Why the hate for Chrysler?

[Incommando]

Seriously, I just don't get it.

The Jeep nameplate has been used by several different owners: Willys-Overland, Kaiser,Kaiser-Jeep, AMC, AMC/Renualt, Chrysler, Daimler Benz aka Daimler Chrysler, and Chrysler via Cerebus again and what is becoming Chrysler via Fiat. Jeep has never been a stand-alone nameplate and has been controlled by foreign companies on three occasions, including during the CJ's run.

I hear the YJ hated on but it is the direct descendant of the CJ and shared many of the same major structural pieces. It was most certainly designed under AMC/Renualt, not Chrysler, and hit the market in '86 before Chrysler's purchase of Jeep in '87...but still the hate that it is not a "real jeep." The 4.0 I6 is an evolution of the AMC AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , not a Chrysler design. But nope, it isn't a "real jeep." The YJ is far more closely related to the CJ7 than the CJ7 is to a CJ2a .

So they argue that under Chrysler then Daimler Benz/Chrysler and Chrysler via Cerebus & Fiat that the Jeep brand was "diluted" by the other nameplates produced by the same company.... Guess what? Willys-Overland produced makes other than the Jeep! Kaiser Motors sold CARS under the Kaiser and Willys nameplates while they made Jeeps...AMC made cars under the company name of AMC before and after buying jeep... All of this is common knowledge to everyone, or it should be. The first unibody jeeps? AMC, not Chrysler. And you know what? On average those unibodies were fanatstic in many respects with countless examples hitting 200,000 or even 300,000 miles. I drive an MJ at least weekly that has 219,000 miles on it and has never had a major repair. That is something to hang the Jeep's reputation on and proudly.

Under Chrysler in its various forms the utility vehicle descendant of the CJ got the best factory suspension it ever had and numerous other upgrades, including the creation of the most capable off-the-showroom floor Jeep utility ever in the Rubicon edition. When everyone else abandoned solid axles in the front in favor of IFS, Jeep held the line for the TJ & JK, making them the only vehicles with a SFA unless you count only 2 pick-up truck lines out of the dozens of 4x4 makes sold here. And even those 2, Ford and Chrysler, only use them in their heavy duty versions not the 1/2 ton's that make up the bulk of pick-up sales.

Don't blame whatever owner at the time made whatever industry standard upgrade. Guess what? Everything is F.I. Air bags, stability efforts, and such are government mandated, not the Jeep overlord companies' master plans to stick it to jeepers.

Why is the pre-'87 company so pure? Jeep's parent companies ( again: jeep has never been a stand-alone make or company) have always bought many pieces from outside suppliers including other auto makers. Kasier, for example, bought the rights to the 225 V6 from GM and also purchased Buick 350's directly for use in Jeeps. They also bought AMC's 327 V8 before AMC bought the nameplate. AMC engines in the majority of the CJ's owned by the posters here were not Jeep-specific engines, but merely existing engines AMC used in their regular production CARS. AMC modified the Jeeps to accept their cars' engines, they did not make "jeep engines." Remember that lowly 4.0 that never came it in a real jeep? It was solely used in jeeps..unlike the classic "jeep" 2.5's/AMC 232 i6 /AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l /AMC 304 /360/401... so shouldn't that make it much more "real jeep" than a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l or AMC 304 ?

Our beloved vehicles are under attack from every corner be it engine oil changes or fuel changes to emission regs and land-use to... you get the point. Separating ourselves into smaller groups along imaginary divisions is not going to help any of us.

Oh, and for a perspective: I am almost 50 Years old and I have owned: 1945 CJ2 , 1963 CJ5 , 1963 Wagoneer, 1971 C101 Jeepster Commando, 1972 C104 Jeep Commando, 1977 CJ7 , 1979 CJ5 , 1979 FSJ Cherokee Chief, 1980 2dr FSJ Cherokee N/T, 1981 J10, 1985 CJ7 , 1988 MJ, 1991 MJ, 1995 XJ 2dr, 2005 KJ. And they are all JEEPS!

 

[Razorfish]

Don't you know knocking down the guy next to you distracts from your own problems.

 

[bondo258]

I hear the YJ hated on but it is the direct descendant of the CJ and shared many of the same major structural pieces. It was most certainly designed under AMC/Renualt

Read more: http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f49/why-hate-chrysler-13177/#ixzz1oN5ra2Ts
​

I think the Renault part leads to snobbery from CJ owners, toward YJ owners.
,as much as Chrysler "k-car" memories if not more.

A Jeeps a Jeep, in my book. But when entire systems get redesigned, and are then unsupported parts-wise and redesigned again after the "new boss" takes over, feelings get hurt, and customers get P.O.'d.

I'd take a YJ tub (with CJ holes) over my stock CJ tub any day. Galvanized steel? Who'd of thunk it? The folks from Renault got that done, IIRC. That and the less problematic gauge setup from Chrysler are Pure Gold.

