Chrysler Sifts Its Dealer Network

克莱斯勒(Chrysler LLC)向部分经销商说，正在权衡3,000多家经销点的优势和劣势，准备从其销售网络中削减掉几百家经销点。据了解克莱斯勒全国经销商会议的经销商透露，克莱斯勒管理人员在会上说，公司正在评估各经销点的位置设施条件财务和销售状况，以确定哪些最有实力和最可取。克莱斯勒CEO纳德利在周二的会议召开之际，仍有部分债权人反对向意大利菲亚特公司(Fiat SpA)出售资产的计划。在监督克莱斯勒破产的法院，持有克莱斯勒69亿美元有担保债券当中约3亿美元数额的一批投资基金强调，应该冻结克莱斯勒的资产出售。其它大多数有担保债权人，其中包括部分已获得联邦政府财政援助的大银行，已同意免除这部分债务，以换取22.5亿美元现金。据与公司对话过的经销商透露，预计本周晚些时候克莱斯勒将向法院出示将偿还款项的债权人名单，其中包括许多克莱斯勒拖欠资金的经销商。知情人士说，虽然破产程序可能至少要拖上几周，但菲亚特和克莱斯勒的工程技术人员本周已开始在克莱斯勒的总部举行会议，推进它们的联盟。与此同时，该公司的前融资子公司克莱斯勒金融公司（Chrysler Financial）正在实行缩减贷款业务的计划。据与会人士透露，公司管理人员在上周五的一次会议上对员工说，克莱斯勒金融公司在不久后的将来将只需要很少的工作人员，以处理现有贷款的偿还和克莱斯勒汽车的租赁事宜。克莱斯勒已经签署了一项新的协议，让通用汽车(General Motors Corp.)的贷款子公司通用汽车金融服务公司(GMAC LLC)，取代克莱斯勒金融公司作为其融资合作伙伴。克莱斯勒金融公司已停止向经销商提供贷款，并大幅缩减了核准的消费者贷款数量。克莱斯勒不予置评。经销商说，预计克莱斯勒周三将公布新一轮的优惠措施，以期在其破产期间吸引客户到其经销商处购买汽车。在未能与部分债权人达成削减债务协议后，克莱斯勒上周申请了破产保护。公司打算通过缩小经销商网络和与意大利汽车制造商菲亚特合并进行重组。一家美国破产法院周一批准向克莱斯勒提供41亿美元的债务人持有破产资产融资，以为其业务提供资金。克莱斯勒首席执行长纳德利(Robert Nardelli)周二致员工的信中说，在与菲亚特的出售交易等待批准之际，法院批准债务人持有破产资产融资为公司提供了业务继续正常运作的资源。道琼斯通讯社获得了这份信件的副本。克莱斯勒已要求美国曼哈顿破产法院批准支付欠经销商的7.53亿美元销售奖。在法庭文件中，该公司表示，只打算向希望留在其网络中的经销商付款。Jeff Bennett / Alex Kellogg相关阅读克莱斯勒称预计2012年前恢复盈利 2009-05-05美国汽车销售情况仍愁云笼罩 2009-05-04美国财政部将向克莱斯勒提供近8亿美元资金 2009-05-02 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月06日10:08', 'GM'));General Motors Co.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：GMdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年05月06日10:08', 'C.XX'));Chrysler Llc总部地点：美国document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月06日10:08', 'GMA.XX'));通用汽车金融服务公司（简称GMAC）英文名称：GMAC Financial Services总部地点：美国document.write (truthmeter('2009年05月06日10:08', 'F.MI'));菲亚特公司英文名称：Fiat S.p.A.总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：米兰股票代码：FIAdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年05月06日10:08', 'FIATY'));Fiat S.p.a. (ads)总部地点：意大利(Italy)上市地点：美国场外交易粉单市场(Pink Sheet)股票代码：FIATY


Chrysler LLC told a select group of dealers that it is weighing the strengths and weaknesses of its more than 3,000 dealerships, as it tries to prune several hundred of them from its sales network.In a meeting with the company's national dealer council, Chrysler executives said the auto maker is reviewing each dealership's location, the condition of its facility, finances and sales to determine which are the strongest and most desirable, according to dealers with knowledge meeting.Tuesday's meeting with dealers  came as a handful of creditors continued to oppose the planned sale of the auto maker's assets to Fiat SpA of Italy. In the court overseeing Chrysler's bankruptcy, a group of investment funds holding about $300 million of Chrysler's $6.9 billion in secured debt pressed its argument that the sale of Chrysler assets should be blocked.Most other secured creditors, including several large banks that have been given financial aid by the federal government, have agreed to forgive the debt in exchange for $2.25 billion in cash.Later this week, Chrysler is expected to present the court with a list of creditors it would like to pay off, including many dealers who are owed money by the auto maker, say dealers who have talked to the company.While the bankruptcy process is likely to drag on for at least several weeks, Fiat and Chrysler engineers have begun meeting this week at Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., to move forward on their alliance, people working with Chrysler said.Meanwhile, the company's former financing affiliate, Chrysler Financial, is moving ahead with plans to wind down its lending operations. Company executives told employees at a meeting Friday that Chrysler Financial will only need minimal staff in the near future to handle the servicing of existing loans and leases on Chrysler vehicles, people who attended the meeting said.Chrysler has signed a new agreement to have GMAC LLC, the lender affiliated with General Motors Corp., replace Chrysler Financial as its financing partner. Chrysler Financial has stopped offering loans to dealers and has drastically scaled back the number of consumer loans it approves.Chrysler declined to comment.On Wednesday, Chrysler is expected to outline a new round of incentives aimed at drawing customers into its dealership while the auto maker remains in bankruptcy court, dealers said.Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection last week after it failed to win a debt-reduction agreement from some of its creditors. The company intends to restructure itself by shrinking its dealer network and merging with Italian auto maker Fiat. A U.S. bankruptcy court approved providing Chrysler $4.1 billion in debtor-in-possession financing Monday to continue funding its operations.The court's approval of DIP financing 'provides the company with resources to continue 'normal course' business operations pending approval of the sale transaction with Fiat,' Chrysler Chief Executive Robert Nardelli said in a letter distributed to employees on Tuesday. A copy of the letter was reviewed by Dow Jones Newswires.Chrysler has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan for clearance to pay $753 million owed to dealers for sales incentives. In court papers, it said it only intends to pay dealers it hopes to keep in its network.Jeff Bennett / Alex Kellogg