Chrysler has released an official statement citing reasons for closing the plant, which reads: “Increasingly, we are leveraging resources worldwide, forming new joint ventures and alliances and consolidating operations in order to better achieve global balance. These moves are designed to help Chrysler become a more globally focused manufacturer, with design, engineering, sourcing and a local presence to serve local customers.”
All of Chrysler's future design work will take place at its headquarters in Auburn Hills, north of Detroit, and it’s not sure how many of the 20 employees at the California studio will be kept. Since opening the studio in the late 1980s, a number of other carmakers including several foreign companies have opened similar design centers mainly because of California’s influence on car culture and trends.