 

[Old Dog]

Ok I know I'm going to get hate mail for this but here goes.
IMHO if it doesn't say Willys on it it's not a real jeep.
But luckly the jeep name and idea lived on, it kept evolving as everything else did. No matter who owned them at the time little things changed.
I own and love my cj because it's small on the trails, I can fit places bigger 4x4's can't. But you have to admit the newer tj's can out wheel a cj.
I love the way a flatty or a cj look though so thats what I'll drive.
It sure would be nice to have a cj body on a tj though.
The new jk's are just to big for a trail jeep for me though, but it would be nice if you rode that type of terrain. It is still a jeep to me, and more capable than anything else out there now.

 

[Petescj]

IMHO if it doesn't say Bantam on it it's not a real jeep.

Edited for the fun of it.

 

[IOPort51]

In my experience Dodge always did great things with technology, then they put it all in a box that was not meant to last and backed it with service that was, or should have been, an embarrassment. Chrysler bought Jeep, Jeep was an asset and always will be. Bantam is gone, Willy's is gone, Kaiser is gone AMC is gone and Jeep is still with us.What does that tell you? I bet Jeep will even survive (shudder) Fiat?

 

[Old Dog]

Edited for the fun of it.

If I was older I would probally agree with that.:laugh:

I bet Jeep will even survive (shudder) Fiat?

I'm not so sure...maybe the name will, but I'm afraid we'll see a IFS from them.

AMC=all makes combined

 

[Petescj]

Seriously, I just don't get it.


I hear the YJ hated on but it is the direct descendant of the CJ and shared many of the same major structural pieces. It was most certainly designed under AMC/Renualt, not Chrysler, and hit the market in '86 before Chrysler's purchase of Jeep in '87...but still the hate that it is not a "real jeep." The 4.0 I6 is an evolution of the AMC AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , not a Chrysler design. But nope, it isn't a "real jeep." The YJ is far more closely related to the CJ7 than the CJ7 is to a CJ2a .

The Yj is far more closely related to the CJ7 cause it was the model directly afterward. The Cj 2a ceased production in 1949. The CJ7 was introduced in 1976. Comparing the next model and jumping over 27 years of production is nowhere near a fair comparison. The 4.0 is a poular swap for Cjs and I really dont see anyone hating on it whatsoever.

So they argue that under Chrysler then Daimler Benz/Chrysler and Chrysler via Cerebus & Fiat that the Jeep brand was "diluted" by the other nameplates produced by the same company.... Guess what? Willys-Overland produced makes other than the Jeep! Kaiser Motors sold CARS under the Kaiser and Willys nameplates while they made Jeeps...AMC made cars under the company name of AMC before and after buying jeep... All of this is common knowledge to everyone, or it should be. The first unibody jeeps? AMC, not Chrysler. And you know what? On average those unibodies were fanatstic in many respects with countless examples hitting 200,000 or even 300,000 miles. I drive an MJ at least weekly that has 219,000 miles on it and has never had a major repair. That is something to hang the Jeep's reputation on and proudly.

True to a point. The Jeep brand has been somewhat dilluted under Chrysler though. There was an AMC Pacer , not a Jeep Pacer. There was an Amc Matador not a Jeep Matador. In contrast there is a Jeep Compass not a Chrysler Compass. Xj and Mjs have proven their merit in stock form and honor the Jeep name. The Mj was killed prematurely IMO. The Xj was unsuccessfully replaced by the Commander by Chrysler engineers. They have now hit the proverbial Home Run with the 4 door JK.

Under Chrysler in its various forms the utility vehicle descendant of the CJ got the best factory suspension it ever had and numerous other upgrades, including the creation of the most capable off-the-showroom floor Jeep utility ever in the Rubicon edition. When everyone else abandoned solid axles in the front in favor of IFS, Jeep held the line for the TJ & JK, making them the only vehicles with a SFA unless you count only 2 pick-up truck lines out of the dozens of 4x4 makes sold here. And even those 2, Ford and Chrysler, only use them in their heavy duty versions not the 1/2 ton's that make up the bulk of pick-up sales.

No argument.

Don't blame whatever owner at the time made whatever industry standard upgrade. Guess what? Everything is F.I. Air bags, stability efforts, and such are government mandated, not the Jeep overlord companies' master plans to stick it to jeepers.

Why is the pre-'87 company so pure? Jeep's parent companies ( again: jeep has never been a stand-alone make or company) have always bought many pieces from outside suppliers including other auto makers. Kasier, for example, bought the rights to the 225 V6 from GM and also purchased Buick 350's directly for use in Jeeps. They also bought AMC's 327 V8 before AMC bought the nameplate. AMC engines in the majority of the CJ's owned by the posters here were not Jeep-specific engines, but merely existing engines AMC used in their regular production CARS. AMC modified the Jeeps to accept their cars' engines, they did not make "jeep engines." Remember that lowly 4.0 that never came it in a real jeep? It was solely used in jeeps..unlike the classic "jeep" 2.5's/AMC 232 i6 /AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l /AMC 304 /360/401... so shouldn't that make it much more "real jeep" than a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l or AMC 304 ?

