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The great grandson of the man who founded Chrysler is asking Stellantis STLA and CEO Carlos Tavares to return the brands back to American ownership.
In an open letter to Tavares this week, Frank B. Rhodes Jr. proposed acquiring the brands —including all operations, facilities, and employees — through a newly formed company named “The New Chrysler/Dodge LLC.” The new firm would then launch an “aggressive design and renewal plan” to develop a “Phoenix-like” rebirth.
“I would like to see jobs saved, increased, and the Iconic Brands reinvigorated, and a true proud American ownership that I would plan to have all employees, vendors and brand enthusiasts eagerly waiting for new exciting autos, rather than the tired and uninspiring models still left in the Chrysler/Dodge brand portfolio,” Rhodes wrote.
It’s not clear whether Rhodes has secured funding necessary to purchase the brands, which would surely be an expensive undertaking. Rhodes said he has only a “token position” in Stellantis, although he has been a brand ambassador for 45 years.
While Stellantis has indicated it would be open to cutting some brands based on poor performances, much of that attention has — publicly — been centered on Maserati, which has been struggling this year. But the firm has gone on record saying it has no intention of making such a sale and highlighted its commitment to all 14 brands in its portfolio.
“If they don’t make money, we’ll shut them down,” Tavares said last month. “We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money.”
In a video posted by a Tennessee-based Chrysler club, Rhodes emphasized Chrysler’s heritage and talked about his vision for reviving the brand in America. Although Chrysler’s first car was introduced in 1924, next June will mark the 100th year anniversary of the company’s official creation.
He also expressed his frustration with Stellantis executives, including Tavares and Chrsyler CEO Christine Feuell.
“I cannot fully express the deep disappointment that I and all Chrysler current and former owners feel, for the lack of variety and innovation in the Chrysler and Dodge nameplates that we have been loyal to,” Rhodes wrote to Tavares, listing a series of issues he has with Stellantis’ treatment of the brands.
