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Apr-15-2008Konichiwa and Howdy, Chrysler-Nissan(topic overview)
CONTENTS:
- Dallas, TX (AHN) - Auto manufacturers Chrysler and Nissan announced Monday a vehicle-building pact. (More...)
- LaSorda said the deal with Nissan was just the latest piece of "good news" at the company and told reporters to look forward to more signs that "Chrysler is on the rebound." (More...)
- The Titan, heralded as the first Japanese full-size pickup when it first rolled from Canton in fall 2003, never hit the sales goals Nissan executives had hoped. (More...)
- More stringent U.S. safety regulations due in 2011 were a factor in the company's decision to team up with Chrysler instead of spending to meet the new rules, Thormann said. (More...)
- From engineering and manufacturing to dealer sales and service, Betts monitors every aspect of the business that could affect a customer's perception of Chrysler LLC's quality. (More...)
- For help figuring out just who is an American automaker these days -- and more importantly, who makes the best cars for Americans -- drop by the Fool's Buying and Maintaining a Car discussion board and ask our experts. (More...)
- Last year, Chrysler ended a nine-year tie-up with Daimler of Germany, with U.S. private equity firm Cerberus buying the ailing Detroit giant. (More...)
- "At some point, we believe we need more than one small car for NAFTA," Mr. LaSorda said. (More...)
- America's car companies are making it harder than ever to be "patriotic" these days -- and I'm an easy sell. (More...)
- The automaker has said it will seek partnerships globally to develop vehicles without making large investments in new plants. (More...)
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Dallas, TX (AHN) - Auto manufacturers Chrysler and Nissan announced Monday a vehicle-building pact. Chrysler and Nissan Motor Co. said their partnership will make full-size pickup trucks for the U.S. market and small cars for North America, Europe and other markets. Under the deal, Nissan will make small cars for Chrysler at their manufacturing plant in Japan in 2010 based on Chrysler's design and Chrysler will sell it in many markets. Chrysler will build a Nissan-designed large pickup truck for Nissan at its truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico. It will replace Nissan's current Titan model. [1] Nissan, Japan's third-largest automaker, will build the car domestically, while Chrysler sells it in North America. The agreement follows Nissan Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn's failure to compete successfully against Chrysler, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. with its own truck. Chrysler, which gets about 75 percent of its sales from light trucks, needs a small car to offer to consumers as U.S. gasoline prices top $3 a gallon for a fourth year. "From Nissan's perspective, it keeps them in the full-size pickup market without having to reinvest in a new platform,'' said Michael Robinet, an analyst at CSM Worldwide Inc. in Northville, Michigan. "Chrysler needed to make some moves to fill up the bottom of their portfolio.'' Nissan began selling the Mississippi-built Titan five years ago, touting it as the first Japanese pickup as big and powerful as those from U.S. automakers. Toyota Motor Corp., the biggest Japanese car company, followed Nissan last year by redesigning its Tundra to match U.S. rivals in size and power.[2] DETROIT (AP) — Nissan Motor Co. said it will make a new small car designed by Chrysler LLC and Chrysler will make a full-size pickup truck designed by Nissan. The agreement is part of a growing relationship between Chrysler and the No. 3 Japanese automaker as they attempt to adapt to a U.S. market buffeted by the economic slowdown and rising gas prices. Both products will be sold in North America, and the new Chrysler subcompact will also be sold in Europe and other global markets starting in 2010.[3]
DETROIT (Reuters) - Chrysler LLC CBS.UL and Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research ) unveiled a production alliance on Monday that gives the U.S. automaker the small car it lacks and allows the Japanese company to stay in the competitive full-size U.S. pickup truck market. Chrysler and Nissan built on a smaller agreement the companies announced in January, but executives from both companies said the new arrangement was purely a production deal and declined to say whether they plan further financial ties.[4]
The new pickup truck will be a "unique" Nissan design based on the platform which underpins the next-generation Dodge Ram pickup truck; the car will be based on a Chrysler recently finalized concept the company would not identify. The deal deepens a relationship that started early this year when the two companies announced that Chrysler would buy a different small car from Nissan to sell in South America, where trade barriers are high and Chrysler has no production.[5] Nissan has agreed to begin building a small car for Chrysler to sell in North America and other markets beginning in 2010, while Chrysler will provide Nissan with a full-size pickup a year later to replace the slow-selling Titan. The agreement ' announced Monday ' expands a shared-product deal that the two automakers announced in January, in which Nissan will provide a variation of its Versa subcompact sedan for Chrysler to sell in parts of South America.[6] Under the agreement, Chrysler will build for Nissan a full-size light-duty pickup for 2011 (probably derived from the new 2009 Ram 1500, pictured here, and intended to replace the aging Titan ), and Nissan will build for Chrysler a Versa -based small car for the South American market starting next year. The deal has Nissan building for Chrysler a brand-new small car for its global markets (North America included) for 2010, probably based on the forthcoming Cube (pictured above right) and intended to fill the void left by the departed Neon.[7]
Nissan affiliate JATCO also has been supplying transmissions to Chrysler since 2004. Under the new deal, Nissan will use its Oppama Plant in Japan to build a Chrysler-designed small car for the Auburn Hills automaker to sell in North America, Europe and elsewhere beginning in 2010. Chrysler plans to use its Saltillo, Mexico, plant to assemble a Nissan-designed pickup for the Japanese automaker to sell in North America starting in 2011. Both the pickup and the small car will be sold in the United States, said Frederique Le Greves, vice president of communications for Nissan North America Inc.[8] Chrysler will produce the pickup for Nissan at a factory in Saltillo, Mexico, the companies stated today. Nissan's small car for Chrysler will be assembled at its plant in Oppama, Japan and sold in North America, Europe and other international markets by 2010. With this, both companies signed their third fabrication agreement and the second to be disclosed in the past four months, the Fortune magazine said. Some analysts believe Chrysler's plan to produce its own small sedan follows the need of the company to expand beyond North American market. As for Nissan which recently had announced an investment of over $100 million dollars in a Mississippi plant, the agreement could bring the Japanese company closer to the U.S. market dominated in its majority for General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.[9] CHICAGO (AFP) — Chrysler LLC and Japan's Nissan Motor Co. said Monday they will expand their current partnership to include the production of vehicles to be sold in North America, Europe and other global markets. Nissan will manufacture a small, fuel-efficient car designed by Chrysler in its Oppama plant in Japan. It is expected to hit North American, European and other global markets in 2010. Chrysler will manufacture a full-sized pickup truck designed by Nissan at its Saltillo plant in Mexico with sales expected to begin in North America in 2011.[10] Nissan Japan will assemble an all-new, fuel-efficient entry-segment car based on a unique Chrysler concept for sale in North America, Europe and other global markets. Chrysler, in turn, will assemble a full-size pick-up for Nissan, based on a Nissan design, at its plant in Saltillo, Mexico after shifting production volume from there to U.S. plants.[11]
That has spurred speculation about even closer cooperation in the future. Here's what's being announced: Nissan ( NSANY ) will make an all-new fuel efficient small car for Chrysler, similar to the Versa, at one of its factories in Japan. It's slated to reach markets in North America and around the world in 2010. For its part, Chrysler will build Nissan a version of its Dodge Ram at a plant in Mexico, to replace the current Titan pickup truck in 2011. This is the third production agreement between these two companies, and the second to be disclosed in the past four months.[12] The Nissan-based small car will be built on a new platform. Chrysler will make the Nissan pickup for Nissan at its Saltillo, Mexico, factory. To make room for the Nissan product, Chrysler will shift Dodge Ram production to its St. Louis North and Warren, Mich., truck plants.[13] Nissan plans to build the new small car for Chrysler LLC at a Nissan factory in Japan, while Chrysler would manufacture the light-duty pickup, based on the Dodge Ram chassis, at its plant in Saltillo, Mexico. None of the changes will affect Nissan's auto assembly plant in Smyrna or its engine plant in Decherd, Tenn., the company said from its North American headquarters here.[6] Chrysler workers said they knew little of a new deal, announced Monday evening, in which Nissan would build a small car designed by Chrysler in Japan and Chrysler would build a full-size pickup designed by Nissan at Chrysler's truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico.[14]
With current sales of the Titan at just 60,000 a year ' compared with more than 900,000 a year for General Motors Corp.' s industry-leading line of full-size pickups ' the deal to let Chrysler make the new Nissan truck makes more sense financially. Although Chrysler will build the new Nissan truck, its design will be "unique to Nissan," Thormann said. It will use engines from Chrysler, and not the 5.6-liter V-8, built at the Decherd plant, that now powers the Titan, he said. That engine is used in several other Nissan vehicles, as well. "This agreement will extend the offerings we have now" with the Titan, Thormann said, which is limited to the one engine and two cab and bed configurations. Chrysler offers a variety of V-6 and V-8 engines in its Ram pickups, and it is planning to add diesel and gasoline-electric hybrid powertrains in the near future. "We're not giving up on the Titan," he said.[6] Thormann said the agreement will allow Nissan to offer more cab and engine configurations than it does now. He wouldn't say whether Nissan will take advantage of Chrysler's hybrid technology, which was developed in conjunction with General Motors Corp. and BMW AG. Chrysler plans to bring a hybrid version of its Dodge Ram pickup to market in 2010. Thormann said U.S. pickup sales have been declining since the Titan was released in 2004, but he said there are still 2 million full-size pickups sold in the U.S. each year. "It's still a very attractive segment to have a product offering in," he said.[3]