Our beloved vehicles are under attack from every corner be it engine oil changes or fuel changes to emission regs and land-use to... you get the point. Separating ourselves into smaller groups along imaginary divisions is not going to help any of us.

Oh, and for a perspective: I am almost 50 Years old and I have owned: 1945 CJ2 , 1963 CJ5 , 1963 Wagoneer, 1971 C101 Jeepster Commando, 1972 C104 Jeep Commando, 1977 CJ7 , 1979 CJ5 , 1979 FSJ Cherokee Chief, 1980 2dr FSJ Cherokee N/T, 1981 J10, 1985 CJ7 , 1988 MJ, 1991 MJ, 1995 XJ 2dr, 2005 KJ. And they are all JEEPS!

Thats a nice collection of Jeeps youve owned for sure. This site is designed for Cj owners though. There was a need for a more specialized site for Cj owners, and CJ recognized that need. This site has grown by leaps and bounds since the begining. Thats a testament to all the members and lurkers that have helped this become one of the premium sites on the web IMO.

Pete

 

[Incommando]

I am 100% in support of this being a CJ only site. Despite my love for all things jeep the only group that I pay dues to is strictly CJ/YJ/TJ/JK only. My Commandos didn't even count. CJ's are and will always be the iconic jeep but not they only jeep. BTW: With 5 past & present I have owned more CJ's then any other model of anything. The only thing that comes close is the 3 Road Runners.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Seriously, I just don't get it.

The Jeep nameplate has been used by several different owners: Willys-Overland, Kaiser,Kaiser-Jeep, AMC, AMC/Renualt, Chrysler, Daimler Benz aka Daimler Chrysler, and Chrysler via Cerebus again and what is becoming Chrysler via Fiat. Jeep has never been a stand-alone nameplate and has been controlled by foreign companies on three occasions, including during the CJ's run.

I hear the YJ hated on but it is the direct descendant of the CJ and shared many of the same major structural pieces. It was most certainly designed under AMC/Renualt, not Chrysler, and hit the market in '86 before Chrysler's purchase of Jeep in '87...but still the hate that it is not a "real jeep." The 4.0 I6 is an evolution of the AMC AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , not a Chrysler design. But nope, it isn't a "real jeep." The YJ is far more closely related to the CJ7 than the CJ7 is to a CJ2a .

So they argue that under Chrysler then Daimler Benz/Chrysler and Chrysler via Cerebus & Fiat that the Jeep brand was "diluted" by the other nameplates produced by the same company.... Guess what? Willys-Overland produced makes other than the Jeep! Kaiser Motors sold CARS under the Kaiser and Willys nameplates while they made Jeeps...AMC made cars under the company name of AMC before and after buying jeep... All of this is common knowledge to everyone, or it should be. The first unibody jeeps? AMC, not Chrysler. And you know what? On average those unibodies were fanatstic in many respects with countless examples hitting 200,000 or even 300,000 miles. I drive an MJ at least weekly that has 219,000 miles on it and has never had a major repair. That is something to hang the Jeep's reputation on and proudly.

Under Chrysler in its various forms the utility vehicle descendant of the CJ got the best factory suspension it ever had and numerous other upgrades, including the creation of the most capable off-the-showroom floor Jeep utility ever in the Rubicon edition. When everyone else abandoned solid axles in the front in favor of IFS, Jeep held the line for the TJ & JK, making them the only vehicles with a SFA unless you count only 2 pick-up truck lines out of the dozens of 4x4 makes sold here. And even those 2, Ford and Chrysler, only use them in their heavy duty versions not the 1/2 ton's that make up the bulk of pick-up sales.

Don't blame whatever owner at the time made whatever industry standard upgrade. Guess what? Everything is F.I. Air bags, stability efforts, and such are government mandated, not the Jeep overlord companies' master plans to stick it to jeepers.

Why is the pre-'87 company so pure? Jeep's parent companies ( again: jeep has never been a stand-alone make or company) have always bought many pieces from outside suppliers including other auto makers. Kasier, for example, bought the rights to the 225 V6 from GM and also purchased Buick 350's directly for use in Jeeps. They also bought AMC's 327 V8 before AMC bought the nameplate. AMC engines in the majority of the CJ's owned by the posters here were not Jeep-specific engines, but merely existing engines AMC used in their regular production CARS. AMC modified the Jeeps to accept their cars' engines, they did not make "jeep engines." Remember that lowly 4.0 that never came it in a real jeep? It was solely used in jeeps..unlike the classic "jeep" 2.5's/AMC 232 i6 /AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l /AMC 304 /360/401... so shouldn't that make it much more "real jeep" than a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l or AMC 304 ?

