Will Chrysler make Ram its fourth brand?

[importhater]

It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but Dodge passenger cars are likely to get a new logo as part of the brand shakeup at Chrysler Group LLC. With the separation of the truck operation into the new “Ram” brand, Dodge cars will no longer wear the stylized mountain goat that has been the symbol of Dodge products since Avard Tennyson Fairbanks (1897-1987) designed it as a hood ornament for the 1932 model year. Instead, sources say the cars will have a new trademark with the word “DODGE” inside a crest while the new Ram brand trucks, which will likely include rebadged versions of the Iveco Daily and Ducato vans, will wear a design similar to the current Dodge logo.

The same sources claim Chrysler’s winged logo will be changed as well. The wings will be shorter and more stylized and the traditional Chrysler seal will be replaced by a blue rectangle containing the word “CHRYSLER.”

Chrysler Group is scheduled to release its five-year business plan next month and the are some indications the release could come sooner as more and more questions are being raised about the changes being made by new CEO Sergio Marchionne.

[Bravada]

I hope you are paying royalties to Dave Zatz when you're copy-pasting his website here.

[importhater]

it was on the allpar site. i go there and read up on the latest chry/dodge news.

[Bravada]

Do read. Don't copy-paste.

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by Bravada

I don't know how why those websites make this up - the Dodge Ram becomes a separate business unit, and I can see why, but there is nothing more to it. Splitting Dodge makes little business sense and Fiatsler is short of cash for any major moves like that. It's just the return to the pre-1998 era when Dodge Trucks had separate management.

It was mentioned on AllPar someplace and then it was also mentioned by an analyst over at Automotive News. This isn't to say that it's 100% sure, but it does have some plausibility - even if I don't know if it will necessarily happen.

Originally Posted by Bravada

They won't, Dodge is their volume brand and they need the volume. The same as GM is not going to make Chevrolet all sports cars. This whole thing stemmed from a comment from Marchionne who tried to paint Dodge in a positive light to make borrowing platforms by Alfa from Dodge seem less "inappropriate".

The way that I perceive this - and others - has everything to do with comments made by Marchionne and others leaking information. Maybe we are wrong, but how are we supposed to interpret it when the comments come from the horses mouth? Alfa Romeo is NOT a mainstream brand. Dodge sells over a million cars a year and is in every segment (as you say, just like Chevrolet -- or Ford or Toyota for that matter). Alfa doens't even come close to that kind of volume and has been trying for years to hit the 300,000 mark. In my opinion, he could have simply stated that these platforms were going to be shared across the board rather than single out Alfa since most of Alfa's platforms are also shared with other products in the Fiat Group. For him to single out Alfa (whether it was to make it seem more "appropriate" or not) makes me think he's seeking some kind of realignment of core-brand values.

Maybe Sergio mispoke, but its not like we're spinning this out of nowhere.

Originally Posted by Bravada

The brand isn't getting divided. P&L responsibility, marketing budgets and accounts and development are. This is to protect the immensely profitable Dodge Ram line from any ups and downs at Dodge Cars. There is a daring mission to turn around the latter which should not affect the former in any way to guarantee some degree of financial stability.

Perhaps, but if that were the case, then why not simply make your own behind-the-scenes changes for accounting/P&L/marketing without making a big splash about it? This is like GM making a huge deal about how stats and accounting numbers are reported -- is it really worthy of a Press Release if there isn't something more substantial going on?

Originally Posted by Bravada

The whole "brand" thing was made up by the press. There is a new BUSINESS UNIT for Dodge Ram trucks. This is sent out to dealers to reassure them there will be additional emphasis put on propping up Ram sales and keeping it competitive.

This seems odd to me. GM can reassure their dealers that they are dedicated to Chevrolet pickups and SUVs without creating an entirely business unit. Same can hold true of Toyota or others. But I guess to each their own...

Originally Posted by Bravada

Is it? Did I miss something?

Yes. European websites (as well as a few sites here in the States) have said that it is expected that Fiat will kill Dodge in Europe.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...aliber/243824/

Maybe it is more speculation, but either way, we will find out for sure come mid-November...