The deal stoked speculation that Chrysler and Nissan might be moving toward the kind of alliance that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn pursued in 2006 with General Motors Corp. But Thormann said no such plan was under consideration. "We're not in those kinds of discussions right now," Thormann said during a teleconference. The cooperation underscores the challenges automakers face, with demand slumping this year and strict emission regulations raising costs. It also represents a setback for Nissan, the first Japanese automaker to roll out a full-size pickup. Its Titan drew favorable reviews, but it never attained the sales goals set by Nissan. Since its launch in 2004, demand for full-size pickups has contracted to 2.1 million units a year from 2.4 million due to high gas prices and a housing slump.[15]
Thormann said the company had not decided whether to keep the Titan name, although the new truck would retain key attributes. The cooperation is critical to Chrysler and Nissan, which need to increase their scale to compete with giants such as Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Corp., said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. He thinks the deal may be a precursor to a broader alliance. "It's a second date for Chrysler," Cole said, building on the partnership announced in January. "Whoever the ultimate partner for Chrysler will be, it's clear that unless you can play on a global field and on the leading edge of technology, you're going to have a hard time." Chrysler also has product partnerships with China's Chery Automobile Co. and Volkswagen AG. It still wants to bring a Chery-built small car to the United States, LaSorda said.[15] The news agency noted that Chrysler has been negotiating a deal for China's Chery Automobile to build a global small car expected to be based on the Hornet concept that it has already displayed. The automaker told Reuters Chery remains firmly in its plans, although it would be some time before Chery vehicles would be ready for export to North America and Western Europe. The product tie-up also brings Nissan closer to its goal of having a full-fledged North American partner, Reuters added.[16] In 2004, Nissan affiliate JATCO began supplying Chrysler with transmissions. In January, the two companies said they were cooperating on producing fuel-efficient small vehicles. According to the deal announced Monday, both products will be sold in North America, and the new Chrysler small car will also be sold in Europe and other global markets starting in 2010.[17]
The Nissan-based small car will be built on a new Nissan platform to an already-completed Chrysler design, according to Chrysler co-President Tom LaSorda. He declined to say whether the design would be based on the Dodge Hornet concept car. LaSorda said the deal will have no impact on its ongoing venture with Chinese carmaker Chery Automobile Co. The two companies continue to work jointly on products for North America and other markets, he said.[13]
Specifically, Chrysler. In 2010, Nissan will halt production of its own trucks in North America, as Chrysler takes over the job of building Nissan's new trucks at Chrysler factories that could sorely use the work (Chrysler truck sales dropped 22% in March). More or less simultaneously, Chrysler will tap Nissan for its area of expertise: small cars. Nissan will begin building a new small car for Chrysler to sell as its own. I'm going to punt on the great question of the day: whether all of this is some sort of prelude to an eventual tie-up among Chrysler and Nissan, to complement Nissan's other alliance with Renault. I'm also going to punt on the question of whether yesterday's news shows that GM missed its chance to work a similar deal with Nissan's Carlos Ghosn two years ago. (But if asked, my answers would be "yes" and "yes.")[18] Nissan hopes to sell the truck in North America from 2011. Nissan in January this year already agreed to supply Chrysler with the Versa compact sedan under an original equipment manufacturer arrangement for sale exclusively in South America starting in 2009. The latest OEM deal is aimed at helping Nissan and Chrysler catch up with their rivals in the pickup and small passenger car markets, respectively.[19]
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. announced they will join forces to produce full-size pickup trucks for the U.S. market and small cars for North America, Europe and other markets, a development many in the auto industry expected after the two had confirmed talks earlier this year.[20] Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. announced they will combine to produce full-size pickup trucks for the U.S. market and small cars for North America, Europe and other markets. This move was expected by the auto industry, according to the Wall Street Journal, after the two companies confirmed talking earlier in 2008.[21]
Under the new arrangement, Chrysler will build a full-size pickup truck designed by Nissan and Nissan will build a small car designed by Chrysler. Both vehicles will be sold in North America. Executives at both companies downplayed suggestions that this sharing of vehicles might lead to stronger connections between the two automakers.[22] "This is more good news -- it's certainly a win-win for both companies," Tom LaSorda, president and vice-chairman of Chrysler, said Monday. "They're entering a truck market dominated by the Big Three and we're entering the B segment which they dominate -- which is good for us." Both vehicles -- the Nissan/Chrysler pickup and the Chrysler/Nissan subcompact -- will be sold in North America, but the small car will also be marketed in Europe and the Nissan truck could be sold elsewhere.[5]
Titan sales fell 9 percent in 2007. In the first quarter of this year, Titan sales plummeted about 40 percent. They were the victim of heated competition — the new Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 will be out later this year — and a slowdown in housing construction. Chrysler has been desperate for a small car in North America as high fuel prices send consumers away from its trucks and sport utility vehicles to more fuel-efficient models. U.S. subcompact sales were up about 30 percent in the first three months of this year, and LaSorda said the global demand for subcompacts tops 10 million cars per year.[3] The B segment, as vehicles the size of the smallest cars on the market in North America are known, now totals more than 10 million units worldwide. The segment accounted for sales of 330,000 in the United States last year, and has already risen by 32 per cent this year, LaSorda said. The market for such cars is large enough, LaSorda said, that Chrysler still intends to have Chery automotive of China-built B segment small cars for sale in North America.[5]
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. strengthened their ties Monday, with Chrysler agreeing to buy a Nissan-built small car for global sale, and Nissan to buy a Chrysler-made full-size pickup for North America.[23] Chrysler and Nissan Motor have followed up their January announcement of supply of a new car based on Nissan's Versa sedan for Chrysler to sell in South America from 2009 with further developments that will see Nissan make a new small car in Japan for Chrysler while the Detroit automaker returns the favour with a full-size Mexico-made pickup.[16] After the market closed on Monday, Chrysler announced it would make a full-size pickup truck designed by Nissan Motor (nasdaq: NSANY - news - people ), while Nissan will make a new fuel-efficient small car designed by Chrysler. The agreement is part of a growing relationship between Chrysler and Japan's third-largest automaker as they work together to confront markets buffeted by an economic slowdown and rising gas prices.[17] Detroit carmaker will build truck for Nissan, which will make small car for Chrysler. Chrysler LLC will build Nissan Motor Co.' s next full-size pickup, the two automakers said Monday as they extended their manufacturing cooperation in what they called "a very uncertain market."[15] In a new deal announced this afternoon, Chrysler LLC will manufacture full-size pickups for Nissan Motor Co. and Nissan will make a small car for Chrysler.[24]
Nissan builds a good small car ''' the Versa. The two companies are now acknowledging their own strengths and tapping the other'''s to boost their respective lineups. In an agreement announced yesterday, Chrysler will build a full-size pickup for Nissan at its Mexico assembly plant.[25] The new Chrysler small car will be made at Nissan's Oppama plant in Japan. Chrysler will make the pickup truck at its plant in Saltillo, Mexico, and it will go on sale in 2011, the companies said.[3] "At some point we believe we need more than one small car for NAFTA." Initially, Chrysler will assemble pickup trucks for Nissan at its plant in Saltillo, Mexico. It will also produce the trucks in its flexible truck assembly plants in Warren, Mich., and St. Louis North.[5] Chrysler will then take Nissan's car and sell it in many markets, including North America and Europe. One year following this, Chrysler will begin to build a large pickup truck for Nissan at its truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico, the statement said.[21] Some U.S. reports said the Nissan truck would be based on Chrysler's full-size Ram with major exterior and interior reworks by Nissan. Chrysler already builds a version of its smaller Dakota truck for Mitsubishi to sell in North America as the Raider. Nissan last week announced it would build three new sub-eight-ton LCV models in the U.S. from mid-2010 at the Canton, Mississippi plant which makes its current full-size pickup, an in-house design called the Titan. That and its Infiniti QX56 luxury SUV spin-off are due for redesign around 2010/11 so the Chrysler-built truck is a Titan replacement.[16] Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance for Nissan North America, told Reuters last night that production of the current Titan will continue for another 32 months at the plant. He added that the truck produced by Chrysler will be a full-size equivalent to the Titan, although a name has not been selected. Nissan expects employment at Canton to be unaffected, with Titan production phased out as light commercial vehicles are gradually rolled out, he told the news agency. In a statement, Chrysler said this latest OEM supply agreement extends a long standing product exchange relationship between the two automakers, begun when Nissan affiliate Jatco started supplying transmissions in 2004.[16] Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has put out feelers for partners in recent years, including General Motors two years ago. The deal "is extending the range of both companies," says Dominique Thormann, senior vice president of Nissan North America. Chrysler's Tom LaSorda, in turn, hailed Nissan's "proven track record in these win-win product exchanges." SUVs. Nissan says its Armada full-size SUV, built on the same chassis as the Titan, will be unaffected for now.[26]
