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Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible Production Ends, With Dodge Magnum To Follow Shortly
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Chrysler told Inside Line on Friday that production of the Mexican-built Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible ended without any fanfare on December 21, while production of the Dodge Magnum is scheduled to stop in late March.
"Production of the Dodge Magnum is scheduled to stop at the end of the first quarter," said Roger J. Benvenuti, Chrysler manager of manufacturing and labor communications, in an e-mail. In a later phone conversation, he said that there were no plans to mark the end of production for the Magnum or the other vehicles. "We're letting them all just fade away," he said.
The two vehicles are part of a quartet of slow-selling products that Chrysler said it would pull the plug on in November in response to dealer pressure. Benvenuti said production of the Chrysler Pacifica ended in November. Chrysler Crossfire production ended on December 17 at the Karmann plant in Osnabruck, Germany.
"These actions reflect our new customer-driven philosophy and allow us to focus our resources on new, more profitable and appealing products," said Jim Press, Chrysler vice chairman and president. "Further, these product actions are all in response to dealer requests."
The demise of the Dodge Magnum is perhaps the most puzzling of the four, since the vehicle — described as an American station wagon with attitude — seemed to be well-received by the automotive media.
The Magnum shares underlying hardware and interior components with the popular Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. Dodge produced a striking version of the Magnum in police livery and built a top-of-the-line Magnum SRT8, which received a face-lift for 2008 and is equipped with a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi V8. However, that version of the Magnum suffered from dismal fuel economy, delivering 13 mpg in city driving and 18 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The base Magnum with the 2.7-liter V6 delivers 18 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
Sales of the Magnum in 2007 dropped 25 percent from the previous year.
What this means to you: Some good deals should be had on the Magnum and the PT Cruiser Convertible as dealers try to get rid of any existing inventory. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
"Production of the Dodge Magnum is scheduled to stop at the end of the first quarter," said Roger J. Benvenuti, Chrysler manager of manufacturing and labor communications, in an e-mail. In a later phone conversation, he said that there were no plans to mark the end of production for the Magnum or the other vehicles. "We're letting them all just fade away," he said.
The two vehicles are part of a quartet of slow-selling products that Chrysler said it would pull the plug on in November in response to dealer pressure. Benvenuti said production of the Chrysler Pacifica ended in November. Chrysler Crossfire production ended on December 17 at the Karmann plant in Osnabruck, Germany.
"These actions reflect our new customer-driven philosophy and allow us to focus our resources on new, more profitable and appealing products," said Jim Press, Chrysler vice chairman and president. "Further, these product actions are all in response to dealer requests."
The demise of the Dodge Magnum is perhaps the most puzzling of the four, since the vehicle — described as an American station wagon with attitude — seemed to be well-received by the automotive media.
The Magnum shares underlying hardware and interior components with the popular Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. Dodge produced a striking version of the Magnum in police livery and built a top-of-the-line Magnum SRT8, which received a face-lift for 2008 and is equipped with a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi V8. However, that version of the Magnum suffered from dismal fuel economy, delivering 13 mpg in city driving and 18 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The base Magnum with the 2.7-liter V6 delivers 18 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
Sales of the Magnum in 2007 dropped 25 percent from the previous year.
What this means to you: Some good deals should be had on the Magnum and the PT Cruiser Convertible as dealers try to get rid of any existing inventory. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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