Chrysler starts summer with employee discount program

[Meister]

DETROIT -- The Chrysler group has fired the first shot of the summer selling season with an employee-discount program for consumers beginning July 1.

The company's Employee Pricing Plus discount plan was announced to dealers in sales meetings Wednesday, say dealer and industry sources.

The program, essentially the same as the one the automaker ran last summer, allows all customers to buy Chrysler group vehicles at the same heavily discounted prices available to Chrysler group employees.

Last summer, General Motors started the employee-pricing war in June, and Ford and the Chrysler group followed in July. The bloody discounting war between the Detroit 3 carried on through September.

Last week, Chrysler group CEO Tom LaSorda said the company needed to do something to make room for new vehicles arriving in dealerships this fall. Chrysler dealers have complained they are carrying excessive inventories, particularly of big trucks and SUVs.

Jonathan Steinmetz, an analyst for Morgan Stanley, predicted last week that the Chrysler group would be the first to launch such a program this summer. In a research note to investors, Steinmetz wrote that a move by Chrysler could test GM’s pricing discipline.

"Such a move suggests other OEMs continue to view GM's new-found price discipline as a chance to grab market share rather than lift prices," he wrote.

A Chrysler spokesman declined to confirm or deny the plan.
Automotive News, June 21, 2006

[MrHappy]

Hrmmm, wonder if the usuals will be excluded? (SRTs, 300Cs, etc)

[FreebirdSRT]

Originally Posted by MrHappy

Hrmmm, wonder if the usuals will be excluded? (SRTs, 300Cs, etc)

Good question MrHappy.

I am also wondering if it will only be on 2006 models only. I know they need to make room for 07's. But depending on how long the employee pricing goes for, could it include 07's later on?

[DUBSTER]

That's how I bought mine last year. You have to act quick on it, they fly like hot cakes!!! LOL!! It's only for the 06's

[Meister]

Yes, it's only for the '06 models.

I have a call into my sales contact for a list of any exclusions. I caught him off guard, and he's having to research it.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Meister

Yes, it's only for the '06 models.

I have a call into my sales contact for a list of any exclusions. I caught him off guard, and he's having to research it.

sniff sniff, do I smell SRT itch?

[FreebirdSRT]

Originally Posted by Moose

sniff sniff, do I smell SRT itch?

Let's only hope. But let's see what Meister's dealer finds out first. If it is for 06 SRT's as well. Might as well say goodbye to my daily F-250 now. I'm going to trade it on a Maggie SRT. Who Ha........2 SRT's in the driveway.........hold that comment........I'm still dreaming,lol.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by FreebirdSRT

Let's only hope. But let's see what Meister's dealer finds out first. If it is for 06 SRT's as well. Might as well say goodbye to my daily F-250 now. I'm going to trade it on a Maggie SRT. Who Ha........2 SRT's in the driveway.........hold that comment........I'm still dreaming,lol.

I was refering to Meister, hehe.

Freebird, I looked it up in the playbook and it is unfair to have two SRT's in the garage, lol. Man that would be cool. I have thought about getting a Charger SRT.

[Meister]

Originally Posted by Moose

sniff sniff, do I smell SRT itch?

lol

If I were only that smart. Here I am thinking of of paying half the difference between a C and an SRT in my next round of mods. Doesn't make a lot of sense does it.

I was actually seeking clarification because MrHappy raised that important question in an earlier post. As the thread starter, well, you know...

We're still in phone ping pong right now.

[MrHappy]

Let's just say, even without this deal, my finger is twitching on the trigger of an SRT as I type... gonna have a final looksee this weekend then it depends on a few factors outside my control... let's all keep our fingers crossed! (Please!!)