Fiat has Chrysler now, and access to the North American dealership network (again). Chrysler has an entry into the European market. Fiat technology transfer should give Chrysler more fuel-efficient vehicles. Hopefully production orders will start coming in for the 2010 model year. I don’t expect any activity until after the traditional 4th of July shutdown. Back to wait-and-see for General Motors.
With Chrysler in bankruptcy, everyone in the supplier chain is waiting for the impact. Already a truck assembly plant in Warren, Michigan is closing up to sixty days. Since the government is backing vehicle warranties, will aftermarket production continue? What will happen to all the employees who are forced off? Unemployment, for what it’s worth, just can’t substitute a regular income for someone high in the pay scale. How will salaried employees be affected? I’m sure we will know soon enough.