Marchionne: Chrysler to sell 1 million Jeeps in 2014, plans brand internationalizatio

[TerryMason]

DETROIT, MI- Chrysler Group LLC is aiming to sell 1 million Jeeps in 2014, according to CEO and chairman Sergio Marchionne. The ambitious goal comes as Chrysler sold 731,565 Jeep vehicles across the globe in 2013, besting the brand's all-time sales record of 701,626 vehicles in 2012.

"We need to take that number across the world and really find out how far we can take Jeep,” he said during a press conference Monday during the 2014 North American International Auto Show. ”It is an incredible brand. I think it has incredible, unexploited international potential, and we need to take it there."

Marchionne said the internationalization of Jeep is close to his heart, but the brand's two bookends -- the Jeep Wangler and Jeep Cherokee -- should always remain manufactured in the U.S.

He also mentioned that he wants to bring Alfa Romeo back to the US
Marchionne: Chrysler to sell 1 million Jeeps in 2014, plans brand internationalization | MLive.com

 

[Gennybro]

I'm old school, and gonna stay old school, no comprimise. If jeep really wants to make a killing profit, No more of their modern designs, keep it jeep design. GP's design, warrior,outlaw,American Class, Class that's the fk'n key baby, we deserve it as a heritage to our warriors. Present, passed, and future.

 

[TerryMason]

I like the idea of owning a GP (as a second Jeep), but it's not realistic to believe that could come back in any realistic way.

I get the feeling that Marchionne understands that messing with the Jeep is a big deal, and that us Jeepers don't like change. Here's a recent (edited) conference

“To redesign the Wrangler is the riskiest thing you could do... if you’re talking about stubstantially upgrading the Wrangler... yes.” So said Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne at today’s “executive briefing,” webcast live from Cobo Hall in Detroit.

I’ve had heated debates, by the way, inside the house about whether we should have a removable door or not have a removable door on the Wrangler; whether we should be able to knock down the windshield in the Wrangler or not knock it down. I don’t know how many people who own Wranglers have ever done that. I know I’ve never done it on mine, but I’ve been told there are a number of people that actually do that to the vehicle so we can’t remove any of those attributes on the Wrangler, and yet we’ve got to be able to do two things.

One, bring about a substantial light weighting of the vehicle because we’ve got to take some weight out. And secondly, we’ve got to improve its powertrain capabilities so it can do a variety of things with the rest of the powertrain story that we have within the Fiat/Chrysler world. And in the process, I think we’ll update design and style, but without touching the fundamental elements of the Wrangler. You’ve got to be very, very careful. You can update it, but you can’t change it. If you take the nature of the Wrangler out, you’ll kill it.