Chrysler Exec: March sales up 51 pct from Feb.
(AP) – 3 hours ago
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — A top executive at Chrysler Group LLC said Wednesday sales at the automaker are up 51 percent this month compared with February.
But Fred Diaz, CEO of the company's Ram truck brand, said sales are trending about 10 percent below March of 2009, when Chrysler spent thousands of dollars per vehicle on rebates and other incentives as it tried to win federal aid and forestall a bankruptcy filing.
Diaz said incentives of up to $8,000 per vehicle last year cheapened Chrysler's brands and probably backfired by helping send the company into bankruptcy protection. Chrysler has since accepted billions in federal loans and is 10 percent owned by the government.
But Diaz said those days are over as Chrysler focuses on rebuilding its image. He made the remarks at an event unveiling the marketing campaign for the Ram Heavy Duty pickup truck.
Chrysler sold about 84,000 vehicles in February. That's flat compared with last year as sales for the broader industry rose 13 percent from the same month in 2009.
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The Associated Press: Chrysler Exec: March sales up 51 pct from Feb.
March sales up 51 pct from Feb.
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