Live Fast, Sell Well, Die Young

1447 Views 1 Reply 2 Participants Last post by fcsallan, Dec 5, 2007

rickaren

Discussion Starter · Dec 5, 2007

The cool PT Cruiser is being retired after the 2009 model year because nobody seems to have any idea how to update retro. I mean, is it really that hard? Chrysler has sold more than a million Cruisers since they were introduced in 2000. Obviously somebody liked them. But all efforts to figure out a new way to skin it have failed. My advice: Give Chip Foose, the independent designer extraordinaire, an afternoon and he could come up with a new look that could launch the next million PT Cruisers. Does the company really think a million PT-lovers will flock instead to the Dodge Nitro? Please.
Ditto for the menacing Dodge Magnum, which is marked for death next year.

After proving in 2004 it was possible to make America fall in love with the station wagon again, Dodge did nothing to keep the Magnum a gift that keeps on giving. It’s still a great looking car, but everyone who likes the Magnum has already bought one. So now, sales are understandably dropping off. What is not understandable is the lack of movement toward restyling it. How hard - how expensive - can it be to just hang a new front clip on it? (This applies to Ranger, too.) That might be all it needs for another three or four years of life.

Interesting Read not just on Chrysler but Ford & Chev, too. Check it out @
Live Fast, Sell Well, Die Young - Wheels - Autos - New York Times Blog

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fcsallan

· #2 · Dec 5, 2007

Interesting point of view.

I do think that most of the major manufacturers are looking to trim their lines right now. I believe they think that putting 5 bodies on one chassis isn't really giving us a choice. I don't know if I agree but I am more of an enthusiast than the average driver. At least that is the only thing I can think of to explain the sale of so many garbage cars over the last 15 years.

Lets hope they come up with something exciting in the next couple of years instead of depleting our choices and forcing us to buy Jap jobs or Euro crap.

Thanks for posting the article Rick.

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