Word: chrysler
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...their facilities. The giants have also slashed their labor forces from 375,000 workers two decades ago to about 125,000 today. All that has paid off in greater efficiency and better-quality steel. "For several years, we used 50% Japanese steel," says Craig Corrington, the manager of a Chrysler stamping plant that punches out steel hoods, roofs and fenders. "We did it because of the quality. Now that the Americans have closed that gap, it just makes more sense to buy domestically...
...Autofacts, light trucks accounted for an astonishing 80% of all vehicle sales growth in the U.S. this year. Even Ford's Taurus, the No. 1 selling car in the U.S., has found itself trailing the Ford F-series and the Chevrolet C/K pickup trucks. Not to be outdone, Chrysler plans to roll out a stand-out-in-a-crowd version of its popular Dodge Ram this fall. Designed to resemble a scaled-down 18-wheeler, the truck will come in viper red colors and be equipped with inside pockets and panels for laptop computers...
Flashy brands like Chrysler's LH mid-size sedans have been attracting their share of tire kickers, but small cars for the budget-minded have been moving off the lots. Following the lead of GM's Saturn, whose sales have risen 25% this year, American manufacturers have continued to offer autos in the $9,000- to-$12,000 price range long after Japanese carmakers virtually abandoned the segment. In that thrifty category, sales of Chevrolet's vintage Cavalier have risen 26%, while those of the Plymouth Colt and Dodge Spirit...
...Three are certainly acting that way -- busily expanding production and calling back laid-off workers. Plants are humming along at 80% of capacity, up from an average of 75% over the past 20 years. U.S. automakers have recalled 41,000 workers so far in 1993. While Chrysler has just 200 workers still on furlough, Ford has begun limited hiring at several plants to help it roll out the 14 new models the company plans to introduce in the next two years...
...desire to crow about their turnaround and invites them to downplay prospects as they head into labor ! talks. But some jubilant carmakers can't help themselves. "As the quality gap ceases to become a factor, what has emerged is a showdown over who is offering the better value," observes Chrysler president Lutz. "The war isn't over, but we've definitely landed on the beaches...