EddieGTP

Mercedes-Benz. It's funny how much the German automaker seems to have gotten religion since they prevented former Chrysler Group COO, Wolfgang Bernhard, from taking over Mercedes-Benz. Everything Bernhard warned DCX management about has come to pass. Bernhard led the revolt against Juergen Schrempp and his minions from pumping more money into Mitsubishi, which saved the company billions. His move proved to be even more prescient than most had even realized, as Mitsubishi has turned into a sinkhole of immense proportions. He also warned Juergen Hubbert that Mercedes-Benz was in no shape to contend in the relentlessly competitive luxury class the way the company was currently configured and that drastic changes had to be made. Hubbert bristled at the suggestion and the urgency of Bernhard's tone, insisting that the kind of complete overhaul Bernhard was pushing for was unnecessary. But here is DCX four months later, contemplating cutting 6,000 jobs from its notoriously cushy and uncompetitive plant in Sindelfingen, and moving production of its volume, next-generation C-Class elsewhere. Mercedes-Benz continues to live in denial about the major error in judgment they made in exiting Wolfgang Bernhard from the company, but it looks like they will soon live to regret their decision (even more than some insiders already do). Word is rampant on the street in Germany that VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder wants to put Bernhard in charge of the VW division (which includes VW, Skoda and Bentley), so that Pischetsrieder can devote his full attention to the burgeoning problems of the VW group. With Mercedes floundering because of recurring quality issues and an image that continues its freefall in the market, and the one guy who could get them back on track about to go to a rival, something tells us their "spiritual" revival will be too little and too late.

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