But as he sets a new course for Chrysler as a stand-alone private company, he does have to contend with a three-headed dog.
When I initially started working for Chrysler as a DM in 1998, we were REQUIRED to report at least 10 defects or mechanical issues experienced at a dealership on a monthly basis.
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History seldom affords such perfect analogies: In 1968, the Penn Central merger (a proxy for GM-Chrysler) was touted as a fix for a sagging rail business.
That augurs well for GM's RickWagonerRick Wagoner, Ford's AlanMulallyAlan Mulally and Chrysler's Robert Nardelli as they prepare for day two of hearings before the House Financial Services Committee Friday.
It was willing to lend Chrysler an outdated E-class platform as the basis for a new generation of rear-wheel-drive sedans, including the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.
The case for a merger, meager as it is, could go something like this: buy Chrysler for almost nothing, spin off Jeep or Hummer, absorb the minivan operations and a few other product lines, like the Chrysler 300 rear-wheel-drive platform.
As for vehicles already on the road, Chrysler is working to mollify past customers.
The limited cooperation was OK for a while, as long as Chrysler's bread-and-butter trucks and sport utility vehicles were selling well, providing a nice profit cushion.
As a result, Chrysler posts District Managers in rooms as telemarketing agents wholesaling the extra cars to dealers for weeks on end.
FORBES: Against The Odds, Chrysler Goes "From Third World To World Class"
In recent months, my Auto Task Force has been reviewing requests by General Motors and Chrysler for additional government assistance, as well as plans developed by each of these companies to restructure, to modernize, and to make themselves more competitive.
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The Big Three found growth in different niches, though, with GM seeing heightened demand for crossovers such as the Chevrolet Equinox, while Chrysler grew truck sales with the Ram pick-up truck, and finally Ford, capitalizing on retail car sales as gas-price sensitive consumers go for higher mileage with the Ford Focus and Fiesta.
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When Toyota veteran James Press joined Chrysler as vice chairman, he bragged Chrysler had "strong bones" that would form the foundation for growth.
As for the thwarted Mr Marchionne, he is looking for other ways to add scale to the Fiat-Chrysler alliance.
Chrysler Group is offering the Hemi as an option for power-hungry drivers who want more oomph in their trucks and passenger cars.
Nor, save for a few vehicles, such as its minivans, do Chrysler's models stack up well against industry leaders such as the Toyota Camry and Honda (nyse: HMC - news - people ) Accord.
But manufacturing employment fell by more than expected (down 15, 000 compared with a 10, 000 expectation), while the auto business shed 8, 000 jobs (despite a strong month for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, as Steve Schaefer reported).
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Snyder agreed and earlier this month announced Orr, a Washington attorney who represented automaker Chrysler LLC during its successful restructuring, as the man for an even larger fix-it task.
In December, we saw auto sales climb for the seventh consecutive month, and the Big Three -- Ford, GM and Chrysler -- all saw sale increases for December and the year as a whole.
Occasionally the threat lay in that buzzword of today, globalisation, and its concomitant demand for greater scale: Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz because, even as number three in the world's largest car market, it was too small to prosper alone.
The Big Three -- Ford, GM and Chrysler -- all saw sale increases for December, and the year as a whole.
The suppliers, not Chrysler, would assume responsibility for running large sections of the factory, such as the body shop, where steel car frames are welded together by robots.
As it turned out, the Obama administration bankrolled a quick trip through bankruptcy for General Motors and Chrysler, and the economy performed better than expected during the crisis.
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The German side is acting as if it is still alone, partly for fear of sullying the imperious Mercedes brand with the rugged Chrysler image.
Executives at GM and Chrysler touted demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles in the face of climbing gasoline prices as a key driver of March sales alongside an improving U.S. economy.
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Some analysts reckon that Mercedes could make a loss in 2005, its first for 12 years, as a result of these setbacks, putting a drag on the improvements made by Chrysler.
Three weeks ago, the administration brokered a bankruptcy for Chrysler, forcing the company's bondholders to take a backseat to the United Auto Workers union as the company reorganizes.
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