Chrysler, Nissan talk cooperation

[johnny smallblock]

Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co., a Japanese automaker in search of an American partner, are in talks on possible ways to help each other develop new vehicles, people familiar with the situation said Thursday.

They said the discussions began in the summer after Daimler AG agreed to sell Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management LP.

At this stage, the talks are limited to technical cooperation: Nissan is interested in Chrysler's expertise in full-size truck manufacturing, while the newly private Auburn Hills automaker wants to tap Nissan's strength in developing appealing small cars.

The two automakers are not discussing the kind of over-arching alliance, including equity stakes, that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn was seeking last year with General Motors Corp., the sources said.

GM's management, backed by its board, rebuffed Ghosn's proposal last year to form a three-way alliance of GM, Nissan and its controlling shareholder, France's Renault SA.

Chrysler Chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli told reporters at the automaker's holiday party Thursday that he had not spoken with Ghosn. But he said Chrysler needed to look at potential global partnerships.

Nissan declined to comment on the talks, which were first reported by Bloomberg News.


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Chrysler, which lost money last year and expects to lose $1.6 billion this year, has reached a deal to obtain a subcompact from China's Chery Automobile. But Chrysler officials said recently that Chery did not yet have a model that met their standards.


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Its new Versa subcompact is the best-seller in its class, but its Titan pickup has never achieved its full-year sales objectives. Titan sales are down 8.5 percent so far this year.

More here: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...712140353/1148

[ANT]

oh good, this way chysler and nissan makes sure they continue to have impeccable reliabilty and quality

[Chaz_23]

Nissan has appealing small cars?

I can't believe that Chrysler can't develop cars on their own.

[I-Love-Pontiac]

God dammit Nissan, go away!

[ANT]

Originally Posted by Chaz_23

Nissan has appealing small cars?

I can't believe that Chrysler can't develop cars on their own.

besides there trucks and viper what cars have they developed themselves:

300/charger/magnum= MB
new Vans co developed with VW
avenger, sebring, nitro etc... mitsubishi

i think even that crap jeep is on the mitsu platform

[nadepalma]

Interesting if it's true -- we'll have to see if this pans out.

But Chrysler seems to be taking on the "piecemeal" strategy that many Europeans have: multiple projects with multiple partners

So if they build trucks with Nissan, minivans with VW, and a new V6 engine family with MB -- what's next?

Originally Posted by johnny smallblock

Its new Versa subcompact is the best-seller in its class, but its Titan pickup has never achieved its full-year sales objectives. Titan sales are down 8.5 percent so far this year.

When did this happen? Wasn't the Aveo the best selling in the segment for a long time?

The Versa? I don't see the appeal. It has more HP than some of the others in the segment but is also considerably wider. I would think that if the Aveo were surpassed it would have been the Yaris or the Fit that would take the crown....

[nadepalma]

Here is another article on this as well:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aY69VBzYzydg

[Olds88]

Originally Posted by ANT

besides there trucks and viper what cars have they developed themselves:

300/charger/magnum= MB
new Vans co developed with VW
avenger, sebring, nitro etc... mitsubishi

i think even that crap jeep is on the mitsu platform

No Jeeps use Mitsu platforms. Note that the patriot and compass are not considered Jeeps.

The LX cars were excellent marketing by MB. They saw the brand power of HEMI that Chrysler had resurrected in the Ram and saw a potential for profit if HEMI sedans were reintroduces. They saw right.

Now what I wanna see is G35 SRT8, though I guess it'd be a G61 then.

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by ANT

besides there trucks and viper what cars have they developed themselves:

300/charger/magnum= MB
new Vans co developed with VW
avenger, sebring, nitro etc... mitsubishi

i think even that crap jeep is on the mitsu platform

I don't think the new vans were co-developed with VW. VW is taking the Vans and just adding their own interior and front/rear fascias. This was their agreement -- no tech swapping was entailed when Bernhard and Zetsche came to an agreement.

