Chrysler Closings Will Leave 80% of Dealers Selling The 3 Brands

FIND: Chrysler Specs, Reviews and Comparisons
FIND: Dodge Specs, Reviews and Comparisons
FIND: Jeep Specs, Reviews and Comparisons

Washington DC May 15, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that Chrysler's plan to eliminate a quarter of its U.S. dealerships by June 9 means the vast majority of the surviving stores will sell the Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler brands under the same roof—a longstanding goal of the struggling automaker.

Automotive News reports that under the strategy outlined on Thursday, 789 dealerships will be shut down, leaving 2,392 to survive and become part of part of Chrysler's planned alliance with Fiat.

Click here to see a list of dealerships targeted for closing.

General Motors is also expected to send warning letters to approximately 1,000 "underperforming" dealers today, according to Automotive News, notifying them their franchise agreements will not be renewed when they expire in October 2010.

GM has said it plans to cut about 2,600 of its dealerships by the end of 2010 as part of a massive restructuring launched after the Obama administration gave the company until June 1 to demonstrate its future viability.

At the end of 2008, GM had 6,246 U.S. dealerships.

FIND: Chrysler Specs, Reviews and Comparisons
FIND: Dodge Specs, Reviews and Comparisons
FIND: Jeep Specs, Reviews and Comparisons