Re: Clippers at the Motor Muster.

Posted by Steve203 On 2015/6/29 21:42:08

there were many paths to success for Packard and probably just as many dead ends.

Based on the number of failed automakers in the US, vs the number of survivors, it's probably more like 1 path to success for 100 paths to failure.

similar magnitude of possibilities for Cadillac, Lincoln, Chrysler, Infiniti and others

I have been watching events at Chrysler, aka FCA, with great interest. Between the several model delays, the fact that FCA spends 1.5% of revenue on product development vs 4.5% at Ford and GM, plus FCA's poor profit margins, plus FCA's large debt burden, it's no surprise that the company is being shopped so aggressively. Given the path they are on, I expect Chrysler as we know it to be gone in about 5 years. Either sold entirely to the Chinese, or Jeep sold to Ford or GM and Fiat sold to the Chinese, or the company broke and looking for another government bailout.

It was a consistent lack of investment in new product that started Packard, Studebaker, Hudson, Curtiss-Wright and Hall-Scott all circling the drain.