Chrysler heir to Stellantis: Sell iconic brands to me

A great-grandson of Walter P. Chrysler says he has a plan to rescue Chrysler and Dodge from European ownership that has allowed their product offerings to wither.

In an open letter to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, Frank Rhodes proposes acquiring the storied brands through a newly formed company with "forward-thinking" management.

"I believe that my plan would allow Stellantis a graceful and profitable exit from a brand that in my opinion it has no interest in keeping, and it is already trying to somehow quietly exit without a lot of publicity and minimal UAW membership turmoil," Rhodes wrote. "I would like to see jobs saved, increased, and the Iconic Brands reinvigorated, and a true proud American ownership that I would plan to have all employees, vendors and brand enthusiasts eagerly waiting for new exciting autos, rather than the tired and uninspiring models still left in the Chrysler/Dodge brand portfolio."

It's not clear whether Rhodes has any financial backing for such an expensive endeavor, and Stellantis said it's not interested in offloading any of the U.S. operations that Tavares has overseen since the 2021 merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group.

"Stellantis acknowledges the interest in its North American brands and reaffirms the Company's commitment to its entire portfolio of 14 powerful, iconic brands, which were each given a 10-year timeframe to build a profitable and sustainable business," the company said in an Aug. 30 statement to Automotive News. "Like the Jeep and Ram brands, Chrysler and Dodge are at the forefront of Stellantis’ transformation to clean mobility, benefitting from the Group's cutting-edge technology and scale. The Company is not pursuing splitting off any of its brands."

In a YouTube video, Rhodes talks about the heritage of Chrysler and his vision for reviving the brand his great-grandfather founded in honor of its 100th anniversary next year.

"I'm very proud of what this company did, and I don't want to see it go away," he says. "We need to keep our American brands here."

Rhodes tried to stop the Stellantis merger and fought to save the Chrysler 300 from being discontinued. (He says he bought the final 300C produced in 2023.) In the letter to Tavares, posted on MoparInsiders.com, he acknowledges being "sometimes apparently a thorn in your side" and says he owns only a "token position" in Stellantis.