Hey, Jer here. Hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving weekend.
With the resignation of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares on Sunday, I can't help but think of how far the Chrysler brand has fallen.
Chrysler has always been a challenger, an underdog.
It's like the stewards of this company have forgotten (or ignored) what they bought and what it means to generations of Americans. And, crucially, what it could mean for generations more.
There are few commercials that stand out in Super Bowl history. Even fewer car commercials — and the spot promoting the Chrysler 200 in 2011 was iconic.
If you don't know it — it was more than a decade ago, after all — Eminem drove through the streets of Detroit while a blockbuster movie voiceover (RIP Kevin Yon) set the comeback story of this town as the guitar licks from "Lose Yourself" ramped up.
The voiceover stood on business. It was confident. It had the kind of swagger you now see on Lions game days. Here is the script:
I got a question for ya. What does a city know about luxury? Hm? What does a town that's been to hell and back know about the finer things in life? Well I'll tell ya, more than most. You see its the hottest fires that make the hardest steel. Add hard work and conviction and a know how that runs generations deep in every last one of us. That's who we are, that's our story. No its probably not the one you have been reading in the papers. The one being written by folks who have never even been here, who don't know what where capable of. Because when it comes to luxury its as much of where its from as who its for. Now we're from America but this isn't New York City, or the Windy City, or Sin City, and we're certainly no ones Emerald City. This is the Motor City....and this is what we do. Imported. From. Detroit.
The Chrysler website now has just four vehicles. Two versions of the Pacifica, a 2025 van, and some leftover Chrysler 300s.
To be fair, the future supposedly holds an SUV in 2025, as well as other plans.
I'm not trying to knock down the necessary and utilitarian minivan, but even people who need to drive those want to feel good about the choice.
What does it mean to drive a Chrysler?
The other American brands under Stellantis - Jeep, Ram, Dodge - should come home to Detroit in physicality and spirit. Move the other brands out of the market, even if under the hood there's shared technology. If you need to for practical and cost reasons get rid of the hulking HQ in Auburn Hills, double down on the Chrysler House in Downtown Detroit.
Imagine the top offices of a whole industry pulsing within blocks of each other - General Motors on Woodward, Chrysler on Griswold, and down Michigan Avenue, the future of Ford.
For better or worse, if there's something I've learned is saying "that's how it's done in Europe" is a sure-fire way to make most Americans reject something.
There's a chance for a reset here. Lots of people are employed making these vehicles, and I want success for them.
Some reasonable people think saving Chrysler is an impossible task. I hear that.
But Chrysler going into the cemetery of automotive brands, killed by neglect, would be a missed opportunity. I hope some solid products, marketed with a clear voice and direction, emerge.
I'd love your thoughts - send them along, dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com.
🚧 Tick, tick, boom? General Motors and Bedrock are now saying if they don't get the $250 million in tax breaks for the billion-dollar-plus plans to renovate three of the RenCen's five towers, they may demolish them instead. The clock is ticking on the lame duck session of the Michigan state legislature to get something passed. [Detroit Free Press]
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☕️ Rosa has opened their second location, this one on Detroit's riverfront. It's in the recently constructed Residences at Water Square.
It'll be good to have a coffee option just steps from the Riverwalk. It's about 800 square feet, and is Black- and Woman-owned.
With the residents upstairs as well as the hotel going in next door to serve Huntington Place they should see decent business.
Other reports say there will be a market portion, but that wasn't set up yet when I visited on opening day.
You'll find it at 222 Third in Detroit.
🗣️ "Let me tell you who I see outside doing hard things. Taking care of their neighborhood. Taking care of vacant lots the city owns because the city isn't taking care of it.
I see Detroiters doing that every single day. And some of these social media personalities and activists, if I ask them if they know who they are, they wouldn't be able to tell you.
I think we have to differentiate what's happening in the digitized footprint, ether, in that zeitgeist, and whether or not if it's real or if it's not, and what is happening in the streets.
People in the streets, Detroit leaders, are doing hard things every day .... and we go through this, every election cycle, right? Where folks, 'right now,' are trying to organize. Well we should have been organizing - Democracy is a 365-day, 24-7 kind of sport." - Orlando Bailey
I was glad to have the Executive Director and award-winning journalist Orlando Bailey join me and Norris Howard on the podcast. It was a great conversation about Detroit with us three Detroiters.
Watch the YouTube video above, or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
BTW, Outlier has their Holiday Hustle Party coming up at Spot Lite on December 5.
🚲 He biked it, he liked it: Chris Nolte is a recent Detroit resident and the CEO of Propel. He put together a 29 minute long YouTube video talking about why he chose Detroit (we have experience making things and creative energy), biking through the city, his experience as a parent and being car-free in the Motor City.
Before you go, a little housekeeping. Along with occasional guest writers, I will be doing these notes more often. Expect a bit of news, a bit of Detroit zeitgeist, while being 100 percent rooted in home with a local lens.
Local media requires local support, so join our Patreon for early access to our podcast interviews, access to our member-only Discord newsroom chat, swag and more.
And if you want to sponsor this thing, send me a note - jer -at- dailydetroit -dot- com.
Until next time, remember that you are somebody. I'll see you around Detroit.
-Jer