The rest is true in that it depends heavily on Mitsubishi and MB -- though they cherry picked parts rather than whole platforms.

There are suspension, transmission, and electronic components of the last E-Class in the LX Cars for sure. But the rest is Chrysler made. The only Chrysler product that fully sits on a MB platform is the Crossfire, which uses the last-generation SLK's platform.

As for Mitsubishi, the Avenger, Sebring, Compass, Caliber, and Patriot are derived from the curernt Mistusbishi Lancer platform, but aren't identical. They started this partnership for two platforms together: one to replace the Neon/Lancer and one to replace the Stratus/Sebring/Galant. By the time Mitsu and DCX got divorced, the Lancer platform was furthest along, but still half baked. They each took what they had and went their separate ways. But Chrysler finished it on its own -- just as Mitsubishi did.

The Nitro isn't based on anyone else's platform; It's based on an updated Jeep Liberty platform which now resides under the new Liberty as well.

E SI, siamo Campioni del Mondo! Grazia Dio!

[ANT]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

I don't think the new vans were co-developed with VW. VW is taking the Vans and just adding their own interior and front/rear fascias. This was their agreement -- no tech swapping was entailed when Bernhard and Zetsche came to an agreement.

The rest is true in that it depends heavily on Mitsubishi and MB -- though they cherry picked parts rather than whole platforms.

There are suspension, transmission, and electronic components of the last E-Class in the LX Cars for sure. But the rest is Chrysler made. The only Chrysler product that fully sits on a MB platform is the Crossfire, which uses the last-generation SLK's platform.

As for Mitsubishi, the Avenger, Sebring, Compass, Caliber, and Patriot are derived from the curernt Mistusbishi Lancer platform, but aren't identical. They started this partnership for two platforms together: one to replace the Neon/Lancer and one to replace the Stratus/Sebring/Galant. By the time Mitsu and DCX got divorced, the Lancer platform was furthest along, but still half baked. They each took what they had and went their separate ways. But Chrysler finished it on its own -- just as Mitsubishi did.

The Nitro isn't based on anyone else's platform; It's based on an updated Jeep Liberty platform which now resides under the new Liberty as well.

E SI, siamo Campioni del Mondo! Grazia Dio!

i didnt mean the nirto i meant the caliber im an ass... but still they still are dependent on joint development and parts bin picking for the majority of there automobiles...

[steverino]

Phase 1 of the sell-off

[stevecmh]

Nissan just never stops.. its like the engerizer bunny

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by ANT

i didnt mean the nirto i meant the caliber im an ass... but still they still are dependent on joint development and parts bin picking for the majority of there automobiles...

No worries. But I see your point.

The reality is that smaller manufacturers like Chrysler are simply dependent on such alliances or cooperations. Its going to be a reality moving forward. The companies out there than can truly build things on their own without any help from any other automakers is dwindling. Even mighty Mercedes-Benz is looking for partners for some platforms, etc.

As long as each company does these cooeprations with the intent to produces quality vehicles with DISTINCT appearances, etc --- then it is fine. But remember that cooperations and chery-picking has to do more with money than "know how" or "expertise". Chrysler could do it alone each and everytime if they had unlimited funds -- but it's not likely to happen anytime soon.

Remember, Chrysler (and AMC) has had a pretty rocky history and a tradition of coming back from the brink time and again. This may only be another chapter in that existance vs. the more "steady" history in GM and Ford's past.

I just hope that if this is a reality --- and it may since Ghosn has been pushing for it for some time --- that there isn't a equity swap.

And IF there is an equity swap down the line, then I hope that it's no more than the 20% that Daimler AG still owns. I want Chrysler to stay in domestic hands for the forseeable future.

[atomicshark]

Originally Posted by Olds88

No Jeeps use Mitsu platforms. Note that the patriot and compass are not considered Jeeps.

As hard as this is for Jeep fans, the Patriot and Compass are indeed Jeeps.

[FoMoCo Fan]

So Renault and Chrysler might be back together. Can they bring back the Alliance?