Thats incredible, No wonder the car Market has gone bust, what I would like to see is the GM dealers splattered accross… That be interesting!!!

Good! Nobody likes big fat american burger cars. We only like the muscle cars.

kingrocky, Chrysler make muscle cars too – they own Dodge.

ceh, Wow.. This is a good thing for all tree huggers to see all the fat cars gone off the road..

Just think that each of those markers represents a few dozen employees.

That’s… Insane! Think of the amount of cars which will go unsold and the amount of jobs lost, damn i feel some sympathy coming along. But this could be a big lesson to everyone who took up a job at one of the worst car manufacturers in the world.

Next time, if you have a passion for cars, then go and work for someone like Alfa Romeo, or if your a serious engineer, then work for a german manufacturer like Audi, they love boffins.

If they’re sensible, then they’ll have shut down the dealerships who get the least sales, else that’s just stupid.

First of all i hate chrysler as much as every other european does…. but i cant help but feel a little sad for them closing down. They have been around since 1925 and ever since then they been making what every petrolhead loves, cars. I know that to be honest there cars are horrible but they are cars nontheless. Also Chrysler is a massive company and it is slightly scary and interesting to see how this is going to affect all the other car companies around the globe.

Why do people post STUPID videos here when they’re completely unrelated to the discussion in hand? Do the moderators not check all the posts? aRsetone, get a life PLEASE!

UNLUCKY Chrysler 3,200 DEALERSHIPS WOW.

I know that 50% of Chrysler’s dealers make 90% of the sales, so It’s safe to assume that they are cutting half of the crappy ones. That’s right, those dots represent only half of the crappy Chrysler dealers.

I live in central New York State, where a lot of small towns have GM or Chrysler dealerships. I’ve realized the reason is that 50 years or so ago, when all we bought was American cars, guys named Bob and Bill would open up dealerships in even the smallest town. So, now we’re left with lots of dealerships with little inventory in the middle of nowhere that aren’t making any money. Unfortunately, with both companies bankrupt and owned by the goveernment, it seems the empty car dealership will be become a common sight all across America.

ohh well dont like chrysler any way but i do have sympathy for all the people who will loose there jobs

Damn now I really want to see this video posted by ARsetone..
Thanks everyone for hyping it up so much.

And coming from Amerika – sad for the people losing their jobs, though to be brutely honest, if they didn’t see this coming then shame on them.
There are too f**k*ng many car companys making too many cars anyway.

Since Chrysler is going..Dodge is on the anvil too..and since bad news begets bad news..heard the Viper is going out of commission in 2011..OMG!

Hi all!…i’m a newbie of the blog…i’m searching for the soundtrack used in the test of the CLK 63 AMG Black Series, tested by Jeremy in Switzerland, i think, when we can see The Stig chasing sheeps…at the endtitle it’s possible to see the credit of the “extreme music library” …anyone can help me?…there are a lot of compositions…it’s possible to ask directly to Jeremy or the producer in someway?… bye tnx all! MB for ever!

Chrysler gets the Darwinian award for 2009. That’s what happens when you have a single mind and cater for likewise kind of market. Seems the germans knew when to fold ‘em didn’t they. Clairvoyance? Scarry.

Almost more then half of them are in the East Coast… I wonder why’s that?

Okay, that is scary…
Right, now what about GM’s dealers?

Now that is genuinely scary. What about GM and Ford though?

Big pins on a small map of a Big country, this is just a microcosm of what is happening over there, last time I went (Oct08) I still got that impression of ‘there’s just too much of everything, somethings got to give….

Serves them right. If they were interested in providing the punter with what they wanted, then perhaps Pres. Obama wouldn’t have had to slap their wrists would he?
By now the world would be singing the praises of GM and other car makers if they provided what we want. Efficient but fast cars/vehicles. Instead of producing said motors, they stuck with what they knew because it provided more profit for the greedy shareholders.
We all know that making something ‘special’ costs shed loads of money, but that’s the only way to go surely if you want to stay in business? Take a look at Euro car makers -okay, exclude Renault and Citroen/Peugeot as they aren’t quality cars- and see how they are doing.
Nope, no sympathy at all. If it were not for Opel/Vauxhall, GM would have sunk beneath the waves years ago, and they have nothing to sing about do they?
Answers on a postcard to: Do I Give A Flying Squirrel? Here Today Gone Tomorrow, GM No Cars Land, USA.

