Chrysler's Future

Alex Taylor III on the Chrysler story:

Chrysler used to be known as the sharpest design house in Detroit. But its one recent success, the much heralded Chrysler 300 sedan, looks increasingly like a shot-in-the-dark. For instance, the 300's platform-mate, the Dodge Magnum sport wagon, in many ways a more successful execution but one that failed to reach sales targets, is now headed for extinction.

In fact, most of the new models that were pushed through during CEO Dieter Zetsche's tenure look cheap and flashy - like the kind of costume jewelry you'd find in a discount store. "Exterior styling, a Chrysler forte, seems to have lost its way," says consultant George Peterson of AutoPacific. "And they have been doing the most downscale interiors in the industry."

One theory is that Chrysler's German owners panicked when they saw the demographics of Chrysler and Dodge buyers - older, less well-educated, and poorer than the owners of other American brands, much less the imports. Instead of trying to moving up market to attract better-heeled buyers with smarter, better-executed vehicles, Daimler decided to reach down instead.