CHRYSLER AUTO PARTS ONLINE AUCTIONS 2007 - 2008 - FIND CHEAP CHRYSLER AUTO PARTS ONLINE

Chrysler merged in 1998 with Daimler-Benz to form DaimlerChrysler AG. This was initially touted as a merger of equals, but within a couple of years the truth was evident; it was effectively a buyout of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz, with the latter very much the dominant partner. As if on cue, the company went into another of its financial tailspins soon after the merger, greatly depressing the stock price of the merged firm and causing serious alarm at headquarters in Germany, which sent new CEO Jurgen Schremp to take charge. The Plymouth brand was phased out in 2001 and plans for cost-cutting by sharing of platforms and components began. The strongly Mercedes-influenced Chrysler Crossfire was one of the first results of this program. A return to rear wheel drive was announced, and in 2004, a new Chrysler 300 using this technology and a new Hemi V8 appeared and gave early indications of being a solid hit. Ironically, by most standards, Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler vehicles have surpassed the parent Mercedes in quality. Financial performance began to improve somewhat, with Chrysler now providing the lion's share of DCX profits, but the long-standing partnership with Mitsubishi appeared to be unraveling as DaimlerChrysler divested its stake in that firm.

On April 7, 2005, a conclusion was announced by U.S. District Judge Joseph Farnan Jr. presiding over a bench trial in Wilmington, Delaware between Kirk Kerkorian and DaimlerChrysler AG regarding allegations that Jürgen Schrempp of Daimler Benz AG, prior to the 1998 merger, lied and manipulated the Security Exchange Commission and Chrysler Corporation's shareholders (the largest of which was Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Corporation) by touting the 1998 merger as a merger of equals, and not an outright acquisition. The judge was found to be in favor of DaimlerChrysler's position by rejecting Kerkorian's case. However, another case (based on the same merit) was settled in 2003 for $300 million to other shareholders. The Kerkorian case called for many more causes of action that undoubtedly needed to be carefully dealt with and took over one year to decide on.