AAH #3 – “Death of Two Giants”

April 17th, 2009 at 1:26am


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John McElroy and “After Hours” regulars Peter De Lorenzo, of AutoExtremist.com and gonzo PR ace Jason Vines are joined by auto journalist and Twitter pioneer Michael Banovsky of vLane.com to discuss the automotive week that was. Fiat’s Sergio Marchione threatens to walk away from a Chrysler deal if the unions don’t fall in line. Would a GM by any other name sell … better? The IIHS rears its ugly head once again to proclaim small cars are death traps. Plus, we rate the Chrysler brands.

See the results of the Chrysler brand survey here here.

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9 Comments to “AAH #3 – “Death of Two Giants””

  1. Jeff Taylor Says:

    Great stuff and I really enjoy the people you have had as guests on Autoline After Hours. Please keep up the great work!

    Also, I really appreciate it being available after the fact as I can never catch it live. Thanks!

  2. Super.Scribbler Says:

    The show is so compelling, I’m watching the replay. I welcome Fiat back to the U.S. market. We need some new blood, oui la la

  3. Super.Scribbler Says:

    You need to enable rewind and fast forward.

  4. Jon Says:

    I just wanted to say I found the audio podcast of AAH and wanted to say THANKS!! I subscribed via iTunes and can now listed in the car or whenever I get the chance. I really like the show and wish you the best of luck. Keep up the good work.

  5. Tom Martin Says:

    Smoke and Mirrors — Yes. At first.

    But I think Chrysler can build an electric model or two in the next two years.

    People build electric cars in their garages. Why can’t Chrysler build something better than Joe Green. And much of the Volt technology (e.g. windshield wipers, audio systems, batteries, A/C system) should be made available to Chrysler.

    The largest hurdle and expense of building an electric car is the battery, and the best battery will be available to Chrysler.

  6. MikeC Says:

    Please add a video podcast of this!

  7. Mike Cleary Says:

    The best auto show on the internet.
    (You should call it Autoline Bull Session, or Autoline BS for short.)
    Keep up the good work.
    I would ask that you do a show on the new GM and on CAFE standards, and why the auto industry is singled out to reduce oil usage, while the rest of industry gets off scott- free. Thanks for a very intertaining show.
    Mike Cleary

  8. todd agostini Says:

    Another great show.

    I think that Chrysler has been done for over 5 years.

    They lucked out with the 300 because they hired a good designer.

    If it weren’t for him they would have had nothing.

    They are not a player or contender at all. The only reason they sold vechicles is because Chrysler financial would put anyone with a pulse into a car.

    Chrysler financial was so liberal with money that all of the rats that couldn;t get financed with anyone else ended up buiying Chrysler products.

    I really feel bad for the company but I don’t know anyone that actually “wanted” one of their cars. The people that I know that bought Chrysler products all had horrible credit.

    http://www.drivenbytodd.com

  9. Charles Says:

    The more I listen to Jason the more I question why his particular opinions are given any weight in automotive circles. Two comments stood out to me. 1) “I drive a Dodge Caliber and love it”. Are you kidding me? That car is a poster child for why Chyrsler should go under forever. While I find the exterior design appealing, the interior is an absolute disaster and the mechanicals even worse. I challenge anyone to go rent one of these things for a day and tell me you would even remotely consider purchasing the car. My actual thought upon driving a rental fleet model for a few days was how can this be a modern car? Terrible. 2) His love affair with Jeep and his Wrangler. My father ownes a 2008 Wranger and I agree it looks cool and is terrific offroad but otherwise, it is terrible. Drive/ride quality is bad, the interior, like most Chrysler products, is hard plastic hell and ergonimics and everyday livibility is aweful.
    Jeep is nothing but a niche product with great name value.