More interesting news on the Chrysler Crisis

I bought the Scion at a Chrysler dealership, so I'm on their email list and get handy little notices about parts and service deals, etc. So I was rather surprised to see this show up in my inbox yesterday. Really made me realize just how far-reaching the Chrysler bankruptcy is, and what it means for dealers nationwide:


Dear Cassandra,

We are sure you have heard the news that Chrysler has selected Medved Chyrysler Jeep in Wheat Ridge and Medved Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Castle Rock as dealers it plans to end franchised relationships with as part of its bankruptcy plan.

John Medved, Time Magazine's 2008 Dealer of the Year for Colorado, was shocked to hear the news as I am sure most of you were. We have enjoyed strong relationships with our clientele and we believe that not being here for you in the future is not in your best interest when it comes to servicing you Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle, or when you need to purchase a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge product.

That said John Medved has been hard at work formulating a strategy to show the Bankruptcy Trustee in charge of the Chrysler case that ending the franchise relationship is in no way, shape or form a good thing for anyone involved most of all you our valued customer

Tomorrow, Tuesday May 19th, 2009, John Medved will travel to New York to meet with the judge handling the Chrysler filing and he will present his case to remain a franchised Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer.

If you could share with us your feelings about doing business with Medved Chrysler Jeep of Wheat Ridge we would appreciate it and we will make sure to let the judge konw these things as well.

The real cost of Chrysler's meltdown

You don't have to look far to find people who have received the news of GM and Chrysler's financial hardships with a certain "they had it coming" smugness.

But the fall of these corporate giants has implications far beyond the snipping of a few golden parachute cords. As this story details, the human costs of Chrysler's failure reaches far and wide. Lest we forget, many small dealerships have been family-owned for generations, and small, family-owned businesses are the backbone of America's economy.

What is truly heartbreaking about this news, though, is the way Chrysler is treating its loyal franchisees. After forcing several dealers to acquire huge amounts of square footage just for their brand, setting ridiculously high minimums on parts and unit orders, they are simply cutting the cord on many of these local dealers.

Another example of why Chrysler is failing... a myopic inability to see the true strength they had in their network of dedicated dealers.