While the Company has made meaningful changes to its cost structure in the last few years, the combination of a fundamentally disadvantaged operating structure and a limited set of desirable products make standalone viability for the business highly challenging. As a result, the President's Designee has found that Chrysler's plan is not viable as currently structured. However, to the extent Chrysler can develop a partner who would improve Chrysler's scale, bolster its product development, and allow it to enter the small car market with a robust set of products, Chrysler has some prospects for long term viability.The administration is cheerleading for a partnership with Fiat, but the fact that Chrysler has "some prospects" for long-term viability if it achieves four unrealized goals doesn't fill me with confidence that Chrysler will be around for long. Indeed, the company has just 30 days and $6 billion to sort this out.
All of the new auto industry documents are after the jump.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/03/chrysler-is-doomed/7061/
