DaimlerChrylser has finally announced the sale of its U.S.-based Chrysler unit, or at least most of it, to New-York based investment group Cerberus Capital Management for $7.4 billion. Today's news, and all the speculation that lead up to the sale, generated considerable hype in the business and trade press, but don't expect much in the way of good tidings for Chrysler on the technology front. As thousands more heads begin to roll at Chrysler, it is highly unlikely the investment firm--like any Wall Street firm for that matter--will pump a lot of money in R&D for the long-term as it seeks to slash costs and salvage whatever it can to make a profit if it can sell Chrysler to someone else.
Mercedes will hone its resources to keep up with BMW, which is also attempting to widen its lead against Mercedes in technology. DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche, referring to Mercedes in part, for example, said the firm will seek to be the "leading manufacturer of premium vehicles."
S