Maddog – In answer to your question the car was driven in Wales (hence all the worried sheep) in a place I ashamedly know little about, the Black Mountains, in Powys I think -very large county. You can find out more by looking at some on-line map sites. As for the music, there were a number of pieces played, which one were you interested in… although it doesn’t matter, don’t ask me as I know bugger all about music either, being a fan of Yello, what do I know?
Hope someone else can help you.

Someone tell them to salvage the Challenger and 300C/Touring… as with the rest, let them burn.

Capitalism, like nature, insists on the death of the weak, no matter how cruel it may be. Chrysler was a shit company, bought by a hedge fund who somehow thought the could sell it for profit. No wonder the whole market up and shot itself it the head last year.

“Fat cars” “Burger cars”? That is the dumbest generalization I have ever heard. Yes American cars are simple and not up to European assembly standards. That’s ok with the market they serve. Where in Europe can you get a RWD car with 400 stock Hp for $10,000? US base models also come with way more options than euro crap which still gets cassette players in 2008 models for god’s sake. Their auto industry is shaped around the biggest car market in the world (America). It’s a market demanding power, low prices and cheap maintenance. Europe demands assembly quality and trendiness. It’s just that simple. The Mustang, Corvette, Charger, Challenger, Camaro: none of them are made with you in mind.
If you ever go on a vacation to the US, rent a muscle car and just drive. Smoke em’ up at a light, get it sideways around a turn. Then you’ll understand. GM or whoever will take over, better have my black SS by next year!

I really love the show and am coming quite enamored, if I am truthful, addicted actually to Top Gear, but… it is really painful, as an American, to have the hosts, whom I adore by the way, continually bash the U.S. They rarely miss an opportunity to criticize our faults, if we are honest, all country’s have theirs.
When the show comes to America it seems that they put our nation’s weakness center stage. Every country has their poor areas, underprivileged people, un-politically correct sub-groups, and moments in history that they are not proud of. Most Americans are fully aware of our nation’s problems and don’t expect them to be pushed under a rug, but we don’t appreciate them being put under a magnifying glass either. I feel that there is a pervasive undercurrent of condescension toward all things American as well.
Maybe I am naive, but I thought we shared a common bond and were great friends. The vast majority of Americans have an affinity for the U.K. so please try to be kind to those who admire you, they after all, are helping your ratings. The British are known for their manners and it is not in good form to be rude to those who support your show.
The ABBC is, in my circles, gaining a following, thanks to shows like Top Gear, Kitchen Nightmares etc. I think I am in the minority, being a woman, that watches your show. My husband and I rarely miss the show and enjoy it so much that we have even watched some re-runs. We love the wit and humor of the hosts combined with the challenges, races and just all around fun car stuff. We have frequently recommended it to others and they have enjoyed it too, but some are put off by the mean spirited manner towards Americans.
I don’t know if my opinion matters or even makes a difference, but I am all for keeping things copacetic across the pond. One of the main items on my “Bucket list” is to visit the U.K. and come to a taping of Top Gear, but hopefully it will be on a day when you are not showcasing American cars.
Yours in sincere friendship- Tammy Williams from Texas

i’m surprised that although Chrysler is in the dumps it still can keep 3/4 of its dealers open. But I’m not so sure that a part of that 3/4′s will stay afloat for long.
P.S. If about a dozen people work at at those dealers about 9,600 more people will be unemployed in various states. Sadly, a “nice” little extra for those strained and some bankrupt unemployment funds.