The new small car from Chrysler would be built in Japan and sold in several markets around the world including USA, Europe. Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance for Nissan North America had this to say on the new developments: "This is an OEM exchange.[27] Nissan in turn will produce a small, fuel-efficient car that Chrysler will sell in the United States starting in 2010. By tapping each other's strengths -- Nissan's expertise in small cars and Chrysler's know-how with pickups -- the two automakers will be able to expand their model ranges at a lower cost than if they acted alone. "There's a lot of benefit to both companies," said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president for finance at Nissan North America.[15]
The Japanese automaker will in turn manufacture an all-new, fuel-efficient small car based on a Chrysler concept and design. This model will be sold in North America, Europe and other global markets in 2010 and manufactured at Nissan's Oppama Plant in Japan.[28] The small car will be made in Japan at Nissan's Oppama plant and sold starting in 2010 in North America, Europe and other global markets, the companies said in a news release.[29]
Under the terms of the deal, Nissan will build a small car for Chrysler using the North American automaker's design in 2010 and Chrysler will build a new full-sized pickup truck for the Japanese automaker using Nissan's plans in 2011, the companies said.[4] A monumental partnership has officially been forged between Chrysler and Nissan. Under this agreement, Nissan will build a small car for Chrysler and Chrysler will build a truck for Nissan. This capitalizes on the expertise of the respective companies. There were early rumors that Nissan would be building a small car for Chrysler based on the Versa's platform, but the car being built under this new partnership will not be based on Versa. It will, however, be built in Japan and then get wrapped in Chrysler sheet metal for a distinctly Chrysler look.[30] "There is no business discussion right now." Tom LaSorda, a Chrysler president and vice chairman, echoed those words. "These are both just product deals," he said. This is hardly a first date for Chrysler and Nissan. In January, Nissan and Chrysler agreed to a deal in which Nissan will build a small car based on the Nissan Versa for Chrysler to sell under one of its brands in Brazil in 2009.[8] In January, Nissan and Chrysler agreed to a deal in which Nissan will build a small car based on the Nissan Versa for sale under a Chrysler brand in Brazil and potentially other Latin America countries in 2009.[24] Titan sales were down 40 percent for the year at 11,355 trucks. The two automakers announced their cooperation in January, with Nissan agreeing to supply Chrysler with a car based on the Nissan Versa for sale in South America in 2009. That deal did not address Chrysler's weakness in the U.S. market. The Auburn Hills automaker has been absent from one of the fastest-growing segments, fuel-efficient subcompacts, and its executives say they cannot build one profitably on their own.[15] Chrysler and Nissan have announced two new agreements for the cross-supply of products on top of a january deal for Nissan to supply Chrysler with a new car based on the Nissan Versa sedan. That car will be for limited distribution in South America from 2009 on an Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) basis in 2009.[11] Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the consulting company Global Insight, said the agreement doesn't necessarily mean Chrysler is headed for a full-fledged alliance with Nissan-Renault, although the two automakers are a good fit for Chrysler. Such deals allow automakers to play to their strengths and share the risk and capital costs of bringing products to market. "I think this is exactly the kind of thing that Chrysler needs to be doing to guarantee its future," Bragman said. In January the two companies announced a deal for Nissan to supply versions of its Versa subcompact for Chrysler to sell in undisclosed parts of South America.[3]
The Nissan truck will begin sales in North America in 2011. This latest agreement extends a longstanding product exchange relationship between the two corporations; Nissan'''s affiliate JATCO has supplied Chrysler with transmissions since 2004. Since the signing of the first OEM agreement in January, which will see Nissan supply Chrysler with a vehicle based on its Versa sedan for limited distribution in South America, the two companies have agreed to maintain an open dialogue to explore further product-sharing opportunities.[31] Sales of the pickup in North America will start in 2011. "This agreement leverages the strength of both companies -- Chrysler in the full-size pickup segment and Nissan with small cars," the two companies said in a separate joint statement. It "is reducing the risks for both companies in a very uncertain market and in specific segments." A Nissan spokesman declined immediate comment on the new agreement's implications for its Titan pickup, built in Canton, Miss.[28] Nissan's Titan full-size pickup has never lived up to the automaker's expectations, falling victim to low sales and high incentives. Equally, Nissan's agreement to build a small car for Chrysler should give the Auburn Hills automaker its best small car ever, and will probably provide a badly needed subcompact to compete with fuel-efficient models like the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Aveo and Ford Verve.[32]
No-longer-public "American" automaker Chrysler announced yesterday that it is teaming up with Nissan to build cars tag team-style. For its part, Nissan has found sales of its new Titan pickup truck a bit underwhelming.[18]
In a separate conference call, Tom LaSorda, Chrysler's vice chairman, said the latest deal allows Chrysler to "take advantage of our styling and design," and "utilize Nissan's great engineering and platform execution." The manufacturing arrangement should help Chrysler make better use of its production capacity in North America. The recent downturn in auto sales and rising gas prices have hurt sales of pickups and sport-utility vehicles, leaving Chrysler with available capacity in its truck plants.[20] The Nissan pickup will be made at Chrysler's pickup plant in Saltillo, Mexico, and will begin selling in North America in 2011. Chrysler makes several heavy-duty versions of its Dodge Ram pickup in Saltillo. The company will make room for Nissan's pickup by shifting volume from Mexico to its pickup assembly plants in Fenton and Warren, Mich., said Tom LaSorda, Chrysler's president and vice chairman, during a Monday conference call. Some production of the 2500 and 3500 series Ram heavy-duty pickups will be shifted to the Fenton plant, while some production of the 1500 series Ram light-duty pickup will be moved from Fenton to the Warren plant, he said.[29] The Canton, Miss. plant that makes the Titan will start producing commercial vehicles for Nissan and no jobs will be lost, Thormann said. To clear room to build the Nissan pickup in Saltillo, Chrysler will shift production of its own pickup trucks from Mexico to truck plants in St. Louis and Warren, Chrysler President and Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda said.[3]
Responding to diminishing demand for full-size pickups, Nissan North America plans to pull the Titan from its Mississippi plant in 2010 and contract with Chrysler LLC to build the next-generation truck in Mexico.[33] Chrysler will sell the car in North America, Europe and other markets. • The News: Chrysler and Nissan said they will team up to produce full-size pickup trucks and autos. • What It Means: Nissan will make a car for Chrysler in Japan, and Chrysler will make a truck for Nissan in Mexico.[20] The car, to be manufactured at Nissan's Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, will be launched in North America, Europe and other markets in 2010. Chrysler, in turn, will produce for Nissan a full-size pickup designed by the Japanese maker at its Saltillo plant in Mexico.[19]
Chrysler will manufacture a full-size pickup for Nissan. Based on a Nissan design, this truck will be manufactured at Chrysler's Saltillo (Mexico) Assembly Plant. In order to accommodate this product, Chrysler will shift volume from Mexico to its U.S. pickup plants.[34] On the other side of equation is a full-sized pickup truck that will be built at Chrysler's Satillo Assembly Plant in Mexico. It will bear Nissan design cues, but will be largely based on Chrysler engineering. There has not yet been any indication as to whether this truck will use Chrysler's hybrid drivetrain.[30]
Nissan's plant in Canton will start building midsize commercial trucks. Though the new Nissan pickup will be built in Saltillo, Mexico, Chrysler may shift more of its own production to Warren, Mich., and St. Louis.[26] To accommodate production of the Nissan truck in Saltillo, Chrysler will shift volume from Mexico to Warren Truck and St. Louis North. Those plants produce light and heavy duty pickups. "This agreement leverages the strength of both companies. (and) is reducing the risks for both companies in a very uncertain market and in specific segments," the companies said in a joint statement.[15] To UAW members, the deal means Chrysler's U.S. pickup plants in Warren and near St. Louis could see more work as the automaker plans to shift production currently done at Saltillo to make room for the Nissan truck.[8] Chrysler production at the facility will be shifted to two U.S. plants in order to accommodate Nissan. This latest agreement follows a deal reached in January for Nissan to build a new sedan for Chrysler to be sold in South America.[10]
If the companies' latest agreement presages a deeper long-term partnership, it's also hard to imagine a better outcome for Chrysler and its workers. Chrysler will build a full-size pickup based on the new 2009 Ram for Nissan in 2011, Chrysler Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda said, using one of its strengths to provide a vehicle where Nissan is weak.[32] The new Nissan pickup will be based on the Dodge Ram but tailored to the Japanese company's designs and the new Chrysler small car will be based on a Nissan platform with design out of Auburn Hills, LaSorda said. He added that the Chrysler small car will be based on a new platform but declined to name it. "Nissan, their forte is small cars and they do them very well. They can do it quickly with very little investment," Merkle said. "Chrysler can help Nissan with one of its shortcomings, which is the Titan pickup."[8] Sales peaked at 86,945 in 2005. Nissan will receive its Chrysler-built pickup in 2011 and supply the a new "unique'' compact car to Chrysler starting in 2010, Nissan spokesman Fred Standish said in an e-mail. Today's announcement expands a January tie-up under which Nissan will provide a version of its Versa small car to Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler for sale in South America.[2] In January, Chrysler announced it would buy a version of the Nissan Versa subcompact for sale in South America. Last week, Toyota Motor Corp. doubled its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, the parent of Subaru, to 16.5 percent. Industry analysts have said Chrysler would need a partner to develop small cars because it lacks the resources to do so on its own.[23]
