SUVs saved Chrysler (But Fiat will ultimately kill Chrysler)

On Jun 4, 6:26*am, "DAS" > wrote:
> "DAS used improper usenet message composition style by top-poasting "
>
> How many chips do you have on your shoulder? *And I trust you appreciated
> your spelling error...
>
> I would, however, agree, that the Daimler Benz's aquisition of Chrysler was
> a really stupid move. *My personal view (drived from opinion pieces with
> which I agree) that the acquisition (not a merger) was driven by the
> megalomania of the top managers, fuelled by the greed for vast American
> salaries (untenable in a German company) which could be 'justified' by a
> listing on an American stock exchange. *That required a 'merger' with a US
> company to make it quick and simple.
>

Yes, the 300:1 ratio of CEO pay to average salary found at many US
companies is enough to make otherwise rational people "****-nutty" as
they used to say.

Still, Chrysler was the victim here.

Had it been the other way around the German gov't would have cut
Chrysler's balls off.

Fiat is buying a dealer network and US production facilities.

Chrysler execs here should ask Fiat for access to the Alfa, Lancia
and Ferrari parts bins as a show of good faith, replacing the piece of
**** V10 in the Viper with the 65 degree V12 would be a good step.

What a lot of North Americans fail to see is that 'American' cars don't sell
well in Euroope because of unsuitable handling.

DAS
--
To reply directly replace 'nospam' with 'schmetterling'
--
> wrote in message
...
On Jun 4, 6:26 am, "DAS" > wrote:
[...]
Had it been the other way around the German gov't would have cut
Chrysler's balls off.

Fiat is buying a dealer network and US production facilities.

Chrysler execs here should ask Fiat for access to the Alfa, Lancia
and Ferrari parts bins as a show of good faith, replacing the piece of
**** V10 in the Viper with the 65 degree V12 would be a good step.

On Jul 18, 3:04*am, "DAS" > wrote:
> What a lot of North Americans fail to see is that 'American' cars don't sell
> well in Euroope because of unsuitable handling.

That is not as true today and shouldn't be true at all. Many American
cars are today the equal of Mercedes Benz and BMW in handling. Some
aren't which is unfortunate.

If it were not so I'd drive a BMW.

One reason I don't is resentment that the Europeans get a far better
car than we do in the North American versions because of emissions and
"safety" laws. But handling isn't much if at all different.

DAS used improper usenet message composition style by top-poasting:

> What a lot of North Americans fail to see is that 'American'
> cars don't sell well in Euroope because of unsuitable handling.

What a load of horse ****.

DAS is suffering from this romantic notion that European roads are these
idyllic, twisty-curvy high-speed low-traffic speedways through open
plains and deep forests, along mountain passes and meadows.

The stuff of TV commercials.

Get real.

Your roads are just like ours in north america. Overcrowed, slow and in
need of repair.

You're also suffering from the delusion that the global automotive parts
supply chain doesn't exist, and that a melding of suspension design and
construction and performance hasn't happened across auto companies for
the past decade.

Here in north america, we no longer drive 2-ton cars on bias-ply tires,
cushioned by torsion-bar front suspension with solid rear axles on
leaf-springs. You might want to dig your head out of your ass and
realize that.

MoPar Man, there is no need to be rude ("dig your head out of your ass"),
which you periodically are. What is that with you that you need to dribble
out such rudeness and profanity?

I have no illusions, I have driven around parts of the US often enough and
it looks like you haven't driven about the UK much (just as an example).

This has nothing to do with supply chains, but a lot to do with 'set up'
(such as of suspensions). I have seen many car reviews and the conclusions
are often the same. However pot-holed US roads might be they are still a
lot straighter than many European roads.

And for reasons I cannot fully fathom 'performance' supposedly sells...
things like ability to corner tightly. Frankly I don't care much about that
as I am not in the habit of doing 90-degree turns at 80 mph and I would
rather have softer suspension that swallows up the roughness (but does not
wallow), and that is a word still heard in conjunction with some US cars,
not only in UK.

