DaimlerChrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche doesn’t want to dump Chrysler. Instead, he wants to shrink production just as cross-town rivals Ford and GM have done and also begin developing cars more closely with Mercedes. According to the Detroit News, several joint projects are already in the works such as the development of common platforms for small cars and for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Mercedes M-Class SUVs.
Major shareholders in DaimlerChrysler have already asked for the Chrysler Group to be removed from DCX, stating that the company has basically zero value on its own and that the synergies expected from the two groups have failed to materialize. Finding a partner for Chrysler would prove to be difficult considering the troubles facing GM and Ford.