Our beloved vehicles are under attack from every corner be it engine oil changes or fuel changes to emission regs and land-use to... you get the point. Separating ourselves into smaller groups along imaginary divisions is not going to help any of us.

Oh, and for a perspective: I am almost 50 Years old and I have owned: 1945 CJ2 , 1963 CJ5 , 1963 Wagoneer, 1971 C101 Jeepster Commando, 1972 C104 Jeep Commando, 1977 CJ7 , 1979 CJ5 , 1979 FSJ Cherokee Chief, 1980 2dr FSJ Cherokee N/T, 1981 J10, 1985 CJ7 , 1988 MJ, 1991 MJ, 1995 XJ 2dr, 2005 KJ. And they are all JEEPS!

I think all the hate is because this is CJ forum and a lot of people don't like change. I think of myself as a Jeep guy I love the CJ I have but also my cherokees I think the 4.0 was the best engine ever put in a Jeep and I have a Cherokee with almost 300,000 on it and it still runs strong. I would love to swap one in my CJ I hate the carb. I would love to buy a Rubicon with the 4.0 in it I think that is best Jeep ever made. All you haters can cry but that's what a Jeep guy thinks

 

[73CJ]

Take at look at the present CEO -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Marchionne

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sergio Marchionne

Sergio Marchionne
Born June 17, 1952 (age*59)
Chieti, Italy
Occupation CEO of Fiat S.p.A. and Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A
Chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC
Chairman of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. and CNH
Chairman of Swiss-based SGS
Sergio Marchionne (Italian pronunciation:*[ˈsɛrdʒo marˈkjonne]; born June 17, 1952 in Chieti, Italy[1]) is an international manager best known for his turnaround of the Italian automotive group Fiat and, more recently, for managing the US automotive group Chrysler from bankruptcy to profitability. Marchionne currently holds several roles of major importance, including serving as CEO of Fiat S.p.A., Chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC, and Chairman of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. and its principal subsidiary CNH. He has been elected Chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association for 2012 (first elected in January 2006).[2] He is the Chairman of Swiss-based SGS, is on the Board of Directors of cigarette and tobacco producer Philip Morris International,[3] and was a member of the Board of Directors of the global banking group UBS for a number of years up to 2010, appointed Vice Chairman (non-executive) in February 2008.[4] He is also a member of the Peterson Institute for International Economics as well as Chairman of the Italian Branch of the Council for the United States and Italy.
Marchionne is widely recognized for turning around Fiat Group to become one of the fastest growing companies in the auto industry[5], returning it to profitability in 2006 less than two years after taking the helm. [6] In 2009, he was instrumental in Fiat Group forming a strategic alliance with the ailing US automaker Chrysler, with the support of the US and Canadian governments and trade unions. Less than 2 years later, following its emergence from Chapter 11, Chrysler returned to profitability (Q1 2011) and repaid all government loans (May 2011). Under Marchionne's leadership, Fiat and Chrysler have come together to create a leading global player in the automobile sector, leveraging the product portfolios, purchasing power and distribution capabilities of both partners.
In addition to returning Italy's number one industrial group to financial health, Marchionne has also been a major protagonist for change in industrial relations in Italy, with the model established at several group plants precipitating a shift (including legislative) toward the practice of regional and local bargaining over the traditional model of national agreements.


The son of Concezio Marchionne, from Cugnoli (Abruzzo Italy), and Maria Zuccon from Carnizza (today Krnica, Croatia) near Labin in Istria. His father served as a carabiniere in Istria, where he met his future wife. Marchionne's grandfather, Giacomo Zuccon, was killed in September 1943 by Yugoslav partisans near Barban in Istria, while his Uncle Giuseppe Zuccon was killed by the Nazis the same year. In 1945, when the region was occupied by the Yugoslav Army, Marchionne's parents moved to Chieti in Abruzzo, where Sergio was born.
At age 14, Marchionne emigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada, where they had relatives.[7] As a result, he has dual Canadian and Italian citizenship

and speaks fluent English and Italian. He is a Canadian Chartered Accountant, barrister, and a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.[8] He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto and went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce in 1979 and an MBA in 1985 both from the University of Windsor[9] and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1983.[10]
From 1983 to 1985, he worked as an accountant and tax specialist for Deloitte & Touche in Canada. From 1985 to 1988, he was Group Controller and then Director of Corporate Development at the Lawson Mardon Group in Toronto. In 1989, he moved to Glenex Industries where he worked for two years as Executive Vice President.
From 1990 to 1992, he was Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Acklands Ltd. Between 1992 and 1994, he served as Vice President of Legal and Corporate Development and Chief Financial Officer of the Lawson Group, which was acquired by Alusuisse Lonza (Algroup) in 1994.
From 1994 to 2000, he worked at Algroup (Alusuisse Lonza Group Limited ) based in Zurich, where he became Chief Executive Officer in 1997. He then took the helm of the Lonza Group Ltd. in Basel, after its spin-off from Algroup, serving first as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (2000–2001) and then as Chairman (2002).
In February 2002, he became Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of SGS S.A. of Geneva and, in March 2006, he was appointed Chairman.
Marchionne was elected as an independent member of the Board of Directors

of Fiat S.p.A. in May 2003, until being appointed CEO in 2004.
In June 2009, when Chrysler emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Fiat Group received a 20% stake in Chrysler Group LLC and Marchionne was appointed CEO, replacing existing CEO Robert Nardelli[2]. In July 2011, following the purchase of the ownership interests held by Canada and the US Treasury, Fiat’s stake in Chrysler increased to 53.5% and in September 2011, Marchionne was also elected Chairman of Chrysler.
[edit]Personality and Management Style

