Seventy-five dealers in Minnesota sell Chrysler cars, trucks and SUVs; 13 are in the Twin Cities.
Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge have about 10 percent of the Minnesota market as measured by new vehicle registrations, according to data compiled by the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association.
Chrysler's Minnesota sales for the six months that ended in February were down 41.5 percent; Dodge was down 29 percent, and Jeep was down 46.5 percent. By contrast, overall vehicle sales in Minnesota for that period were down 23 percent.
What they are saying:
• Doug Sprinthall, vehicle operations director for Walser Automotive Group, said the good news is that warranties payments from Chrysler to the dealers, as well as factory incentives, will continue to be paid. The bad news is that there might be a shortage of vehicles during the temporary shutdown of the automakers' plants.
The unknown: How many dealers will be eliminated. "They told us it would be hundreds, not thousands," Sprinthall said.
• Jerry Golinvaux, president of Roseville Chrysler Jeep Dodge, said he hopes bankruptcy means "a leaner, stronger Chrysler that can survive in the long run."
Inventories are high so he isn't worried about a shortage of new vehicles during a plant shutdown. Golinvaux also said he expects the number of dealerships to decline through attrition and consolidation.