It’s sad to see how many so called “enthusiasts” applaud the demise of a centenary car maker. I for one have hope that Chrysler will survive and surprise us again with wonderful concept cars turned in production models like they did in the 90s. Chrysler has had a spotty history, but great products also left their production lines…

Amen Filippos …

WELL SHIT,THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THROW TRUCKLOADS OF MONEY AT THE OIL BEARERS, TRYING TO TAKE IT ALL TO PROPEL THOSE FUEL EATING PIECES OF SHITE.BOUT TIME THE SEPTICS HAD A HARD LOOK AT THEM SELVES…

The size of the dealership is not proportionate to the size of the map – those pins are way too big. A loss of 800 Chrysler dealership covering approx 1000 acres of land in the lower 48 states, a 3 million square mile area, won’t be missed unless you happen to work there. If you ask me to find the nearest Chrysler dealership, I don’t even know in what direction I would go without googleing it first. Get back to work.

Bad for the employees, but I see this as a nice purge for the marketplace, and possibly, a good hint to other manufacturers to stop making shit cars, because now, for the first time, they’re getting a GOOD glimpse of what could be in for them when the next economic downturn hits.

First off, how many of you have ever been in, never mind driven, a Chrysler product? I’ve had many cars, and most of the ones I look back fondly on are Chrysler products. I doubt the majority of you who are bashing these cars would know one if you saw it. I have no problem with the UK, but you all seem to think you’re so much better than Americans. I’m just going to say, ahem, World Wars, yeah… Those, you know, where we saved you guys, twice. You’re welcome. But that’s not my point. The British should not complain about American cars, seeing as Ford is one of the UK’s biggest sellers. Oh, wait… They’re American! That’s odd. I remember my old Jag’s (Both caught fire. Quality craftsmanship right there.) and the MG, do I even need to get into it. You have MG horror stories and Alfa horror stories. You know what’s funny, American cars just sort of work. But all you who think you’re saving the world with your stupid hybrids wouldn’t know that. These cars aren’t designed to be sold in Europe. In the US, everyone has at least two cars, and they’re for getting from point A to point b. They don’t need to receive TV, have panel gaps of .0000000000124mm. Plus you have to consider the many climate extremes of North America, these “garbage” American cars work in all of them, desert, urban, and they even work in the Canadian winter. Oh, and did you know the Jeep was counted as one of the three reasons we won WWII. You know whats funny, that’s a Chrysler product.

O.O

That’s a lot of dealers closing. Not a good time to be a Chrysler salesman…

@ 33. – We have European Fords, designed and built in Europe. And we (well, a lot of us) hate hybrids, whereas the sodding Prius is almost a deity in the US. Plus, the ‘Jeep’ was only a subsidiary of Chrysler since 1987, long after WWII (what an obvious go-to point that was).

American cars aren’t designed for European roads, with their curves and cambers and potholes, so we get European Dodges etc. which are not up to our standards. A Dodge Avenger compared to a Mondeo or a Honda Accord or an Insignia or another German? No way. To be honest, I’d love to like some US stuff – mainly muscle cars – but because some Americans get all proud and mouthy about it, to like an American car almost feels like conceding some kind of defeat. Which is a shame.

Rented a Charger down in Georgia last year.

It just seemed…. ‘right’.

Loved it; outta my way Poncey Pious driver, Donuts in car parks too!

Regarding thestigssailorcousin comment, Post number 33. You have incorrect history my friend, I am not trying to be impolite (I am Canadian after all) but you did not “save” the loyalist colonies and UK twice, infact you barely even played a role in the first world war joining in April 1917, and only with a pitifull 300,000 troops with little or no planes or goods to give. You don’t even have rememberance day, that’s how small of a role you played in the first world war. Second world war, you decided to finally join years after the conflict began, and you joined finally when Rosevelt changed the neutrality agreement, he could have done that whenever he wanted to. The UK and loyalist colonies played a massive role in WWI and WWII, America blows their involvment out of proportion in their history texts. (Oh and canada burnt down the white house and won the war of 1812, so you have lost a war to us.) And finally since this is a car forum, the Jeep was not Chrysler during it’s war production run, it was Ford, American Bantam, and Willys-Overland. Lastly, every american car I have ever owned been in or seen has been cheap, poor build quality, and multiple problems with major components, I had to replace an engine twice, calipers 4 times, dash electronics, radiator, etc. on multiple American cars I have went through, nothing but problems, plus they smell weird :S. I now have a TDI jetta with 370,000kms on it and it runs like a top, same with a 270,000kms Toyota truck, never had any work done. Quality over quantity my friend, build them to last.