He is well known for his unique (some say quirky) personality and management style. Marchionne has a preference for dealing directly with managers and other employees and is reported to have been perplexed and even shocked, when he first arrived at Fiat, by the practice of other executives of communicating with each other through their secretaries. Confirming his preference for a more collegiate style, at Chrysler his office is located on fourth floor which is the same floor as the engineering department, as opposed to the top-floor penthouse which is now empty where a chairman and three vice chairmen used to be.
With regard to personal interests, Marchionne is an aficionado of the arts and classical music and often listens to music as he works, keeping a large collection of CDs in his office. In conversation and public addresses, he also frequently quotes artists, musicians, historical figures and politicians. He is multilingual and speaks in a baritone voice with a clear North American accent, despite his Italian heritage. He is a chain smoker,[11] and eschews the traditional suit in favor of green or black pullover sweaters worn on top of a button-down shirt and black slacks. This was parodied in an issue of Car and Driver magazine which showed a spoof Marchionne doll that could be dressed in a variety of outfits, all of which, however, were identical copies of the same outfit.
A supercar enthusiast and proficient driver who frequently takes to the track with a Ferrari, Maserati or other high-performance vehicle manufactured by the group he manages, Marchionne suffered some embarrassment when he wrecked his personal Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano while in his adopted Switzerland in 2007.

A controversial figure by virtue of his unorthodox management style, in February 2011, Marchionne sparked widespread controversy in the U.S. when he remarked at the J.D. Power & Associates International Automotive Roundtable that Chrysler's bail-out loans from the U.S. government carried "shyster rates"[16]. Expressing his discontent with the very high interest rates Chrysler had been obliged to pay, he also drew criticism from several quarters for use of the Yiddish term "shyster" which was felt to have an anti-Semitic overtone.[17]
Marchionne immediately issued a public apology, stating "I regret the remark and consider it inappropriate" going on to explain that "As the only parties willing to underwrite the risk associated with Chrysler’s recovery plan, the two governments [U.S. and Canadian] levied interest rates that, although appropriate at the time, are above current market conditions."


Besides the fact that he is an arrogant, pompous person who will smoke in a non-smoking plant, spits wine on the floor in a restaurant in WI . .

Does he even drive a Jeep?

 

[CJ]

Please include a link to any article quoted or copied - I added a link to the above post.

Sergio Marchionne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[coldair]

I'm not so sure...maybe the name will, but I'm afraid we'll see a IFS from them.

O I hope they don't make a IFS that would be the day they lose the spirit of the jeep!

 

[IOPort51]

IFS?

O I hope they don't make a IFS that would be the day they lose the spirit of the jeep!

 

[coldair]

Independent Front Suspension (IFS)

 

[CJ007]

Take at look at the present CEO -

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sergio Marchionne

Sergio Marchionne
Born June 17, 1952 (age*59)
Chieti, Italy
Occupation CEO of Fiat S.p.A. and Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A
Chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC
Chairman of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. and CNH
Chairman of Swiss-based SGS
Sergio Marchionne (Italian pronunciation:*[ˈsɛrdʒo marˈkjonne]; born June 17, 1952 in Chieti, Italy[1]) is an international manager best known for his turnaround of the Italian automotive group Fiat and, more recently, for managing the US automotive group Chrysler from bankruptcy to profitability. Marchionne currently holds several roles of major importance, including serving as CEO of Fiat S.p.A., Chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC, and Chairman of Fiat Industrial S.p.A. and its principal subsidiary CNH. He has been elected Chairman of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association for 2012 (first elected in January 2006).[2] He is the Chairman of Swiss-based SGS, is on the Board of Directors of cigarette and tobacco producer Philip Morris International,[3] and was a member of the Board of Directors of the global banking group UBS for a number of years up to 2010, appointed Vice Chairman (non-executive) in February 2008.[4] He is also a member of the Peterson Institute for International Economics as well as Chairman of the Italian Branch of the Council for the United States and Italy.
Marchionne is widely recognized for turning around Fiat Group to become one of the fastest growing companies in the auto industry[5], returning it to profitability in 2006 less than two years after taking the helm. [6] In 2009, he was instrumental in Fiat Group forming a strategic alliance with the ailing US automaker Chrysler, with the support of the US and Canadian governments and trade unions. Less than 2 years later, following its emergence from Chapter 11, Chrysler returned to profitability (Q1 2011) and repaid all government loans (May 2011). Under Marchionne's leadership, Fiat and Chrysler have come together to create a leading global player in the automobile sector, leveraging the product portfolios, purchasing power and distribution capabilities of both partners.
In addition to returning Italy's number one industrial group to financial health, Marchionne has also been a major protagonist for change in industrial relations in Italy, with the model established at several group plants precipitating a shift (including legislative) toward the practice of regional and local bargaining over the traditional model of national agreements.


