Chrysler COO: Will Stick to China Plans

Associated Press - - The chief operating officer of Chrysler Group said Friday that the division's expansion plans outside North America won't change in the event of a sale by German parent company DaimlerChrysler AG.

As part of its continuing drive to expand in China, Chrysler plans to double the number of dealerships there from 70 to 140 by the middle of 2008, COO Eric Ridenour told reporters during the Shanghai Auto Show.

Ridenour also said the company will bring the Dodge Avenger to China "early 2008."

Chrysler is presenting two new models at the Shanghai Auto Show that will be produced in China starting this year: the Chrysler Sebring sedan, which will be produced at the BeijingBenz-DaimlerChrysler (nyse: DCX - news - people ) joint-venture, and the Dodge Caravan minivan, which will be produced at Southeast Motors in Fuzhou.

When the vehicles go on sale, it will be the first time that Dodges have been sold in China since World War II, the company has said.

Chrysler sold about 207,000 vehicles outside of the United States last year but only about 10,000 in China.

DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz brand presented the S350, its high-performance AMG lineup and the new E-Class vehicles produced at BeijingBenz-DaimlerChrysler.

DaimlerChrysler executive board member Ruediger Grube last week started discussions with potential buyers of Chrysler.

Chrysler booked an operating loss at the division of $1.5 billion last year due to poor sales of its large sport-utility vehicles and pickups and a shift by many consumers to smaller, more fuel-efficient models.