Chrysler currently does not have an entry in the subcompact segment. The two had said in January that Nissan would supply a version of its subcompact Versa for Chrysler to sell in South America starting in 2009. The two companies, in back-to-back conference calls, emphasized that their arrangement was strictly about manufacturing, not a financial or management combination. Some experts say they wouldn't be surprised if the two companies are laying the groundwork for something more permanent, given Chrysler's strength in trucks and SUVs and Nissan's reputation for reliable small cars. "That potential marriage, if they are indeed dating, makes a lot more sense than Daimler and Chrysler did," says Argus Research analyst Kevin Tynan, referring to the failed merger between the German parent of Mercedes-Benz and Detroit's third-largest automaker.[26] Nissan will build small cars for Chrysler to sell and Chrysler will make pickups for Nissan under a deal announced by both companies late Monday afternoon.[8] The move is part of a larger initiative by Nissan and Chrysler to share manufacturing. For its end of the deal, Nissan will build an entry-level, fuel-efficient car in Japan for Chrysler to sell in North America, Europe and other markets.[33] "Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler," LaSorda said. Chrysler also has a deal with Chery Automobile Co. to sell Chinese-made small cars under a Chrysler brand name but those vehicles are not ready for North America.[8]
In exchange, Nissan will build an all-new ('''all-new''' meaning '''not based on the current Versa''') fuel-efficient small car that is based on a '''unique Chrysler concept.''' It will be sold in North America and will hit the streets in 2010.[25] As times change, so do plans and today's word from Chrysler and Nissan is that in addition to the original pact, Nissan would also supply Chrysler with a "fuel-efficient small car based on a unique Chrysler concept and design." This car will also be sold in North America, the duo added.[35]
The new small car will be based on a Nissan chassis but will have a design developed by Chrysler, Thormann said. It will be sold in the United States through Chrysler's present dealer network.[6]
The small car to be manufactured at Nissan's Oppama Plant in Japan will be based on a unique Chrysler concept and design, the companies said.[24] Under the deal, Nissan will start making a small car for Chrysler at a plant in Oppama, Japan, in 2010, the companies said in a joint statement.[20] Nissan will also build some small cars for the U.S. company. The deal allows both companies to increase output from some of their plants, making more efficient use of manufacturing facilities and the arrangement could also cut design costs for the two automakers.[36]
April 14 (Bloomberg) -- Chrysler LLC, the third-largest U.S. carmaker, will supply large pickup trucks to Nissan Motor Co. in exchange for a compact car as the companies seek to curb costs for developing new vehicles. Chrysler will make the pickup for Nissan at its factory in Saltillo, Mexico, the companies said today in a statement.[2] Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. have agreed to build vehicles for one another, the Americans supplying the pickup truck from Mexico in exchange for a new subcompact car to be built in Japan.[5]
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. announced a blockbuster partnership Monday to assemble cars and pickups for each other in a deal that draws on each automaker's expertise and perhaps sets up the companies for a much deeper relationship down the road.[8] Chrysler officials said the deal is not an indication of a deeper partnership to come. "These are both just product deals," Chrysler LLC president and vice chairman Tom LaSorda said in a conference call. Chrysler officials emphasized Friday that the new agreement with Nissan does not indicate they are dissatisfied with the relationship with the company's Chinese partner, Chery Motors.[10] "In January, we said we would continue to look for additional OEM opportunities with Chrysler," said Carlos Tavares, executive vice president of Nissan Motor Company. "This latest agreement builds on Nissan's proven track record to deliver win-win product exchanges with multiple manufacturers around the world."[10]
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., yesterday announced two new agreements for the supply of products between both companies.[34] Auburn Hills, Michigan ''' Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Company Ltd. have announced two new agreements for the supply of vehicles between both companies.[31] Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. announced an agreement Monday in which each company will produce a vehicle that will be sold by the other.[29]
Chrysler LLC will produce a full-size pickup for Nissan Motor Co. as part of an expanded product-cooperation agreement between the two companies, Nissan said Monday.[28]
Nissan has been trying to gain a foothold in the market for full-size pickups, but with little success so far. Sales of its Titan truck and Armada SUV have fallen short of expectations, raising questions in the past year about whether it should continue producing them. Nissan sold around 65,000 Titans in 2007, down 24% from its peak year in 2005. The move by Nissan to drop the Titan reflects the increasing competition in the full-size truck segment, and the impact of Toyota Motor Corp.' s recent push to boost its share of it. After redesigning its Tundra truck and opening a new plant in Texas to build it, Toyota's pickup sales rose significantly.[20] The Canton, Miss., plant that makes the Titan will start producing commercial vehicles for Nissan and no jobs will be lost, Thormann said. Thormann said U.S. pickup sales have been declining since the Titan was released in 2004, but he said there are still 2 million full-size pickups sold in the U.S. each year.[29] Thormann declined to say whether the Tokyo-based company would keep the Titan name. Nissan will keep building Titans at its Canton, Mississippi, plant through 2010, he said. Automakers in the U.S. sold almost 2.5 million full-size pickups in 2004, he said.[2]
Nissan was rebuffed in an earlier attempt to clinch a global tie-up with GM under a proposal that had been brokered by dissident GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian, the news agency noted, adding that the Japanese automaker has been marginalised in the increasingly competitive market for full-size pickup trucks, a segment that has been hit hard by the downturn in the U.S. construction industry. Ford, GM and Chrysler still dominate the full-size truck market although Toyota is making inroads with its redesigned Tundra.[16] Nissan, the first Japanese manufacturer to offer a full-size truck in the U.S., will stop producing Titan at the end of 2010 and sell pickups Chrysler builds in Mexico.[23] Nissan will receive a version of the Dodge Ram to sell in the U.S. starting in 2011. That vehicle will be built in Chrysler's Saltillo, Mexico plant, leaving Nissan's factory in Canton, Miss., free to build commercial vehicles as the Japanese automaker said it would last week.[35] Nissan and Chrysler will begin to build full-sized pick-ups together. According to The Wall Street Journal, " Chrysler will start building a large pickup for Nissan at its truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico."[36] • What's Next: The partnership may open the door for future work with Renault. A year later, Chrysler will start building a large pickup for Nissan at its truck plant in Saltillo, Mexico, the companies said.[20] The plant operated at 73 percent capacity last year. Chrysler will move some truck production from its Saltillo, Mexico, plant into a U.S. facility to make room for the Nissan.[33]
The vehicle will be sold in North America, Europe and elsewhere in 2010. Chrysler, meanwhile, will assemble a Nissan-designed pickup at its Saltillo, Mexico, assembly plant. To accommodate the new business, Chrysler will shift more assembly of its pickups to other U.S.-based assembly plants, Chrysler said in a statement.[24] Sales of the pickup in North America will begin in 2011. In order to accommodate the product, Chrysler said it will shift volume from Mexico to its U.S.-based assembly plants that produce pickup trucks.[37] Sales of the pickup in North America will start in 2011. This latest OEM supply agreement extends a long standing product exchange relationship; Nissan affiliate JATCO has been supplying Chrysler with transmissions since 2004. It will provide a 6% fuel economy improvement and CO2 emissions reduction.[34]
The Nissan Titan, Nissan's current full-size pickup, will remain on the market until the new pickup goes on sale, said Dominique Thormann, senior vice president for administration and finance at Nissan North America.[3] In a telephone news conference, Dominique Thormann, senior vice president for administration and finance at Nissan North America, said Nissan decided to go with a Chrysler-built pickup to replace the Titan because of the high development costs of a new model. Because of changes in U.S. environmental and safety regulations, the current Titan would have to be extensively redesigned for 2011, he said.[6]
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Executives from both companies worked to downplay speculation that Monday's deal was anything more than a simple transaction to make cars and trucks for each other. Dominique Thormann, senior vice president of administration and finance for Nissan North America Inc., said the companies plan to "keep an open mind and open dialogue for further product-sharing opportunities," emphasizing that he was referring not to financial or ownership-related deals, but only to product and production-related deals. Nissan refers to such arrangements as original equipment manufacturer or OEM deals. "Once again, this is an OEM discussion and we don't have a business discussion ongoing currently," Thormann said.[8] In a telephone interview Monday afternoon, Dominique Thormann, Nissan North America senior vice president for administration and finance, said the changes will have no effect on employment in Canton or at Nissan's engine plant in Decherd, Tenn., where the Titan's 5.6 liter V-8 is produced.[33] Dominique Thormann, senior vice president, administration and finance for Nissan North America, declined to discuss the possibility of deeper ties between the automakers. "This is an OEM exchange.[4]