The son of Concezio Marchionne, from Cugnoli (Abruzzo Italy), and Maria Zuccon from Carnizza (today Krnica, Croatia) near Labin in Istria. His father served as a carabiniere in Istria, where he met his future wife. Marchionne's grandfather, Giacomo Zuccon, was killed in September 1943 by Yugoslav partisans near Barban in Istria, while his Uncle Giuseppe Zuccon was killed by the Nazis the same year. In 1945, when the region was occupied by the Yugoslav Army, Marchionne's parents moved to Chieti in Abruzzo, where Sergio was born.
At age 14, Marchionne emigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada, where they had relatives.[7] As a result, he has dual Canadian and Italian citizenship and speaks fluent English and Italian. He is a Canadian Chartered Accountant, barrister, and a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.[8] He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto and went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce in 1979 and an MBA in 1985 both from the University of Windsor[9] and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1983.[10]
From 1983 to 1985, he worked as an accountant and tax specialist for Deloitte & Touche in Canada. From 1985 to 1988, he was Group Controller and then Director of Corporate Development at the Lawson Mardon Group in Toronto. In 1989, he moved to Glenex Industries where he worked for two years as Executive Vice President.
From 1990 to 1992, he was Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Acklands Ltd. Between 1992 and 1994, he served as Vice President of Legal and Corporate Development and Chief Financial Officer of the Lawson Group, which was acquired by Alusuisse Lonza (Algroup) in 1994.
From 1994 to 2000, he worked at Algroup (Alusuisse Lonza Group Limited ) based in Zurich, where he became Chief Executive Officer in 1997. He then took the helm of the Lonza Group Ltd. in Basel, after its spin-off from Algroup, serving first as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (2000–2001) and then as Chairman (2002).
In February 2002, he became Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of SGS S.A. of Geneva and, in March 2006, he was appointed Chairman.
Marchionne was elected as an independent member of the Board of Directors of Fiat S.p.A. in May 2003, until being appointed CEO in 2004.
In June 2009, when Chrysler emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Fiat Group received a 20% stake in Chrysler Group LLC and Marchionne was appointed CEO, replacing existing CEO Robert Nardelli[2]. In July 2011, following the purchase of the ownership interests held by Canada and the US Treasury, Fiat’s stake in Chrysler increased to 53.5% and in September 2011, Marchionne was also elected Chairman of Chrysler.
[edit]Personality and Management Style

He is well known for his unique (some say quirky) personality and management style. Marchionne has a preference for dealing directly with managers and other employees and is reported to have been perplexed and even shocked, when he first arrived at Fiat, by the practice of other executives of communicating with each other through their secretaries. Confirming his preference for a more collegiate style, at Chrysler his office is located on fourth floor which is the same floor as the engineering department, as opposed to the top-floor penthouse which is now empty where a chairman and three vice chairmen used to be.
With regard to personal interests, Marchionne is an aficionado of the arts and classical music and often listens to music as he works, keeping a large collection of CDs in his office. In conversation and public addresses, he also frequently quotes artists, musicians, historical figures and politicians. He is multilingual and speaks in a baritone voice with a clear North American accent, despite his Italian heritage. He is a chain smoker,[11] and eschews the traditional suit in favor of green or black pullover sweaters worn on top of a button-down shirt and black slacks. This was parodied in an issue of Car and Driver magazine which showed a spoof Marchionne doll that could be dressed in a variety of outfits, all of which, however, were identical copies of the same outfit.
A supercar enthusiast and proficient driver who frequently takes to the track with a Ferrari, Maserati or other high-performance vehicle manufactured by the group he manages, Marchionne suffered some embarrassment when he wrecked his personal Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano while in his adopted Switzerland in 2007.

A controversial figure by virtue of his unorthodox management style, in February 2011, Marchionne sparked widespread controversy in the U.S. when he remarked at the J.D. Power & Associates International Automotive Roundtable that Chrysler's bail-out loans from the U.S. government carried "shyster rates"[16]. Expressing his discontent with the very high interest rates Chrysler had been obliged to pay, he also drew criticism from several quarters for use of the Yiddish term "shyster" which was felt to have an anti-Semitic overtone.[17]
Marchionne immediately issued a public apology, stating "I regret the remark and consider it inappropriate" going on to explain that "As the only parties willing to underwrite the risk associated with Chrysler’s recovery plan, the two governments [U.S. and Canadian] levied interest rates that, although appropriate at the time, are above current market conditions."


