mikeyb
07-13-2005, 10:05 AM
Wow, what a difference a couple of years and a single knockout platform can make (that would be the RWD LX platform, for those in the back who aren’t paying attention). Recently, Chrysler’s car sales have surged, and as a result it now commands 9.1% of the US passenger-car market - a healthy increase from the 7.2% share it owned only two years ago. The recently released Charger is just about guaranteed to provide another shot in the arm. The SRT-8 models might be considered a “niche” product, but with Chrysler willing to build approximately 20,000/year of each of the three versions, that potentially adds up to nearly 10% of their total car sales, demonstrating that such product can provide more than just a “halo effect”. What’ll be interesting is to see if the upcoming Dodge Caliber 5-door hatchback (replacing the Neon sedan) and Stratus/Sebring replacements will do their share to keep things moving in the right direction. Jerry Flint thinks so, and when combined with Chrysler’s roll-out of new truck and SUV products, he thinks that Chrysler’s 14% overall market share might increase enough to pass the Ford Division (currently at 18%). It’ll be interesting to see how this battle shapes-up with the newest round of incentives and the release of the Ford Fusion - stay tuned.
http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000483050289/
http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000483050289/