IML: New Imperial Opinions

[Mark McDonald <tomswift@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Folks,

Thank you all for your comments, pro & con.  I'm sure we would all like to see the new Imperial succeed.

I never said Japanese car companies were without marketing interests, or didn't listen to their marketing departments.  Of course they have and of course they do.

I never said American companies were without engineering interests, or didn't listen to their engineers.

It is all a matter of emphasis, and corporate culture, and the way people think that is different.

I wish I could read an article about the new Imperial in which someone-- anyone-- at Chrysler is quoted as saying "We believe we have the capability of making one of the best luxury cars in the world and we intend to do so."  

Instead, you hear "We believe there is a market for a luxury car and we intend to exploit it any way we can."  

There is a vast difference in these two statements.

By the way, I agree completely with Mr. Eberhardt and Chris H.  There is a market for an American "aspirational" car besides the Cadillac and the Lincoln.  But it will never be tapped unless the product meets or exceeds the expectations of the public.

Let me use what may seem an unusual example.  For years, American companies were able to take dog food, put it in a new can with a new label, slap the words "NEW AND IMPROVED" on it, come up with a snappy ad campaign, and viola, dog food sales went thru the roof.

The same thing was done with automobiles.  Take an existing platform, put new sheetmetal on it, give it a sexy new name, wrap it in a new ad campaign, and viola, car sales go thru the roof.  This worked for most of the last century.  So much so that I believe that American carmakers became convinced that genuine substance and quality was no longer necessary for success.

The problem is, in the last 10-20 years the American consumer has gotten a lot smarter and a lot more sophisticated.  They have the internet and magazines like "Consumer Reports."  Before they buy a car, they go out and do "research."  Now, I ask you, who in your father's generation ever did "research" before buying a car???  The only research my generation ever did consisted of driving by the showroom late at night to see what the new models looked like.  Today's new car buyers will no longer buy the same repackaged dog food, or cars.  The 300 succeeded because it wasn't repackaged; it was a genuinely new car and a new concept at the right time and the quality was there to back it up.

What I fear is that Chrysler will now try to repackage the 300 as an "Imperial" and the new car will simply not live up to the expectations but will look like what it is: a rehashed 300.  Another marketing driven attempt to capitalize on a past success, not a genuine entry into the luxury market.

The folks to beat in this field are Lexus, which is the #1 best selling luxury car make in America.  Can Chrysler make a car that is BETTER than Lexus?  That is a tall order.  But that, in my opinion, should be their goal for the new Imperial-- not simply recognizing and stepping into an undeveloped marketing niche.

Mark McDonald