Dominique Thormann, senior vice-president of administration and finance for Nissan North America, said the deal doesn't mean a merger or greater alliance is in the works. He said only that, "we'll keep an open mind and dialogue for further product-sharing opportunities." It's clear that Nissan and Chrysler are forging closer ties that would make a deeper, more broad partnership easier to do at some point down the road. It also tells any other company that would have an eventual interest in Chrysler that Nissan has a foot in the door. "This is the dating that could lead to a marriage," says David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. "This also tells other potential suitors that the opportunity could disappear."[38] The deal is sure to spark speculation about whether Chrysler will join forces with Nissan and its alliance partner Renault SA down the road. Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of both Nissan and Renault, has said he'd like the alliance to have a partner in North America. Chrysler is 80.1%-owned by Cerberus Management LP, a private-equity group that will eventually look to sell the company, or list its shares.[20]
The New York-based private equity firm won't want to keep the company forever. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has repeatedly said he wants a North American partner for his French-Japanese carmaking alliance. Executives on both sides say that the new joint venture--along with a January deal that has Nissan making a Chrysler version of its Versa subcompact for South America--are not necessarily a prelude to any kind of merger of equity partnership. "These are both just product deals," says Chrysler Vice-Chairman and Co-President Tom LaSorda.[38]
No specific terms were announced. Under the new deal, both the Chrysler subcompact built by Nissan and the pickup truck built by Chrysler will be unique designs, although LaSorda said they will share some mechanical underpinnings.[3] Hal Degraffenreid Jr., 47, of Livonia was more optimistic about a deal between Chrysler and Nissan. Degraffenreid said he hopes a Nissan truck, built by Chrysler, could carry a V8 engine built at the plant he works in, Mack Avenue Engine I in Detroit. "We're sitting up here wondering, can we put this new motor in something other than the Dodge Ram?" asked Degraffenreid, a machinist. Those questions come at a time when Chrysler is looking to eliminate 21,000 hourly jobs. As layoffs continue at the automaker, Degraffenreid said he hopes that a deal with Nissan will ultimately lead to more work at his plant.[14] The automakers haven't yet given model names to the two vehicles. Though the pickup won't be built in Chrysler's pickup assembly plant in Fenton, the deal means Chrysler will need to reshuffle Dodge Ram production among its three pickup plants.[29]
Chrysler will shift production of pickup trucks from that plant to U.S.-based assembly plants to make room for the Nissan production.[4] Nissan already produces a full-size pickup truck, the Titan. It is not believed to have been a financial success for Nissan due to low volumes, and its market share has been dropping sharply. Production of the Titan dropped to only 12,563 during the first quarter this year, down from 21,204 the same period in 2007. Chrysler built about 78,000 Rams during the same period in both years.[5] Left unmentioned is Nissan's Armada full-size sport-utility vehicle, based on the Titan pickup. With slow sales and a big seven-passenger crossover coming next year, it's possible the Armada name will simply die, along with Nissan's vision of taking on Chrysler, Ford and GM in the full-size truck market.[35]
For another, the vehicles involved - the pickup and the subcompact - are vital to each company's future. Chrysler badly needs a high-volume small car to cushion it from the precipitous falloff in its pickups and SUVs, as well as to meet stringent new federal fuel economy regulations in 2020. With sales this year down 15.5% - more than any other major automaker - Chrysler also needs to demonstrate more vitality.[12] Trucks, SUVs and minivans now account for about three-quarters of Chrysler's sales volume. In the conference call, Chrysler's Mr. LaSorda suggested the company could import into the U.S. small cars made by both Chery and Nissan.[20] "I think the timing is good. I wish I had them now but I'll wait for great cars," LaSorda said. He said Chrysler has already finished designing its subcompact. LaSorda said this deal won't affect ongoing talks with Chinese automaker Chery Automobile Co. to make small cars for Chrysler to export to the U.S. and Western Europe. "We believe we need more than one small car for NAFTA, so we will be counting on Chery to help us with that," he said, referring to sales in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.[3]
Chrysler's newest deal with Nissan took shape after the companies' January announcement to produce a Chrysler version of the Nissan Versa small car for the South American market.[20] Analysts saw the moves as a potential big step toward adding Chrysler to the Renault-Nissan alliance, but the companies downplayed that scenario. Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of both Renault and Nissan, has long said he wants a North American partner. Two years ago, he came up short in a bid to merge with General Motors Corp. "This is definitely deepening the relationship considerably, which I think is good for both parties," said Erich Merkle, director of forecasting for Grand Rapids-based consulting firm IRN Inc. "Chrysler needs a small car.[8] Chrysler will manufacture a full-sized pick-up truck for Nissan in America, which will be launched in the States in 2011. At the Detroit motor show earlier this year, Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli spoke of his company'''s strengthened alliance with Nissan and stated that Chrysler would look to forge more relationships elsewhere. Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has also admitted his desire for a North American partner, since his attempts to merge with GM broke down in 2006.[39]
It'''s very likely that the Hornet will be built on the Nissan Micra platform at Nissan'''s Oppama factory in Japan, with a worldwide launch scheduled for 2010. The two manufacturers have been working on this tie-up for a while. Earlier this year Nissan agreed to supply Chrysler with a new car based on its old US-only Versa saloon, which Chrysler intends to market in South America.[39] In January, the two companies announced Nissan will supply Chrysler with a new vehicle based on the Nissan Versa sedan. It will be sold in South America starting in 2009.[29] Under Ghosn, Nissan has been busy around the world, striking joint-venture deals in recent months in India, China, and Japan, for the manufacture of everything from batteries to commercial vehicles. The two companies already have one arrangement in place - Nissan has agreed to supply Chrysler with a Versa derivative to sell in South America - but the stakes are much higher this time around.[12] Chrysler will be designing a passenger car around the underpinnings of a Nissan Versa subcompact. That could come in handy if the two companies eventually cut a deal. It took Renault-Nissan most of its nine years to share vehicles, engines, and technology.[38]
With today's announcement from Auburn Hills and Tokyo that Chrysler and Nissan would trade product for product, the speculation on more deals between the automakers grew louder. Earlier this year, the two automakers outlined the basics of the deal, which had Nissan producing a compact car for Chrysler to sell in South American markets.[35] Chrysler also has been in talks with the Chinese automaker about jointly developing a new car for export, Frank Klegon, head of Chrysler's product development, said earlier today. Nissan last week said it plans to convert its Mississippi plant to produce light-commercial vehicles, and that it would stop making Quest minivans and QX56 luxury sport-utility vehicles at the factory.[2]
"Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler," said Tom LaSorda, president and vice chairman of Chrysler. Nissan will build the car for Chrysler at its Oppama plant in Japan.[15] Chrysler LLC President and Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda calls it a '''tactical partnership," adding that it "builds on the Company'''s inherent strengths." It's not the first time we've seen this sort of cooperation -- an American automaker and a Japanese automaker teaming up to build cars. It's not even the first time we've seen Chrysler do it (recall the roughly 2.8 million cars built under the Chrysler-Mitsubishi Diamond-Star Motors cooperation). Unlike other such arrangements, this one includes no plans for the companies to purchase equity stakes in each other.[7]
"Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler," said LaSorda in a prepared statement. The companies said they "have also agreed to maintain an open dialogue to explore further product-sharing opportunities," according to a Chrysler press release. LaSorda declined to discuss financial details of the agreement except to say that Chrysler would pay Nissan for vehicles the latter builds and vice versa.[13]
Chrysler and Nissan (NSANY) announced a partnership Monday to build vehicles for each other in what may mark the start of a new wave of similar get-togethers amid falling sales in the auto industry.[26] Nissan Motor ( NSANY ) and Chrysler announced a deal Apr. 14 to build key vehicles for each other.[38] I'd even prefer the Xterra to the Wrangler for off-road duties. Chrysler has nothing going for it these days (sub-standard quality, horrible interiors, and even their once-excellent exterior designs are falling short). I think that Chrysler really gets the better end of this deal, for the most part. Nissan benefits slightly because they don't have to have the factory to build the truck and can focus on their new found love of commercial trucks. Now the Nissan 5.6L V8 is one hell of an engine, and I wonder if they will still put that engine in the Chrysler sourced truck??? It's a shame if they don't. This is a perfect fit for Renault-Nissan ONLY if they take control of Chrysler.[35]
Bloomberg also reports that car is due in 2010. What is it? Nissan has long sold an older version of its Sentra in Mexico and could rebadge that car for Chrysler to also sell in Mexico, but there seems to be some harmony building for a compact car that could replace the Caliber/PT Cruiser/Jeep Patriot and Compass range as well as the next Sentra/Rogue/Versa trio. The key detail here was that the new Chrysler car would be built by Nissan in its Oppama, Japan factory which could make it a smaller entry distinct from the Sentra lineup entirely.[35] Nissan will make in Japan a new "fuel-efficient small car" for Chrysler to sell in the USA and around the world starting in 2010.[26] LaSorda would not disclose the powertrain in the new small car Nissan will produce for Chrylser in Oppama, Japan, or the volume it hopes to sell.[5]
Nissan's building of a new small car won't preclude Chrysler from continuing to explore whether to import a Chinese-made small car under an agreement with China's Chery.[26] Under the agreement Nissan will manufacture an all-new, fuel-efficient small car based on a unique Chrysler concept and design.[37] '''Nissan will manufacture an all-new, fuel-efficient small car based on a unique Chrysler concept and design,''' read an official joint statement.[39]
