Mercedes 2001 Annual Report Download - page 36

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32 Chrysler Group
Chrysler PT Cruiser, the series version of the Crossfire
will give the Chrysler brand another exciting and
aspirational vehicle. It joins the Chrysler PT Cruiser,
300M and Town & Country in reinforcing the brand’s
innovative appeal. As an image car, Chrysler Crossfire
demonstrates Chrysler Group’s flexibility and speed
in decision-making. DaimlerChrysler will produce the
Chrysler Crossfire together with the Karmann company
in Osnabrück, Germany. Many Mercedes-Benz compo-
nents will be used in this car, which is to be launched
in 2003, just 18 months after the production decision
was taken in August 2001. The Chrysler Crossfire is
a good example of the potential that cross-divisional
cooperation initiated by the Executive Automotive
Committee is making available to the Group.
214,300 Chrysler PT Cruisers sold. In response to the
strong global demand for the PT Cruiser, we have
steadily increased production of this innovative and
versatile vehicle since it was launched at the beginning
of 2000. The popular PT Cruiser offers the interior vol-
ume of a full-size sedan or sport-utility vehicle with a
length shorter than many compact cars. After unit sales
of 141,200 in its first year, 214,300 PT Cruisers were
sold in 2001.
In total, the Chrysler brand achieved unit sales of
775,500 vehicles (2000: 694,200).
Successful launch of Jeep® Liberty. The all-new Jeep
Liberty provides a distinctive Jeep design that delivers
efficient space utilization, enhanced versatility and new
levels of innovation, while paying homage to the
brand’s 60-year heritage. With these best-in-class capa-
bilities, Liberty has gone on to set new sales records
each month since its launch in spring 2001 – all with-
out sales incentives. Unit sales of the new Jeep Liberty
in North America totaled 141,700 in 2001. In Europe
the Liberty was presented under the Cherokee name at
the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September
2001.
The Jeep Liberty is produced for the world market
at the new Toledo North Assembly Plant (TNAP) in
Ohio. DaimlerChrysler began to design TNAP at the
time of the merger in 1998. It now represents the cul-
mination of best practices from the company’s world-
wide manufacturing operations and is a great example
of incorporating new technology from Mercedes-Benz.
Unit sales of the Jeep brand were 523,000
vehicles in 2001 (2000: 607,500).
Presentation of pioneering automotive concepts. Build-
ing on the momentum of its award-winning Jeep Willys
concept vehicle, Chrysler Group designers presented
the radical Jeep Willys2 design study concept at the
Tokyo Motor Show in October 2001. Willys2 was
also designed with unsurpassed imagination and an
adventurous flair. Its usefulness and versatility were
developed to exist in harmony with nature, while being
perfectly suited for the rigors of an active lifestyle.
Other concept vehicles introduced at auto shows
in early 2002 were the Dodge M80 pickup truck, the
Dodge Razor and the Jeep Compass. Chrysler Group’s
2002 concept vehicles all target the Millenial Genera-
tion, the next large emerging group of consumers.
They were designed to be aspirational, emotional,
minimalist and practical. By incorporating many
corporate off-the-shelf components, all concepts will be
affordable if produced.
North American Car of the Year:
The segment-busting Chrysler PT Cruiser
with its head-turning design and high
versatility.