion in 2005. In the fourth quarter alone, Chrysler Group had operating losses of $164 million, compared with operating profits of $565 million for the same period in 2005. DaimlerChrysler did not state net income figures for any of its divisions.

In response to the losses, Chrysler Group said Wednesday said it will cut 13,000 jobs, or 16% of its workforce, in order to return to profitability by 2008, according to a Reuters story.

Financial Services achieved record earnings for the fifth consecutive year, with an operating profit of $2.3 billion in 2006 compared with $1.9 billion in 2005. DaimlerChrysler attributed the positive gains to increased new business and improved efficiency, which offset higher interest rates and increased risk costs.

At the end of 2006, the portfolio of Financial Services had 6.5 million leased and financed vehicles, according to DaimlerChrysler. The North and South America region had a total contract volume of $106.1 billion at the end of 2006, compared with $113.4 billion at the end of 2005.

 

So how did Daimler Chrysler compare to Ford? I hear Ford is taking a dump!

 

I just read an article on money.cnn.com that said GM may be interested in buying Chrysler. Can't find it now though - maybe they pulled it?

 

I sure as hell hope not! Anyways GM can't afford Chrysler. And if they could they would only buy it so they can destroy it.

 

Just saw a local MI news preview that said GM is in talks concerning purchasing Chrysler.
If I can stay up til 11 pm, I'll post what they say.

 

Found this too...

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...ESS01/70214011

 

Wow, I just saw on the news this morning that Chrysler will be laying off 15,000 employees, and I think GM around 30,000 while ford is up to 50,000!!!
People we need to stop supporting the Asian imports, we're killing America.

 

Yep. The only thing worse than Asian imports is those darned German imports!

 

Hey !!! I drive that German Import.

 

I think it will be VERY interesting to see what happens to the Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler within the next year or so. I believe if Daimler finds a buyer for Chrysler and in simple terms they can agree on a few things, Chrysler will get sold. I have talked with my dad and shareholders in Germany have always been against the merger, seeing that the merger killed the share price and it hasn't recovered since, I don't blame them.

The coming months will hopefully get us some answers. As far as GM buying Chrysler, I haven't read anything on it but I do not think there could be any substance to this. GM is NOT in the position to acquire a company of this magnitude, along with the problems and excess inventory that would come with it.

 

A great deal of the Japanese and Korean cars are made here! Even Mercedes are made here. DC treated Chrysler like a red-headed step child, they could have definitely done alot more to help. Chryslers problem (besides labor costs) is product. They were doing great with trucks, and while they had the 300, the rest of their cars were lackluster. When the truck and SUV's started to fall from prominence, they had nothing to sell the consumer. GM and Ford of course are in worse shape, and at least Jeep is still doing well, but the Dodge and Chrysler car lines leave a lot to be desired. They are changing that now, but is it a little too late?

PS - Bring over the diesels for the Caliber. That looks like a great & practical small car, but if you can get hybrid mileage without the hybrid headaches, they would see a ton of them!

 

I would disagree with this before the daimler merger chrysler was... completly ignored other than the jeep models... now charger, crossfire, 300c, and the upcoming challenger those are all in my eyes good cars for their extremly fair price.

Only a few German and Japanese models are acctualy made here... less than People think... X3, X5, ML, GL are the ones that come to mind quickly though.