Ram debuts in Jan. not Feb.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007711220346 November 22, 2007
BY TIM HIGGINS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Welcome to Mootown.
Chrysler LLC wants to herd cattle down Jefferson Avenue in January to help unveil the redesigned Dodge Ram at the North American International Auto Show, according to people familiar with the company's inside wrangling.
"It could look like 'Red River,' " a person in on the idea said, referring to the classic John Wayne Western about a cattle drive.
Chrysler is known for its showmanship, particularly at the annual auto show at Detroit's Cobo Center.
In 1992, the automaker debuted the Jeep Grand Cherokee by driving the SUV up the steps of the convention center and through a plate-glass window. Then in 2006, the new Jeep Wrangler smashed out of a front window at Cobo and drove up the steps of a nearby hotel.
Representatives for Chrysler and the auto show declined comment.
Chrysler has not yet received city approval for the plan. The head of the city's special events department did not know of any written request for such an event, said James Canning, a spokesman for the mayor's office.
Chuck Fortinberry, president of Clarkston Chrysler Jeep, said he's heard rumblings about the cattle idea.
"They're certainly trying to make a bang here, given the new management," he said. "Chrysler always has focused on Detroit as one of their biggest events of the year. They try to steal the thunder. Where else can you get 6,700 journalists from over 65 countries around the world?"
The Ram's launch is supremely important for Chrysler, now under the private control of Cerberus Capital Management.
Along with the minivan, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, the Ram is a cornerstone in the automaker's lineup.
The Ram's design has some Cowtown roots. Chrysler designer Ralph Gilles went to Ft. Worth, Texas -- known as Cowtown -- for inspiration, spending an evening at renowned honky-tonk Billy Bob's Texas.
It's unknown if he visited Ft. Worth's other big tourist attraction, the historic stockyards, where longhorns are herded down a street each day.
