Marko Hanželic
Many Americans disagree with the way Stellantis has handled Chrysler in recent years, reducing its offerings to the now-discontinued 300 sedan and Pacifica minivan. Frank B. Rhodes Jr., the great-grandson of Walter P. Chrysler, who founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, came up with a rather ambitious proposal, calling on investors and workers to come together to save the iconic brand, which also includes Dodge, Ram and Jeep.
In a short video and letter, Rhodes highlighted Chrysler's importance in American automotive history and shared his views on the current state of the automaker. Chrysler's heir has pitched himself as the leader of "much-needed" change and asked investors and workers for support in taking control of the brand ahead of its 100th anniversary next year.
In an open letter to people shared by Mopar Insiders, Rhodes wrote: “The Chrysler brand, once a symbol of innovation and American ingenuity, is now in danger of fading into oblivion due to bad decisions and mismanagement by its current owners, Stellantis. .”
Rhodes accuses Stellantis of losing touch with the American market, allowing Chrysler sales to decline and delaying the introduction of new products. He believes the auto giant is threatening the livelihoods of Chrysler dealers and workers while spending millions on its CEO's salary.
In his letter, Rhodes wrote that Stellantis' current management is unable to give Chrysler the attention it needs because it oversees more than 15 different brands. He admitted that four years ago, when Christine Feuell was named Chrysler's new CEO, he had hopes that things would finally turn around for the better, but he soon realized that Chrysler's models had been pushed further down the list of priorities in the benefit, he said, of troubled Euro brands such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Maserati.
Rhodes also mentions BYD's potential entry into the US market as an even bigger threat to the local auto industry due to the influx of cheap cars from China.
Despite the shortcomings, the Chrysler heir is confident that investors will see the potential in reviving the historic brand. His goal is to convince Stellantis to transfer all of its American brands to "a company that really cares about their future," thereby creating an "American-owned" Chrysler Corporation. The new entity would have Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram under its wing and would focus "not just on profit, but on the people who make these cars," with workers becoming part owners.
Rhodes sent another seventeen-page letter to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell. In it, he highlighted the most important innovations in Chrysler's history and expressed deep disappointment with the current state of the brand. The letter ends with an invitation to a confidential meeting to present his plan to Stellantis' top executives.
Despite the good intentions of Frank B. Rhodes Jr., it is hard to believe that such a proposal could have any impact on a multinational corporation while requiring astronomical resources. It will certainly be interesting to see if Chrysler's heir proposal gets any traction ahead of Chrysler's 100th anniversary celebrations next year.