In exchange, Chrysler will get a Nissan-based small car, built at Nissan's Oppama, Japan, factory to Chrysler's own design starting in 2010.[13] Neither company would give hints about the design of the pickup or small car. Both said they will be their own designs on the other company's underpinnings. Such deals are picking up steam: At the Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen unveiled a minivan that is being built for it by Chrysler.[26] Under the deal, Nissan will make a small car designed and marketed by Chrysler.[29]
"Saltillo is doing only one shift right now and anything under two is underutilization. Therefore, it was a natural fit for Chrysler," Toprak said. "Both get positive outcome, because Japanese small cars are perceived to have high quality, and Nissan can say they're basing their truck on an experienced truckmakers' platform."[33] Chrysler would gain small car expertise from Nissan while Nissan would get a chance to stay competitive in the U.S. market.[27]
A Nissan plant in Japan will assemble a Chrysler compact car for the struggling U.S. company.[38] The pickup built by Chrysler will be designed by Nissan and manufactured at Chrysler's Saltillo assembly plant in Mexico. It will go on sale in 2011.[15] Chrysler will build Nissan's next generation of full-size pickups at a plant in Mexico.[26]
Nissan agreed in January to start building a Versa-based model for Chrysler to sell in South America in 2009. That model will be produced at one of Nissan's plants in Mexico.[33] Nissan's Quest minivan is an also-ran. The Nissan Altima, on the other hand, is one of the most popular front-wheel-drive midsize cars in America, easily outselling the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger combined through the first three months of this year. Nissan struggles to sell large SUVs, but is successful with its midsize SUVs. Chrysler helped create the upscale SUV market with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it lacks a winner the size and price of Nissan's Xterra and Frontier.[32]
In January, the two automakers announced that Nissan would supply Chrysler with a car based on the Nissan Versa sedan for limited distribution in South America in 2009. The two automakers said at the time that they were exploring further cooperation.[28] In January, the two companies announced Nissan would supply Chrysler with a Versa-based sedan for sale in South America starting next year.[13] Originally forecast to generate annual sales of 100,000 units, it is idling along at a rate of less than 50,000 a year. Assuming the relationship between the two companies continues to blossom, what would a marriage between them look like? If it follows the Renault-Nissan model, it would be structured as a cross-shareholding alliance, not a merger. Nissan would gain access to Chrysler's dealer network, its lineup of trucks, and SUVs, and the still-vital Jeep brand. Chrysler would benefit from Nissan's growing capabilities in technology and alternative fuels, its Infiniti luxury brand which is increasing in stature, and its skills at manufacturing, engineering, and purchasing.[12]
The deal is bound to renew speculation about stronger and deeper ties between the two companies. Ghosn has often stated a desire to link up with a North American partner, despite his failed attempt with General Motors ( GM, Fortune 500 ) in 2006. Nardelli meanwhile, wants to get Chrysler back on solid footing so that its owner, Cerberus Capital Management, can squeeze out a return for its investors. A new subcompact could boost Chrysler's annual sales by as much as 200,000 units per year, plugging a big hole in its product lineup and providing dealers with fresh product for their showrooms. Both sides are experienced in making product-sharing arrangements like these work.[12] Chrysler LLC plans to release a hybrid-electric powered Dodge Ram pickup in 2010, the automaker's product development chief said on Monday. Frank Klegon, Chrysler executive vice president of product development, told the SAE 2008 World Congress in Detroit that the hybrid version of its high-volume hauler is part of the automaker's plans to reshape its product portfolio in the coming years. Less than a year since being acquired from Daimler AG by Cerberus Capital Management LP, Chrysler is under pressure to revive its vehicle portfolio amid a major downturn in North American sales. Klegon--today and in recent public remarks--says help is on the way as the automaker beefs up features in many of its vehicles.[40]
I don't understand why the Hornet hasn't been in production already. The success of the Xb, the Element, the Fit, even the Aveo, makes me wonder how U.S. companies don't put more product into this class. I now they are coming, but they should have been here 2 years ago. What I would like to know is what's going to happen to the Armada since it's based on the Titan? Will it be a Chrysler product as well? What about the Pathfinder and Frontier? Aren't those based on a shorten Titan frame? I find that when two competing automaker "Team Up" to build something, one product usually gets lost in the marketplace due to the similiarities.[25] Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY) on Monday said they are planning to expand their production relationship in a move to get new products into new markets quickly at lower costs.[41] Chrysler LLC's hourly workers took the news of a relationship between Nissan Motor Co. and the Auburn Hills automaker with a mix of frustration and optimism, and strategized how a tie-up between the two could work for and against the company's U.S. workforce.[14] Tokyo, Apr 15, 2008 (Jiji Press) - Japan's Nissan Motor Co. and U.S. automaker Chrysler LLC said Monday they have agreed to fortify their mutual supply of automobiles.[19]
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor Co. said Monday that the two automakers will start producing vehicles for each other, fueling speculation that Chrysler may eventually become part of the Renault-Nissan alliance.[22]
Chrysler LLC and Nissan Motor co Ltd said both companies will join a project to manufacture cars for each other, the groups announced on Monday.[9]
Under an expanded product-sharing alliance announced on Monday, April 14, Chrysler LLC will become Nissan's full-sized pickup truck manufacturer, while Nissan will make subcompacts for Chrysler. The agreement means Nissan will stop making its Titan pickup when Chrysler starts making Nissan-badged trucks in 2011.[13]
Nissan starts from higher ground. It is one of the world's most profitable automakers and its sales in the U.S. have slid only 3.3% this year (compared with 8% for the total industry). What Nissan needs is a cost-efficient way to replace its disappointing Titan pickup truck.[12] Introduced in 2003 and expected to quickly ramp up to 100,000 in annual sales, the Titan is already falling short. This year, U.S. sales of the full-size pickup are down 40% -- a decline five times as large as that of the truck market overall.[18]
The U.S. market for full-size pickups "has recorded a decline since we launched Titan in 2003,'' Dominique Thormann, Nissan's North American senior vice president for administration and finance, said in a conference call today.[2] Senior Vice President Dominique Thormann said Nissan didn't want to bear the cost of redesigning Titan to future safety and emissions standards. "This agreement gives us a good and interesting business case," he said.[23] "This latest agreement builds on Nissan's proven track record to deliver win- win product exchanges with multiple manufacturers around the world," Nissan Executive Vice President Carlos Tavares said, adding that the companies will continue looking for ways to work together.[41]
The latest original equipment manufacture supply agreement extends a product exchange relationship between the two copanies, with Nissan affiliate JATCO supplying Chrysler with transmissions since 2004.[37]
Aaron Bragman, an analyst with the consulting company Global Insight, said the agreement doesn't necessarily mean Chrysler is headed for a full-fledged alliance with Nissan-Renault, although the two automakers are a good fit for Chrysler. Such deals allow automakers to play to their strengths and share the risk and capital costs of bringing products to market. "I think this is exactly the kind of thing that Chrysler needs to be doing to guarantee its future," Bragman said.[17] The Canton plant also makes Nissan's Altima and Armada. Nissan announced last week its plans to make a line of three business trucks in Canton for sale beginning in 2010. Along with helping each company fill its lineups, the deal also helps them improve their global scale, said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. He and other experts said it could lead to a bigger partnership in the future.[8] Nissan's upcoming hybrid system and Renault's excellent diesels would help Chrysler, while the American company's sales volume and dealer network would help the Franco-Japanese company pay for the expensive technologies. Executives at Chrysler and Nissan downplay any suggestion of a full-blown alliance, but engineers in Auburn Hills and workers at Chrysler's plants should keep their fingers crossed. They may never find another partner that needs what they do well and offsets Chrysler's weaknesses as well as Renault-Nissan.[32]
UAW Local 136 represents workers at Fenton's pickup plant. Nissan's pickup will be based on the light-duty Ram pickup, LaSorda said, though he declined to say on which platform the small car would be based.[29] Nissan will produce a small sedan car for Chrysler, similar to the Versa and Chrysler will build Nissan a version of its pick up Dodge Ram.[9] Heavy-duty versions of the Nissan would likely be produced in St. Louis, light versions in Saltillo and Warren. When asked if the car was the Dodge Hornet, a concept subcompact car first shown in Geneva last year, LaSorda refused to identify the new subcompact Chrysler car other than by saying: "It's a beautifully designed car, recently completed in our studios."[5] Possibly a coupe, a production version of the Urge concept car? Most likely, as Chrysler seemed to hint at in an afternoon conference call, is a car spun from the next Nissan March compact due in two years' time.[35] To make room for a Nissan truck, Chrysler would also move some of that plant's production to the United States.[14] The end of production of the current Titan at the end of 2010 will eliminate yet another product from the assembly line at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant, which also builds the Altima sedan, Armada full-size SUV, Quest minivan and Infiniti QX56 sport utility.[6] Nissan, which builds the Titan at a plant in Canton, Miss., plans to start producing light-commercial vehicles there starting in 2010.[15]
The vehicle will be manufactured at Nissan'''s Oppama Plant in Japan and will be sold in North America, Europe and other global markets in 2010.[31] Many analysts say Chrysler, which sells relatively few vehicles outside North America, needs a global partner to survive.[22]
To do that, Nissan engineers have planned for snow. "Our research told us that in the markets of Canada and the Northeast, 80 percent of Porsche 911 and Carrera owners continue to drive their cars year-round, in the snow," says Peter Bedrosian, senior product planning manager for sports cars at Nissan North America Inc. "Our car has to be able to do that."[42] "At some point we believe we need more than one small car," for North America, LaSorda said.[13]
