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Old 10-08-2010, 10:39 AM   #1
XDCX
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Default 3,000+ Chrysler vehicles in storage near the Atlanta Airport?

I heard from a reliable source that there's 3,000+ Chrysler vehicles in storage near the Atlanta Airport. Anyone have any ideas why they're stored there or where they're headed?

The person who contacted me thought they might be Sale Bank units given Chrysler's past track record but I haven't heard from any dealers who are being pressured to take wholesale. I was thinking these may be vehicles that were part of last month's containment, but what would they be doing in Atlanta?
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Old 10-08-2010, 11:22 AM   #2
CL Pgh
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No Bank that I'm aware of. However... there's still a huge backlog of deliveries that we're all waiting on! The Atlanta location doesn't ring a bell either?
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Old 10-08-2010, 12:46 PM   #3
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The Atlanta location doesn't ring a bell either?
That's the part that doesn't make sense to me. Even if the vehicles were in-transit and Atlanta was used as a hub I can't imagine the vehicles would ever be unloaded from the railcars. It's not like Atlanta is a port city and I can't think of any assembly plants Chrysler has nearby.

From what I heard the vehicles were mostly Grand Cherokees and Minivans.
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Old 10-08-2010, 01:09 PM   #4
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From what I heard the vehicles were mostly Grand Cherokees and Minivans.
Is your source sure that these are NEW vehicles and not program vehicles destined for auction?
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Old 10-08-2010, 01:21 PM   #5
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Is your source sure that these are NEW vehicles and not program vehicles destined for auction?
That's a great question - I'll send her a follow-up e-mail and see if that might be a possibility.

To the extent there are a number of Grand Cherokees it should be easy to determine if they're the old body style or the new '11 body style.
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Old 10-08-2010, 01:40 PM   #6
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Default This is a long shot - Could they be waiting for off-sight repair?

This is a long shot and it's 100% speculation, but is it possible the vehicles are the ones that were in containment and they're waiting for off-sight repair?

I recently read where GM and the UAW had a dispute because GM was sending some of the new Chevrolet Cruze vehicles they assembled to off-sight vendors to get them repaired/tested before shipment. The UAW was arguing that those repairs should be performed by UAW labor.

Again, it's a long shot and it's just speculation on my part.
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Old 10-08-2010, 02:59 PM   #7
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Maybe they are waiting to be repaired by SOBER people!!!!!
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Old 10-08-2010, 06:08 PM   #8
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Maybe they are waiting to be repaired by SOBER people!!!!!
Hey, don't blame me if some UAW officials drop by to visit.

The more I think about it the less I'm convinced the 3,000+ units in Atlanta could be vehicles awaiting repair. The only way that would make sense is if the vendor who made the failed parts was based in Atlanta, and even with that scenario I'd think it would be far cheaper to leave the vehicles at the assembly plants and have the repair parts installed with UAW labor.

If they're not vehicles waiting for auction then I'd bet they're vehicles that have been sold to fleet customers. Then again, would Chrysler be selling the '11 GC to fleets?
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Old 10-09-2010, 05:38 AM   #9
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I'd bet they're vehicles that have been sold to fleet customers. Then again, would Chrysler be selling the '11 GC to fleets?
After selling 40 to 50% to fleet for months they’d sell their soul to fleet.
They’re sacrificing future resell value to prop up dismal retail sales & feed cash flow.
Why don’t they use those heavy fleet incentives to drive more retail!
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Old 10-09-2010, 11:52 AM   #10
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Why don’t they use those heavy fleet incentives to drive more retail!
That's what drives me crazy - why can't Auburn Hills use those incentive dollars to drive more retail sales?

I'm thinking about starting a poll next week asking dealers if they think Chrysler should take a leadership position and start reporting monthly retail sales.
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Old 10-09-2010, 05:27 PM   #11
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There's about a ton of Chrysler vehicles that have perpetually been at the Denver airport for the last two years. I'm surprised this is new.
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Old 10-11-2010, 09:21 AM   #12
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I'm surprised this is new.
Well, so much for my "Breaking News" story - thanks SHACOS.

It sounds like you've hit the nail on the head - these vehicle are likely just fleet vehicles sold to the rental car companies. The same scenario is probably happening at near airports all across the country.

That said, it would be interesting to see if Chrysler is selling a large number of '11 Grand Cherokees to the rental fleets. I wonder if this is just a strategy to expose the vehicle to potential customers or a reflection that retail inventories of the '11 GC have been building up?
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Old 10-11-2010, 06:40 PM   #13
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If Fiat was really interested in the future of Chrysler there is no way they would be pumping the fleet cars in the market now knowing that in 2-3 years the residuals would be in the toilet. Even now when you go to any auction the Chrysler products are selling for considerably less than their gm or ford counterparts. Increase the fleet and increase the gap. We all know what that did to our new car sales. Paints a bleek picture for the future.
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Old 10-12-2010, 05:08 AM   #14
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It keeps the factories going, and can be explained away just as X man intimated...this is a way to expose the general public to the "wonders" of Chrysler. If they can't keep these lines running with dealer orders and retail sales, they have no choice other than to sell to the rental fleets. Well...they have a choice...they can reduce the line speed, lay off some UAW workers, close a few factories, reduce their footprint to where they're profitable in the retail marketplace.

Holy cow, that was what they were going to do after the BK wasn't it??? But, in their defense, (boy I hate taking the other side sometimes), if they can stay profitable by any means...even through fleet, maybe they are just trying to weather the storm. Maybe they're betting on the economy turning around soon. Those silly boys in Detroit/Turin.
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Old 10-12-2010, 05:10 AM   #15
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Parking at most Airports is a premium. In Atlanta, they are most likely rental cars. In Detroit they are most likely Sales Bank. I've delivered over 50 Rental cars this year, not one Gr. Cherokee. I'm sure they are out there, but it is limited.
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