Chrysler hoping to become the BMW or Mercedes

I was reading an article yesterday on AutoSavant.com about Chrysler's CEO hinting in an interview with Automotive News that Chrysler could become the next BMW or Mercedes. Mr. Jim Press stated: "If there's one company in America that can build high-craftsmanship, innovative vehicles, it's Chrysler." Also Mr. Press said that in the event of Chrysler coming out successfully from this financial crisis, they will operate as a small boutique manufacturer producing high-performance, high-quality cars much like German automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz do currently. Apparently, Jim Press, co-president of Chrysler LLC, stated in an interview last week that should Chrysler survive, it would survive as a small boutique manufacturer producing high-performance, high-quality cars much like German automakers BMW and Mercedes-Benz do currently. Now, he's on a roll, maybe due to the holiday season, and he says that the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup will be a car that even Mercedes-Benz would build it…if they were in the truck business. No offense to Dodge Ram fans, but I don't see it as a car that any BMW or Mercedes executive would drool over it. I won't get into the other details of his interview, but I do want to make sure that you know some facts before you draw your conclusion: Chrysler is ranked as one of the worse car manufacturers when it comes to quality work and reliability and for the past years, they haven't done much in the R&D department either. Their car design and innovation has stalled, but it is worth mentioning the hybrid system that was built together with BMW, GM and Daimler. So, in my opinion, Chrysler needs a major restructuring and new vision in order to be even considered in the same class as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It takes years to build a new brand, to earn the customer trust and respect, so…these are the perfect times for them to rethink their strategy. Interesting article on AutoSavant and I encourage you to read their full analysis, but as always, feel free to share your opinion with us.