The Japanese auto maker will manufacture a new fuel-efficient small car based on a Chrysler concept and design.[41] Under the deal, Nissan will provide Chrysler with an all-new fuel-efficient small passenger model based on Chrysler's concept and design[19] Chrysler will manufacture a full-size pickup for Nissan, based on a Nissan unique design.[37] Chrysler will build a Nissan-designed full-size pickup that the Japanese automaker will sell.[29]
Starting in 2010, Chrysler will assemble pickup trucks for Nissan using a unique body style designed by the Japanese automaker.[38] Nissan will benefit from Chrysler's strength in pickup trucks, an area where Nissan has struggled.[41]
Even before the private-equity firm purchased the Auburn Hills automaker, it recognized that Chrysler had a serious quality problem and pegged Betts, Nissan Americas' senior vice president for total customer satisfaction, to fix it.[43] Nissan, Chrysler to Boost Mutual Vehicle Supply and U.S. automaker Chrysler LLC said Monday they have agreed to fortify their mutual supply of automobiles.[19] For now, I'll limit myself to just applauding the decision. Whatever their future plans, Chrysler and Nissan are making a smart move here. Each will focus on its strengths, boosting productivity at factories geared to produce the vehicles they build best. The way I see it, that can't help but be good for profit margins at each automaker -- and for their investors, too.[18]
I think it would help Chrysler out. That'd be too bad if the Armada died. In the realm of full-size SUVs, it's one of the sportier choices, if such can be said for such a large vehicle. Any blending of these two companies is only going to improve Chrysler's lineup at the expense of Nissan's.[35]
Titan sales fell 9 percent in 2007. In the first quarter of this year, Titan sales plummeted about 40 percent. They were the victim of heated competition the new Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 will be out later this year and a slowdown in housing construction. Thormann and LaSorda said Monday's agreement is limited to the two vehicles and there are no ongoing merger discussions, but Thormann did say both companies would continue to consider product-sharing opportunities. This deal expands their partnership.[29] "Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler," LaSorda said in the statement. Thormann and LaSorda said that the agreement is limited to the two vehicles and there are no ongoing merger discussions, but Thormann did say both companies would continue to consider product-sharing opportunities.[3]
LaSorda said the deal with Nissan was just the latest piece of "good news" at the company and told reporters to look forward to more signs that "Chrysler is on the rebound." [10] The companies have a deal, in effect since 2004, in which a Nissan subsidiary supplies Chrysler with transmissions.[6] The pace and scope of the deals reflect the operating styles of two opportunistic CEOs: Nissan's Carlos Ghosn and Chrysler's Bob Nardelli. Both believe in moving quickly and smartly to keep pace with larger, more established competitors. They like to outfox the competition by zigging instead of zagging.[12]
The Chrysler may look like the popular Hornet concept car shown in Geneva two years ago. Carry the logic forward, and it's easy to see other areas where Chrysler, Nissan and Nissan's French owner Renault can complement each other.[32] Jason Craig, who works at a Chrysler parts warehouse in Center Line, said the announcements were shocking and frustrating, especially because the new vehicles, to be sold in the United States, are to be built in Japan and Mexico. "Don't try to pass it off as something that's American, if it's not," said Craig, 34, of New Baltimore. Chrysler, with its truck-heavy lineup, has struggled in recent years as the price of gasoline has soared and consumers have turned to smaller cars.[8] For years, Chrysler sold cars made by Mitsubishi that it labeled as Dodges and Plymouths, and it recently announced that it would build minivans for Volkswagen.[12]
Seriously addressing quality issues is essential for Chrysler, said David Champion, the senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports. He said many of Chrysler's newly launched vehicles "missed the boat on quality." He called the Dodge Nitro among the worst vehicles the magazine tested last year, and he was critical of the plastic-laden interiors of the small Jeep SUVs. "If the vehicle feels cheap, if it feels like a retail car, then a customer is going to ask, 'What did I get for my $299 payment this month?'" Champion said.[43] Currently, Chrysler is still working with Chinese automaker Chery on a global small car.[25] The automaker still plans to buy small cars for global sale from Chery Automobile Co. of China, though no timetable has been announced.[23]
The company has said production costs in the U.S. are too high to make money on entry-level cars. It recently teamed up with Chery Automobile to build small cars in China, but hasn't committed to exporting them to the U.S. market. The company needs more small cars in its lineup, especially with consumers looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles.[20] Check out a number of recent Chrysler small car concepts below and let us know which one you'''d like to see make it into production.[25]
Just because the agreement says '''Chrysler''' does not mean the small car will be branded a Chrysler; it could be a Dodge or Jeep.[25] Chrysler has arranged to sell a variation of a Chery Automobile Co. small car in some markets.[2] In terms of the time and resources it would take to develop a legitimate small car offering, Chrysler doesn't have it."[8]
Design of the pickup and the small car has yet to begin, and Thormann wouldn't speculate on the vehicles' look or names.[6] Although it likely will be based on a Dodge frame, Thormann said Nissan will design the pickup. Some styling, performance and other key Titan elements will be retained, though he said he didn't know if the name would be kept.[33]
There should be no downsizing of the work force there, Thormann said, because Nissan announced last week that it would begin building light-commercial vehicles for the North American market in mid-2010 at the Canton plant.[6] Nissan doesn't have any other plans for alliances with Chrysler, including any kind of equity stake, Thormann said.[6]
Chrysler has announced a tie-up with Nissan which could finally lead to the company'''s Hornet supermini concept making it into production.[39] Production will begin with one commercial vehicle but expand over the next couple of years to include three vehicles designed for business and delivery use, the automaker said. Those vehicles also have yet to be designed but are expected to be based on the architecture of light-commercial vehicles Nissan already sells in Europe, Japan and other world markets.[6] Chrysler will start to sell the Nissan-made subcompact, to be built in Japan based on a Chrysler design, in 2010.[23]
The pickup will be built at Chrysler's plant in Saltillo, Mexico, using the light duty Dodge Ram as a base.[4]
For Nissan, dropping Titan, which it introduced in 2004, is an admission it could not compete with the big guns: General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler.[23] Chrysler and Nissan are teaming up, seeking to broaden their product lines without hiking spending on developing new models.[17] Chrysler and Nissan said that though the companies would explore future product sharing, there are no talks on cross-ownership.[23]
The deal works on paper because each company will get a product that's a strong suit of the other's, said Jesse Toprak, director of industry analysis for Edmunds.com. "It certainly creates economies of scale. It does cause some brand perception issues that will have to be worked out. When you go buy a Nissan truck, is it really a Dodge or is it Japanese?" he said.[33] The deal comes a week after Nissan executives said Canton will get three new models of light commercial vehicles, the type often used for tow trucks, local delivery vehicles and moving vans.[33]
In a conference call, Nissan's senior vice president for administration and finance, Dominque Thormann, said the two companies are open to discuss additional manufacturing deals, but are not talking about a broader business alliance. "We are not in those types of discussions right now," he said.[20] At Ford Motor Co., Bennie Fowler is group vice president for global quality. Fowler has responsibility for quality in both the design and production of Ford vehicles. He also is entrusted with deploying continuous improvement strategies throughout the company. At General Motors Corp., there is a vice president for quality in each of its four global regions. Those executives connect with manufacturing, engineering and sales and service.[43] The company doesn't have the global sales to compete on costs for parts and raw materials with the likes of General Motors ( GM ) and Toyota Motor ( TM ).[38]
The Titan, heralded as the first Japanese full-size pickup when it first rolled from Canton in fall 2003, never hit the sales goals Nissan executives had hoped. [33] "So, yes, we would be counting on Chery to help us with that." Nissan's current pickup -- Titan -- is made in Canton, Miss. The current generation of the Titan -- Nissan sold 66,000 of them in the United States last year -- is expected to end in 2010.[8]
The manufacturing agreement will keep Nissan and Chrysler working closely together for several years.[20] From Nissan's portfolio of crossover vehicles to Chrysler's wildly successful rear-wheel-drive Chrysler 300 and Dodge Challenger sedans, each company is strong where the other is weak.[32] The production changes for Chrysler would not start until shortly before the vehicle begins selling in 2011, LaSorda said. He also expressed confidence that the company would make the changes relatively easily.[29] Chrysler President Tom LaSorda said, "Forging the right tactical partnerships is critical to the long-term success of Chrysler. It also builds on the company's inherent strengths, including the ability to respond rapidly and creatively to emerging opportunities."[41]
More stringent U.S. safety regulations due in 2011 were a factor in the company's decision to team up with Chrysler instead of spending to meet the new rules, Thormann said. [2] "If it has a Chrysler nameplate, a Dodge nameplate, it should be made with American parts by American union workers," said Craig, 34, of New Baltimore. He has been concerned about Chrysler's global arrangements, spending his own time to study another Chrysler partner, China's Chery Automobile. "It's getting to be now that we see less and less work in our buildings. There's no way to be competitive with these outside markets."[14] "This new OEM exchange benefits both companies through range extension and the utilization of global manufacturing capacity," Nissan said in a statement Monday.[28]
