Article published Sunday, June 8, 2008

Jeep should survive bumpy road, experts say

For the men and women who build sport utility vehicles in Toledo and those whose families rely on them, the river of bad news in the auto industry lately has run so deep and wide that even the venerable Jeep might have trouble crossing it.

•Sales of Toledo-made SUVs have plummeted 24 percent so far this year from 2007 levels.

•Consumer trends across the automotive industry indicate that Americans have abandoned their 20-year love affair with trucks and SUVs in the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline. The shift in buying habits has been so sudden that General Motors Corp. announced last week that it will close four truck plants and is studying the sale or elimination of its once-popular Hummer line of SUVs.

•Almost 20 percent of the work force at the Toledo Jeep Assembly complex - more than 650 workers - accepted company buyouts this spring, and 100 were laid off when Chrysler LLC eliminated the third shift there.

Despite months of anxiety surrounding one of the region's largest employers, industry analysts and others associated with Toledo's most famous products predict they - and their plants - will traverse these harrowing times in the automotive industry.

"Everybody's not going to switch to cars," Joseph Phillippi, an industry analyst with AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J., explained. "The Jeep brand has got just an enormous amount of global brand equity. It's recognized all over the world for its capabilities.

"It delivers on the brand's promise in every way. [Chrysler] is not going to sell a lot of Grand Cherokees around the world, but they'll sell a lot of Wranglers and Libertys."
Article
LINK:
toledoblade.com -- Jeep should survive bumpy road, experts say

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Rick

Nitro Year: 2007 (July 07 Build Date)
Nitro Model: R/T
Nitro Drivetrain: 4x4
Nitro Color: Stone White
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options