Cheers,

From your quiet friends up north

greatcanadian
Remember even before the US got into WWII that there was lend lease, otherwise the Commonwealth wouldn’t have had much to fight with.
And remember, while the Germans produced a technically superior aircraft during the war, America outproduced them quantity wise, and sometimes quantity wins.
Speaking of the Germans…merger of equals my a$$. With the exception of the 300/Charger Diamler didn’t do Chrysler any favors.

Marius said:- Where in Europe can you get a RWD car with 400 stock Hp for $10,000? US base models also come with way more options than euro crap which still gets cassette players in 2008 models for god’s sake.

& yet the American car buyers are refusing to buy these wonders & arevturning to euro/jap crap.

Also to Tele:

Yes, thanks to the yanks for lend/lease. I think we finaly finished paying for it a few years ago.

Im glad the Chryslers are slowly being closed they are all big hideous tanks with a wee gold cross to make it look posh

I’d just like to say to the Americans who have complained about top gear or its fans bashing America all the time.
The fact is, you aren’t getting it, because top gear makes fun of almost every other country for various reasons too. Every country has its reasons for being made fun of, including america.

And to say the presenters don’t have a good thing to say about the US isn’t true – they love the ford GT and some muscle cars, and richard hammond is a great fan of huge american cars. Only I don’t think James thinks too highly of them, but that’s just because it’s him.

So americans, don’t think we hate you!

p.s. to shane, I wish we could get those cheap muscle cars with 400hp that cost under 10 grand in the UK too, but for us it would simply be impractical to live with. Ok there are the odd few in england that drive super tuned up muscle cars for a hobby, but with fuel prices being several times more and insurance costs being monumentally big for any car with a big engine, it just isn’t possible..
And we don’t have the huge long roads you have in the USA, in England it’s usually small bendy country roads (most else is blocked with traffic) so muscle cars don’t suit the roads well.
and that’s not even to bring into account the pressure to make cars more environmentally friendly.
A new car with 300hp or more in the UK would set you back at least £30000, however there are plenty of old cars available cheaply on the market with fairly big engines

It’s their own fault, Chrysler have not been paying attention to what customers want and paid the price.

To greatcanadian, I’m Canadian too (did you notice the Canadian winters comment?). I just think it’s funny how riled up people get over this stuff. Fact is, each and every car was designed with a purpose. The American cars suit theirs, the European cars, theirs. And also, greatcanadian, your American cars smelt weird? Yeah, okay… And I know Chrysler didn’t own Jeep during the war, but they made lots of other essential products for the Allies. And as for your cars’ problems, it sounds like you bought a Pontiac.

..honestly ! AND ?!!! What a great chain this is.. I used to kill off some time browsing this site on an almost daily basis.. was a good laugh sometimes but this is just soooo effing boring !! where’s the spirit Paul ? Where’s the insight ? Even some opinionated factual trivia would do but THIS ???!!!! Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh hleeeeeeease!
..and I know I don’t have to read it…

not much of a loss then

Oh well, every little helps.

LOL, thestigssailorcousin you nailed one of my former cars, never getting a Pontiac again, and the others were more GM products. Oh well, live and learn. I am over in Vancouver, interestingly we got a large shipment of GM products in, no dealers would take them, now they are going to auction here, cheap cheap cheap. I wonder how many dealerships will be closing down around here, does anyone know the canadian stats?

big boo-hoo who cares worse things going on in the world than this, oh and by the way the viper looks great but if i won the lotto id rather buy a aston or a tvr anything thats british or was originally til we sold our car industry to foreigners just like everything else the way things are going, i say its a good thing for americans they’ll have to walk further than the end of their drive ways – do we have a good bond? i say its mainly our PM’s kissing the ass of every US president no matter what country they decide to ruin

I was thinking supspected terrorists, but hey! Who needs 3200 dealerships anyway???