Besides the fact that he is an arrogant, pompous person who will smoke in a non-smoking plant, spits wine on the floor in a restaurant in WI . .

Does he even drive a Jeep?

I read in some 4wd mag that he drives a Grand Cherokee when in the U.S and Ferrari in Italy, blah, blah.

Maybe thats why people don't like Chrylser, it's Italian and not American

 

[Incommando]

I think the Renault part leads to snobbery from CJ owners, toward YJ owners.
,as much as Chrysler "k-car" memories if not more.

Any CJ after '80 was Renault and was much more LeCar than K-car...

Seriously, though, CJ's shared many many parts with a Pacer, for goodness sake..engines..transmissions...rear axles...ignition...accessories.... That is usually and conveniently "forgotten" but the self-styled "purists."

At least the Fix It Again Tony guy appears to be a motor enthusiasts as much as a bean counter..that may be something?

 

[1986cj7]

Ok I know I'm going to get hate mail for this but here goes.
IMHO if it doesn't say Willys on it it's not a real jeep.
But luckly the jeep name and idea lived on, it kept evolving as everything else did. No matter who owned them at the time little things changed.
I own and love my cj because it's small on the trails, I can fit places bigger 4x4's can't. But you have to admit the newer tj's can out wheel a cj.
I love the way a flatty or a cj look though so thats what I'll drive.
It sure would be nice to have a cj body on a tj though.
The new jk's are just to big for a trail jeep for me though, but it would be nice if you rode that type of terrain. It is still a jeep to me, and more capable than anything else out there now.

My father would totally agree with you. I've been tring for years to get him to get a cj, or any jeep for that matter, but he says if he gets one it will be a Willys, and it has to be already finished. I keep telling him that fixing it up its 80-90% of the fun. He has always fixed up old tractors, but doesn't want to fix up a old jeep, go figure.
When I was looking for my jeep my wife pointed out all kinds of wranglers but I just like the looks of the rounded hood and fenders of the cj to the square hood and fenders of the wrangler.

 

[PaRenegade]

Seriously, I just don't get it.

I know that, you proved that the other day. But your entitled to your own opinion just as I am or anyone else.
I replied back that day but when I went to post the thread was locked. It was a reply to the last guy posting and I don't recall his name, but here it was.

"who really cares anyway, as long as someone is still producing JEEPS,"
But that's my point, no one has produced a TRUE Jeep since 1986. Chrysler's producing vehicles with the name Jeep on them but that's all it is, a decal or emblem. The Wrangler Rubicon is a fine vehicle, as are some others, but these are far from a 1/4 ton 4x4 short wheel based vehicle that first garnered the nickname Jeep and created the iconic Jeep vehicle.
To me and many others JEEP is more than a decal or emblem. It's a specific vehicle that helped win WWII and then became a workhorse around the farm and a leisure horse in the back country. It didn't cave into modern conveniences or creature comforts. It remained nearly unchanged for decades and about as basic a vehicle as you can get. And it doesn’t have 4 doors or a bed on it.
But nowadays it has more in common with Hummer's, Xterras, etc. then it does with the legacy Jeep CJ that earned the American icon status. And I hate that that history is being lost in the shuffle, as you stated, mostly for money and greed. They didn't buy the Jeep name for it's sound. They knew they could make a lot of money off of it's legacy and that's what gets me. Look, you Wrangler guys aren't my enemy here. Chrysler is! Nuff said..........

But now there is a thread for this particular discussion so let me say a few more things that may help you "get it". I'm not trying to change your mind I'm just giving you a perspective of why so many feel there is a definite difference and why the many jokes and jabs about wranglers and disdain for Chrysler. You can still choose to deny it’s existence if you want. But first you have to get over this pitting of performance and features of different vehicles. It's not about yours versus mine. And if you've done any off-roading to any extent you'd know that brand doesn't matter, it's about man and machine versus "that obstacle". I've seen days when Jeep CJ's were unstoppable but others got stuck. As well as days when pickups reigned supreme. It’s about the Jeep legacy!!

My problem with Chrysler is their exploitation of the Jeep name. And sure, technically since 1950 when the name was trademarked you could say it was exploited. But everyone knew what a Jeep was. It was the 1/4 ton payload 4 wheel drive, short wheel based vehicle developed for the military that was given the nickname JEEP. When the war ended they created the civilian version and changed the model designation from gpw and mb to cj. They never gave it a name, as you claimed the other day, it was the CJ from 1944 till 1986. "AgriJeep " don't count. The CJ1 & CJ2 in 1944 and they publicly introduced the CJ2a in july 1945. Those are also the same years that earned the fame and the iconic status, not just in America but around the world. (and chrysler was not blind to this nor did it try to compete with this)