The truck will replace the Titan, made at Nissan's Canton, Miss., plant, starting in 2011, the two companies said.[26] The resulting Nissan truck will replace the current Titan and go into production in 2011.[25]
Nissan will invest $120 million in the plant to adapt it for commercial vehicle production.[15] Nissan said in last week's announcement that production of the Quest and the QX56 at Canton would end when the commercial vehicles were added to the line.[6]
"The good news is it is still above 2 million units in the U.S. and still remains an attractive segment to have a vehicle in. We have now limited powertrain, cab and bed styles today but with this we'll extend that range." He called the move a business decision but said Nissan isn't giving up on the Titan.[33] The snow button in the center console of the new Nissan GT-R says more about the $70,000 sports car's ambitions than meets the eye.[42] Nissan Motor Co. hopes to take a little bite out of sports car icon Porsche.[42] "Made in the U.S.?" Sign me up; it beats the heck out of buying lead-coated Chinese products with a tasty antifreeze filling any day. With Ford (NYSE: F ) and General Motors (NYSE: GM ) spreading their wings abroad, you've got to wonder what these guys have to do before they lose the coveted moniker of "American car company."[18] Chrysler, which is the third-largest U.S. automaker, has been slashing thousands of jobs in a bid to adapt to a shrinking U.S. car market.[10] Chrysler has been looking for partners ever since Cerberus Capital Management bought a controlling stake last August from DaimlerChrysler AG, leaving the newly private U.S. automaker without global reach.[8]
Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has spoken of the need to find a U.S. partner for the company, in which French automaker Renault holds a controlling stake.[10]
Motley Fool Global Gains recommendation Nissan (Nasdaq: NSANY ) works out of about a dozen U.S. locations.[18]
At the other end of the deal, it seems Nissan's days building full-size trucks in Mississippi are coming to a close.[35] There'''s no word on how the Nissan agreement may impact that deal or if the two models will overlap.[25] The Auburn Hills (Mich.) automaker has a deal with Volkswagen ( VOWG.DE ) to build a minivan for the German automaker. It has an agreement to make cars with China's Chery Automobile. That also makes sense in the long run, Cole says.[38]
Chrysler's compact cars have long been distant also-rans behind Japanese cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Beyond that, this latest joint venture may be the precursor to something much larger. Cerberus Capital Management finalized its deal to buy 80% of Chrysler last fall.[38] Assuming Cerberus isn't looking to cut a deal to sell a stake in Chrysler to Renault-Nissan in the long run, the deals are a key part to Chrysler's survival.[38] Chrysler relies on deals with other players to get that kind of hardware cost-effectively. The company gets diesel technology from former parent Daimler ( DAI ), and it's part of a hybrid venture led by GM.[38]
From engineering and manufacturing to dealer sales and service, Betts monitors every aspect of the business that could affect a customer's perception of Chrysler LLC's quality. Such a broad approach was necessary to fix a quality operation plagued with slow decision making and vehicles that outsiders criticized as cheap looking. At most automotive companies -- including Chrysler before Betts arrived -- various corporate operations are left to address quality on their own -- from how a customer's vehicle is serviced at an oil change to how a component is assembled on the line, he said. [43] Just hours after news of Chrysler's sale broke last summer, then-Nissan quality executive Doug Betts' phone was ringing.[43]
With Betts, Chrysler has an executive in place to address long-standing quality problems, said Stephanie Brinley, an industry analyst with AutoPacific. It will take time to fix problems, and even longer for potential customers to recognize that the automaker has improved. "As quick as Cerberus may want to be, it takes time to design parts and get moldings and assemble new parts on cars," she said.[43] With a little luck, the small Chrysler could hit the roads before the much-ballyhooed Verve does in 2010. Each automaker swears its models will have a unique design.[32]
It's hard to imagine two automakers whose product lines dovetail more neatly than Chrysler LLC and Renault-Nissan.[32] Doug Betts, left, Chryslers vice president and chief customer officer, talks with Lionel Chestnut, a manager at the Product Quality Research Center, at the engineering center in Auburn Hills.[43] The automaker didn't indicate how the production change will affect jobs at Fenton, where about 1,970 people are employed. Don Ackermann, vice president of the United Auto Worker's Union Local 136, said he was "thrilled" about the initial announcement and he expected to get more details this morning.[29]
For help figuring out just who is an American automaker these days -- and more importantly, who makes the best cars for Americans -- drop by the Fool's Buying and Maintaining a Car discussion board and ask our experts. Fool contributor Rich Smith is sad to report that his old Chevy S-10 has finally kicked the bucket. He's back in the market for a good used pickup. Got an offer? Drop him a line. He does not own shares of any company named above. [18] Nissan will stop building its Titan pickup in 2011, replacing it with a version of the Dodge Ram.[13] Thormann said the decision to stop building the Titan had no immediate impact on Nissan's large Armada SUV, which shares a platform with the Titan.[15] We don't have a business discussion ongoing currently," Thormann said, adding that Renault, a 44% owner of Nissan, was not a party to the agreement.[16]
Cummins Inc. makes diesels for the Dodge Ram and has a deal to supply diesel engines for the Canton-built LCVs. Since Thormann said the next-generation pickup will offer more powertrains, Cummins would be the likely supplier.[33] "On the pickup side, you've seen the segment has recently experienced a decline. It has been shrinking ever since we launched the Titan," said Thormann, noting the full-size pickup market has fallen from 2.5 million in 2004 to 2.1 million since 2007.[33] In 2007, 2.1 million full-size pickup trucks were sold in the U.S., down from 2.6 million in 2005.[20]
Last year, Chrysler ended a nine-year tie-up with Daimler of Germany, with U.S. private equity firm Cerberus buying the ailing Detroit giant. [10] U.S. sales of the Titan have fallen 40 percent in the first three months of the year, while the overall vehicle market has dropped 8.1 percent.[2] Sales fell 15.5% during the first three months of the year, while Nissan was down only 3.3%.[26]
Now the total is closer to 2 million. Since its 2003 debut, the Titan has never reached Nissan's initial goal of 100,000 units a year.[2]
Nissan, which has been allied with French auto maker Renault (13190.FR) since 1999, was in talks with General Motors Corp. (GM) in 2006.[41]
"At some point, we believe we need more than one small car for NAFTA," Mr. LaSorda said. [20] "At some point, we need more than one small car" for the U.S.-Canada-Mexico market, LaSorda says.[26]
A Nissan-produced small car would be a great improvement over the Daimler plan of badging Chinese cars as Dodges.[35] I think the Hornet would do the best. It has the most utility value and would compete well in the burgeoning 2-box small car class.[25]
America's car companies are making it harder than ever to be "patriotic" these days -- and I'm an easy sell. [18] "Chery will continue to be in our future planning for supply in (North America) as well as Western Europe," LaSorda said. "Once the designs and the platforms are ready for export to these markets to meet their stringent safety and emissions standards as well as the quality standards then we'll export and we do not have a date yet set for exporting to Western Europe or (North America,)" he said.[10]
The automaker has said it will seek partnerships globally to develop vehicles without making large investments in new plants. [2] The companies also confirmed that the new project will be built in Japan and sold worldwide.[39]
SOURCES
1. Chrysler And Nissan Inked Manufacturing Partnership | April 15, 2008 | AHN
2. Bloomberg.com: Asia
3. The Associated Press: Nissan, Chrysler Produce for Each Other
4. Chrysler and Nissan unveil production alliance | Reuters
5. Chrysler, Nissan reach agreement
6. Chrysler, Nissan will expand list of products they share | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean
7. Chrysler, Nissan Team Up for "Tactical Partnership" | Autopia from Wired.com
8. Nissan, Chrysler agree to share products | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
9. Chrysler and Nissan become Allies in Car Production - International Business Times -
10. AFP: Chrysler, Nissan team up on car, truck for North America
11. motoring.co.za - Chrysler/Nissan deal for new small car
12. Nissan, Chrysler in new partnership - Apr. 14, 2008
13. Nissan, Chrysler strike deal for truck, car - AutoWeek Magazine
14. Workers unsure what deal may mean | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
15. Chrysler, Nissan broaden auto ties
16. US [updated 16:05BST]: Chrysler and Nissan widen OEM ties with small car, big truck: Automotive News & Comment
17. Chrysler And Nissan Tighten Embrace - Forbes.com
18. Konichiwa and Howdy, Chrysler-Nissan
19. Nissan, Chrysler to Boost Mutual Vehicle Supply
20. Chrysler, Nissan Unveil Broad Partnership - WSJ.com
21. Chrysler, Nissan Reveal Partnership - ToTheCenter
22. Are Chrysler and Nissan dating? - Auto blog - Rick Haglund - MLive.com
23. Chrysler, Nissan buy each other's vehicle -- chicagotribune.com
24. Chrysler, Nissan announce new deal | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
25. KickingTires: Chrysler, Nissan Team Up on Trucks, Small Cars
26. Chrysler, Nissan announce partnership - USATODAY.com
27. Chrysler collaborating with Nissan
28. Chrysler, Nissan building vehicles for each other
29. STLtoday - Fenton may benefit from Nissan deal
30. Nissan and Chrysler To Build Vehicles For One Another
31. CanadianDriver: Automotive news » Blog Archive » Chrysler and Nissan to supply vehicles to each other
32. An alliance would suit Chrysler well | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
33. Canton to lose Nissan pickup | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
34. Chrysler and Nissan confirm new OEM product agreements - News - Auto Industry
35. TCC Blog » Blog Archive » Nissan to Sell Chrysler Truck - So What About the Armada?
36. Could Nissan tie-up with Chrysler be model for Ford (F)? - BloggingStocks
37. Chrysler, Nissan ink new OEM product agreements
38. Behind the Chrysler-Nissan Deal
39. Autocar - Chrysler links with Nissan
40. Chrysler plans hybrid Dodge Ram - AutoWeek Magazine
41. UPDATE: Chrysler, Nissan To Produce Vehicles For Each Other
42. Seeking wider market, Nissan equips sports car for snow - AutoWeek Magazine
43. New Chrysler exec has clients, quality in mind
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