[nadepalma]

Originally Posted by importhater

It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but Dodge passenger cars are likely to get a new logo as part of the brand shakeup at Chrysler Group LLC. With the separation of the truck operation into the new “Ram” brand, Dodge cars will no longer wear the stylized mountain goat that has been the symbol of Dodge products since Avard Tennyson Fairbanks (1897-1987) designed it as a hood ornament for the 1932 model year. Instead, sources say the cars will have a new trademark with the word “DODGE” inside a crest while the new Ram brand trucks, which will likely include rebadged versions of the Iveco Daily and Ducato vans, will wear a design similar to the current Dodge logo.

The same sources claim Chrysler’s winged logo will be changed as well. The wings will be shorter and more stylized and the traditional Chrysler seal will be replaced by a blue rectangle containing the word “CHRYSLER.”

Chrysler Group is scheduled to release its five-year business plan next month and the are some indications the release could come sooner as more and more questions are being raised about the changes being made by new CEO Sergio Marchionne.

I read this on AllPar as well. If this is truly the case, I'm wondering when the revised logos and brandings will be released.

I hope they are also addressing marketing as well -- They will certainly need a shot in the arm as products are revised and updated.

[Bravada]

I read this on AllPar

AllPar, for the most part, reports on what other media sources claim. The little "original reporting" they did based on inside Chrysler sources confirm what I stated about the Ram brand.

Maybe Sergio mispoke, but its not like we're spinning this out of nowhere.

Sergio is being deliberately vague in everything he says, testing the waters and keepin Fiatsler looking good for the media. Putting it this way, he didn't disclose all his cards or closed any options, and also steered away from the potentially image-damaging headlines such as "Chrysler using Fiat platforms" or "Alfa getting rebadged Dodges".

We are now to believe Dodge is going to become "better" by way of becoming an "American Alfa", and thus the upcoming Charger-based Alfa Romeo is to be welcomed as something truly wonderful. It also helps for the people to think all the changes and new tech going into Dodges comes from Alfa, which "nobilitates" the brand compared to saying it comes from Fiat.

There is nothing to indicate anything would actually change. Dodge will remain a mainstream brand, Alfa the premium brand, they will just add Dodge/Chrysler platforms to the Fiat platforms they already use. There is some chance the Alfa Premium platform would also migrate downmarket to Chrysler, Dodge and perhaps Fiat.

Perhaps, but if that were the case, then why not simply make your own behind-the-scenes changes for accounting/P&L/marketing without making a big splash about it?

The splash was minor, normally it would have been buried into the press releases concerning the management reshuffles, the press just hang to it because it's more interesting than Francois taking over from Fong.

There is also a big benefit coming from the strong message this sends to the dealer body regarding the future of the Ram. In September, the Ram might have been the saving grace for many dealerships starved of small cars and unable to move the midsizers and other slow-selling vehicles.

Maybe it is more speculation

It is. Nothing in Fiat's actual announcements would indicate that. Dodge is by far outselling Chrysler internationally (http://www.italiaspeed.com/2009/cars...nal_sales.html) and the Dodge Journey is the best-selling vehicle Chrysler has in global markets, including the UK (http://www.italiaspeed.com/2009/cars..._sales_uk.html). The UK press just pays too little attention to actual Chrysler sales results to competently assess that.

If you'd look at the moves Sergio is making, he is very cautious not to lose any of the precious volume he's got left. He's keepin the PT as long as humanely possible, and even announcing updates for the JS midsizers. He can backtrack on any of that, but given his caution in making public statements, it doesn't look as if he'd retract any of his words. It's rather that the press tries to put in his mouth what he didn't say.

So, anyway, I don't think he'd engage in a costly rebranding of the Journey, while the current status quo allows him to move a few thousands more and affords Fiat some foothold in the underserved MPV market in Europe. I would actually tend to believe the Avenger replacement will be Fiat's secret weapon in the "repwagen" class against the Mondeo and Passat, in lieu of the slow-selling Croma.