Now the company that produced this vehicle changed ownership a couple of times over the years but it never ceased production or went out of the Jeep CJ business until mid 1986 when they sold, not the company, it continued on, but the trademarked name of JEEP to chrysler. Chrysler was already tooling up for their version of a 1/4 ton short wb 4x4 a year before they even bought AMC, and when they bought it it was because they wanted the manufacturing plant where they made Jeeps at that was currently building cars for Chrysler. He also wanted the plans for the Grand Cherokee. They would also own the parts they had been buying from AMC. The other stuff that AMC had outsourced was also outsourced by Chrysler. Chrysler then bought AMC in august of 1987, a year after AMC stopped producing Jeeps. And Chryslers vehicle also had a name, the Wrangler. For 42 years it was a "Jeep" or it's synonymous name "a CJ". If it was the same vehicle, then why a completely different name? And if it was simply a change in ownership like all the others, why give it a completely different name? Because Chrysler could now compete in that market and use the world renowned name they had bought from AMC!! They rode the coat tails of the previous companies notoriety. And yes the “wrangler” was based on plans developed at AMC several years earlier, but those obviously didn’t go far.

So not only was there a complete break unlike before, but the product they produced was different then the history making CJ. And if you think todays Wrangler is anything like the CJ you are sadly mistaken. It has more in common with almost any other mid sized 4x4 than it does with the Jeep CJ. Sure, the first generation YJ’s had more in common, but they were using up stock. Even so, many things were different, starting with the frame and axles. When people, the older generations, think of Jeep they think round headlights with an hourglass shaped grill, folding windshield, flat dash with a big speedo centered, a roll bar with angled supports, a no frills interior, and about as close to a basic vehicle as you could get. For 40 years that’s what Jeep meant. Now one of the vehicles which claim that name has none of that. They have turned the name “Jeep” and all it stood for into a generic term. They should have let sleeping dogs lie.

This whole issue would be non existent if they would have just came out with their own vehicle and their own name. It would be no different then a Samurai or a Trooper. But instead they choose to rip off the identity of a vehicle with such notoriety that set the gold standard decades before. And that my friends, is where the rift lies!

(getting down off my soapbox now)

 

[Incommando]

My father would totally agree with you. I've been tring for years to get him to get a cj, or any jeep for that matter, but he says if he gets one it will be a Willys, and it has to be already finished. I keep telling him that fixing it up its 80-90% of the fun. He has always fixed up old tractors, but doesn't want to fix up a old jeep, go figure.
When I was looking for my jeep my wife pointed out all kinds of wranglers but I just like the looks of the rounded hood and fenders of the cj to the square hood and fenders of the wrangler.

I agree about the appearance of the CJ and I have never owned a YJ, but the Chrysler-era TJ is more rounded than the AMC-designed YJ. Every new jeep since '79 had moved to square headlights & body, though, and that was an AMC decision that continued to the YJ, not a Chrysler one. It was Chrysler that went back to the round lights and softer planes. The truth is that that the CJ had outlived its production run and needed many upgrades. If such upgrading hadn't always been the case then they would still only be making CJ2a 's with an interior that many of us would have trouble fitting into, unadequate 4-wheel drum brakes, under powered flat-head 4's,Ross steering (shudder), and such weak axles as the Dana 25/Dana 41 combo that I wouldn't use them under a wheel-barrow, let alone a 'wheeler. The CJ3b , CJ5 , or CJ7 would never have been made. As my preference & love for CJ's is demonstrated, I still can't over look that their body integrity was , the ignition system was poor, build quality was below par even for its era, and stuff like the carbs in the 80's were horrible. I love them in spite of these issues but ignoring them doesn't mean they didn't exist. With all due respect, my '85 AMC/Renualt (and obviously pre-Chrysler) CJ7 was one of the worse vehicles I have ever owned in terms of reliability and such. AMC was not circling the drain without cause. The engine made poor power and the Carter carb was junk, as was the way-outdated ignition system. The valve cover might was well have been cardboard. The T-4 was poor as was the AMC20 axle in stock form and the L/P Dana 30 front was decidedly weakish with anything but the passenger car all-season radials that came on the thing. Now the Dana 300 was a bright spot but did it make up for the rusted floorboards that seem to be a dealer installed option anywhere near any salt? But I loved it as a Jeep and just used it as a base to modify: having said that, a vehicle that needed that many mods to be livable would not be tolerated by anyone but an enthusiast. The fact that the first YJ more than doubled the last CJ's production numbers indicates that an upgrade was long over-due. And the YJ got the first pure jeep engine in decades, and maybe the best, in the 4.0.... Everyone recognizes the YJ as a small evolution of the CJ, not a replacement. Had they called the YJ a CJ7A or CJ7 -2 or even just a CJ7 no one would have said a word beyond that the model had been "freshened." Put round fender flares on a YJ tub and bolt on a Cj front clip ( a very easy swap) and probably not even 95% of "jeepers" would notice the remaining differences without a close examination. Heck, even the frames are an easy swap.