To thestigssailorcousin,
You said you that had had lots of cars and your favourite was the Chryslers,
BLOODY HELL! YOUR OTHER CARS MUST HAVE BEEN PROPER SHITE!

HAHA thats just stupid. So 3200 dealerships. Thats 3200 too many in my opinion. i bet you that the chrysler dealerships are trying their hardest to survive. In fact, it would be a brilliant game to play – Who wants to survive? worst 800 dealerships will be closed. Then watch the fatties lose some weight running around selling their stupid pathetic crapboxes. Are there any good chryslers? NO only dodge. Ooo a hard choice, shall i pick a Caliber or a focus RS…….. or shall i pick a 300c or a mercedes E class that isnt based on the 1995 model? (in case your wondering thats what the 300c is based on, its got the same underpinnings as a late 90′s e-class). OR how about a grand voyager – or for 26,000 two c3 picassos (because i would pick one of those bland things any day over a GV) i think ill stop now haha point proven

Boo-bloody-hoo, the only Chrysler products I care about are out of production (69 Charger, 70 Challenger and 98 Viper GTS). To thstigssailorcousin, the US only joined WW2 when the Japs attacked (my old geog. teachers grandad was in the Royal Navy in the south Pacific at the time, saw the attack on the horizon and said it was the best fireworks display he had ever seen).
The US Ford have nothing to do with the EU models, which are brilliant, but they do seem to have more nous than the other 2. Just take a look at how they improved the interior of the 2010 Mustang and you will se that they are the ony ones making any effort.

Oh BTW Cock with 4 rings stop posting that stupid ad everywhere, you are still a cock no matter how fancy the dull ass commercials are

Well, I’m just glad they aren’t closing ALL the dealerships, because I’d still like to test drive a Challenger, and also they’ll need somewhere to sell the Fiats when they come! Can’t wait for that!

Since nowadays one can buy even cars online, loads of dealerships are not needed, and that’s both for the USA and Europe.
Besides brand cracks that just reflects the market… factories need to produce the cars that are sold, it’s way too dangerous to overproduce and count on the salesmen, it just doesn’t work like this any longer.

I’ve just managed to lay my hands on a new Mustang (the Shelby one), and I have to admit it’s not badly made at all. If that’s the average US Ford quality, it’s not THAT down European cars, but I’d still quite buy an Alfa instead.

Oh my gosh!!! U hv gt 2 be jokinG! Wow i did know that they wheren’t the greatest car but still WOW!!

Oh my gosh!!! U hv gt 2 be jokinG! Wow i did know that they wheren’t the greatest car but still WOW!! xxxx

Wake up, smell the coffee, this has been on the cards for years now. Compare it to BL if you must. Its just that it nicely coinsides with this market depression, something that all the car manufacturers who have lost money over the years have been wishing for , government bail out. What strikes me is how on earth Ford is surviving.

I’m not entirely sure why the wars came up, or why everyone has been bitching about build quality and Europe v. U.S., the point is, the closing of hundreds of Chrysler dealers, and now GM dealers, will not solve the crisis now hanging over the worldwide auto industry, nor will it contribute in solving the worlds other economic problems. Think about it: 800 dealerships gone means somewhere on the side of 10,000 people now without jobs, and many more thousands of cars that need to be relocated and sold somehow. Furthermore, the money that would be spent on those cars will now go stagnant in the pockets of prospective drivers, rather than going back to help the manufacturers or going to the dealership employees to be spent on other objects to help the economy at large.

Oh, and P.S. Not all American cars are crap, I own a Saturn that is absolutely perfect, my dads Chevy Silverado, has never been in the shop, and my uncle’s Ford Explorer has been heavily used, and the body is falling apart, but the engine has never needed service, beyond fluid changes!

Edit: mis-write; I said 800 dealers, actually 3200 dealers meaning about 100,000 employees, and an even deeper effect.

I live in america-sadly- but i am not a big fan of the cars. The chrysler dealerships in my part of the US are being run by small famalies, and thats all they have. These people are basically losing their entire lifes work because they are closing. It’s also killing the market. I feel lots of sympathy even though their cars aren’t the greatest.

who is the stig and what is his name