LaSorda plans dealer road trip

Bradford Wernle | | Automotive News / December 18, 2006 - 1:00 am DETROIT -- Chrysler group CEO Tom LaSorda will hit the road to mend fences with car dealers. "U.S. retail, that's 100 percent," said LaSorda, referring to how he's going to be spending his time.

LaSorda is trying to improve relations with Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers after those relations were damaged by the company's decision to keep factories running, building thousands of vehicles dealers didn't want. Dealers were alienated by Chrysler's heavy-handed tactics to get them to buy more cars and trucks during the tenure of global sales and marketing chief Joe Eberhardt, who resigned earlier this month.

LaSorda said no replacement for Eberhardt will be named until at least the National Automobile Dealers Association convention, Feb. 3-6 in Las Vegas.