Chrysler Museum to close

50C8DAN

http://www.leftlanenews.com/chryslers-museum-to-close.html

hudsonsplasher1

That's a shame. It's a really nice museum. But, most museums barely support themselves.

hdsn49

Glad the HET Cub got to see it at the 2009 National.

RonS

What are they going to do with the 308, and all those beautiful cars. Wow, if museums go away, Barrett Jackson, and the like will lose a lot of their sales... as well as the average car owner won't have a place to donate a vehicle for posterity. We have the HH Franklin Museum here in Tucson. They open upon request for small groups... I'm friends with the curator and board member, & he tells of many difficulties in that business. I wonder if the Henry Ford & Greenfield Village are bleeding as badly as Chryslers?

onerare39

Here's a link to an article in Hemmings Daily, it has a few more details.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/11/30/walter-p-chrysler-museum-to-close/?refer=news

This was fun!

Glowplug

Unfortunate for the Auto buffs, but there is some history in this decision. Back when the Iacocca’s of the world were trying to save this auto company from self destruction. The US government was asked for a loan to save the company. Many pooh-poohed such a preposterous request, but Lee persisted and received the loan. (Not a bail-out). Chrysler restructured and became solvent paying back the loan with interest and moving on. The same problems that beset the company returned in this decade and because its leaders failed to see responsibility for the bad decisions being made and the company again became insolvent. This business failure had little to do with the news hyped stories of a failing US economy. Chrysler was dead from debt load long before these stories were told. For a second time Chrysler received taxpayer monies to prop up the corporation. But, the second time the architects of the deal had other motives. Like the GM deal, all fiscal capabilities of the company were pulled in and the deal makers removed the escrowed capital being held against future liabilities. Operating capital bailout went to Chrysler to keep the company running. All the while in the background a non US company was moved to the superior position to take over and run the company. As a result, you good citizens have assured that a once US owned company is now owned by a company who unlike the previous managers are bottom line motivated. Good will and history do not contribute to the bottom line. Wait till the “future liabilities” begin to be called, we citizens will again get to provide funding to replace the “escrowed capital” those bailout deal makers removed. We who are BBs (baby boomers) are getting a glimpse of what those who are of the” X generation” think about history and nostalgia. Get used to it ... what a BB thinks about all this does not even register with those who are making the rules and moving dollars from your account to theirs. Museums closures are palatable parts of future changes.

faustmb

That makes me sad. I just saw recently that the small car museum in north Georgia closed as well, auctioned off the collection.