Furthermore, from what I have heard the US engines (as sold in NA) are less
fuel-efficient and, at times frankly old-fashioned than those sold
elsewhere, and that's despite, e.g., Ford developing and making very good
engines in Europe.

Like I said, MoPar, you're suffering from a case of xenophobia.

DAS
--
To reply directly replace 'nospam' with 'schmetterling'
--
"MoPar Man" > wrote in message
...
> DAS used improper usenet message composition style by top-poasting:
>
>> What a lot of North Americans fail to see is that 'American'
>> cars don't sell well in Euroope because of unsuitable handling.
>
> What a load of horse ****.
>
> DAS is suffering from this romantic notion that European roads are these
> idyllic, twisty-curvy high-speed low-traffic speedways through open
> plains and deep forests, along mountain passes and meadows.
>
> The stuff of TV commercials.
>
> Get real.
>
> Your roads are just like ours in north america. Overcrowed, slow and in
> need of repair.
>
> You're also suffering from the delusion that the global automotive parts
> supply chain doesn't exist, and that a melding of suspension design and
> construction and performance hasn't happened across auto companies for
> the past decade.
>
> Here in north america, we no longer drive 2-ton cars on bias-ply tires,
> cushioned by torsion-bar front suspension with solid rear axles on
> leaf-springs. You might want to dig your head out of your ass and
> realize that.

>
> Furthermore, from what I have heard the US engines (as sold in NA) are less
> fuel-efficient and, at times frankly old-fashioned than those sold
> elsewhere, and that's despite, e.g., Ford developing and making very good
> engines in Europe.
>

The current generation of American V-8s-the Ford modular, the
Chrysler hemi and the GM LS-1 based engines-will give BSFC figures
over a wide range of horsepower that equal any gasoline engine sold in
Europe.

The europeans DO have a lot of diesels. The diesels have superior
BSFC. They are a big advantage we don't have because we have idiotic
emissions laws.

The Europeans think that the more complicated an engine is, the
better. They have nothing that will beat the all aluminum Chevy Gen IV
V-8 in power to weight over any continuous power setting worth talking
about. Why do you think Volvo Penta uses American V-8s in their marine
stern drives? Why do you think Scandinavian marine users buy container
loads of 454 Chevy engines on the used market?

Most Europeans don't have V8s in their cars. We pay a lot more for fuel and
so have to be a tad more cost-conscious. Even a 2-litre 4-cyl engine
reaches 100 mph easily, and that's illegal in most places, even in the USA.

DAS
--
To reply directly replace 'nospam' with 'schmetterling'
--
> wrote in message
...
>
>>
>> Furthermore, from what I have heard the US engines (as sold in NA) are
>> less
>> fuel-efficient and, at times frankly old-fashioned than those sold
>> elsewhere, and that's despite, e.g., Ford developing and making very good
>> engines in Europe.
>>
>
> The current generation of American V-8s-the Ford modular, the
> Chrysler hemi and the GM LS-1 based engines-will give BSFC figures
> over a wide range of horsepower that equal any gasoline engine sold in
> Europe.
>
> The europeans DO have a lot of diesels. The diesels have superior
> BSFC. They are a big advantage we don't have because we have idiotic
> emissions laws.
>
> The Europeans think that the more complicated an engine is, the
> better. They have nothing that will beat the all aluminum Chevy Gen IV
> V-8 in power to weight over any continuous power setting worth talking
> about. Why do you think Volvo Penta uses American V-8s in their marine
> stern drives? Why do you think Scandinavian marine users buy container
> loads of 454 Chevy engines on the used market?

On 7/24/2011 1:08 PM, DAS wrote:
> Most Europeans don't have V8s in their cars. We pay a lot more for fuel and
> so have to be a tad more cost-conscious. Even a 2-litre 4-cyl engine
> reaches 100 mph easily, and that's illegal in most places, even in the USA.


Only if you get caught!
>
> DAS


--
It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard
the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all
ages who mean to govern well, but *They mean to govern*. They promise to
be good masters, *but they mean to be masters*. Daniel Webster