Ever since the federal government approved a $17.4 billion bailout package for the automotive industry last month there has been much ado over the issues of accountability and responsibility in what is perhaps the nation's most vital manufacturing industry. Well that must have been before the plan's critics knew that one of the bailed out companies, Chrysler, would be playing a vital role in John Connor's war against Skynet.
Chrysler, which received a $4 billion share of the bailout package, recently completed a deal to place its vehicles in cameo roles in the upcoming film "Terminator Salvation," Known to the rest of us as Terminator 4. According to Reuters, who first reported the story, financial terms of the sponsorship deal were not disclosed.
Susan Thomson, Chrysler's Director of Media, presented the deal at the recently held Automotive News World Congress.
"This spring, Terminator 4 comes out and we will be one of the sponsors," said Thomson. "We have a following with the Terminator movies and we are going to continue with that."
Apparently, the Terminator franchise's roughly $1 billion worldwide gross is less a product of deliciously gratuitous violence and the box office appeal of aspiring Austrian politicians and more attributable to moviegoer's desire to see a Jeep on the big screen. Who knew?
The people at the House That Lee Iacocca Built haven't limited their image makeover to giving Christian Bale a post-apocalyptic ride home. Earlier this week, Chrysler announced a partnership with Italian automaker Fiat. The deal gives Fiat a 35 percent stake in the company in exchange for Chrysler gaining access to Fiat's fuel-efficient car platforms and other assets, according to USA Today.
According to the USA Today report, Fiat will provide Chrysler with compact cars and smaller city cars, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly power train technologies, and access to markets outside the United States.
Bob Nardelli, Chrysler's CEO, sounded enthusiastic about the partnership when he spoke to reporters at the North American International Auto Show last week.
"This transaction will enable Chrysler to offer a broader competitive line-up of vehicles for our dealers and customers that meet emissions and fuel efficiency standards, while adhering to conditions of the government loan," Nardelli told reporters. "The partnership would also provide a return on investment for the American taxpayer by securing the long-term viability of Chrysler brands in the marketplace, sustaining future product and technology development for our country and building renewed consumer confidence, while preserving American jobs."
Ron Gettelfinger, President of the United Auto Workers, displayed his pleasure with the deal by telling reporters that, "This is great news for the UAW Chrysler team and we look forward to supporting and working with them to ensure Chrysler's long term viability."
In a press release, Gettelfinger went on to say that the partnership, "offers Chrysler new opportunities to compete in the U.S. market and the global marketplace."
Time will only tell if the auto bailout proves to be the turning point for a troubled industry, or if it merely delayed an inevitable collapse. What can be debated at this point is if The Big Three seem to be taking their new lease on life seriously or if they are just making the same old mistakes. The Fiat deal might just end up being the kind shock to the system that an ailing giant like Chrysler needs, a thinking-outside-the-box acknowledgment that Detroit needs to fundamentally change their outdated product. However, when that news is coupled with an announcement to underwrite a science fiction movie, priorities begin to be questioned. Then again, perhaps Tinseltown is ready for a fuel-efficient Sebring to help save the world from homicidal robots.
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