<![CDATA[Jalopnik: chrysler corp]]> http://tags.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: chrysler corp]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/chryslercorp http://jalopnik.com/tag/chryslercorp <![CDATA[Chrysler Discloses $515 Million First-Quarter Loss]]> Chrysler LLC revealed a $515 million first-quarter 2008 loss, despite the fact that the privately held firm isn't required to discuss earnings. So what gives? Ex-lover Daimler spilled the beans Thursday, stating that its 20% stake in Chrysler lost about $105 million in value. The Detroit News did some quick math, multiplying Daimler's loss by five, and a Chrysler spokesperson eventually confirmed that the number was in the half-a-billon dollar neighborhood.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: A little more math, based on the fact that Chrysler really has nothing besides the Ram truck coming out this year, tells us Chrysler is on track for a $2-billion-plus loss for the year, breaking their previous record of $1.6 billion. As Rebecca Lindland, auto analyst at Global Insight, said, "From a product perspective, you can't point to a light at the end of the tunnel." Ouch. So Chrysler's survival will depend upon how deep owner Halliburton Cerberus Capital Management's pockets are. Or how quick they can sell it off. [Detroit News]

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<![CDATA[Nardelli: Cerberus Not Second-Guessing Chrysler Purchase. What About CEO Choice?]]> Cerberus Capital Management is not second-guessing its 2007 purchase of Chrysler from Daimler, and the the business is "on track," Chrysler LLC CEO Robert Nardelli said Tuesday at a Wall Street Journal press conference. Nardelli has been facing speculation that Cerberus got in over its head with the Chrysler purchase, particularly in light of U.S. sales that are down 25.4 percent in May and 19.3 percent for the year to-date compared with the same period a year ago. We suspect Cerberus is speculating that Nardelli got in over his head when he took the top spot.

Not surprisingly, Nardelli said that Chrysler might have to "go back and resize" production plans. He also reiterated his expectation that Chrysler would remain a private company, explaining that there were clear advantages to running Chrysler under private equity ownership rather than as a public company. For example, not having to tell reporters a damn thing except, "we are guarded but optimistic. We are very encouraged in what we have accomplished." Which would be what, exactly?
[Automotive News (Sub. Req.), Photo Credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]

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