Reply #131: Chrysler to Cut Models, Dealerships [View All]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Chrysler LLC president Jim Press said Friday the automaker's rejuvenation plan could include jettisoning some dealers and cutting its product lineup by as much as half.

Press, speaking to industry executives at the J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Roundtable in San Francisco, emphasized that Chrysler's management team has not yet decided the severity of the cuts. Chrysler needs to pare down its lineup so similar models don't compete against each other, a change that will save marketing expenses and help dealers become more profitable, Press said.

The consolidation, under a plan called Project Genesis to align the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands under one roof, should occur within the next 4 years to 5 years, Press said, adding that Chrysler's forecasts of product cuts are based on estimates and not set in stone.

"There are no numbers. We don't know how many models we're going to have. No one knows that," he said.

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