DaimlerChrysler Looking to Change Name

DaimlerChrysler AG — the company that owns both Mercedes-Benz and the Chrysler Group, composed of Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler — will take a vote on changing its name back to DaimlerBenz at a shareholder meeting in April.

If you follow financial news, you know there’s been considerable talk of DaimlerChrysler selling the Chrysler Group, and they aren’t hiding the fact any longer. “The Board of Management is authorized to defer notification of the change of name for entry in the Commercial Register until the Chrysler Group is separated from the Group or sold, but not later than March 31, 2008.” Note the word “until.”

In a document published by the company for shareholders, we learn that there’s a definite reason for the name change, too. We just can’t believe what we’re reading:

“Reason: Maintaining a corporate name that evokes associations with the failure of the business combination with Chrysler is detrimental to the image of the corporation and its products. This is all the more true as unflattering nicknames such as Doting Daimler, Daimler-Crisis or even Crime-ler have long been in circulation. The disadvantages this entails for shareholders, customers and employees can only be borne at most for a short transition period until there is a proper separation from Chrysler. If a proper separation cannot be effected within one year, this would only serve to underscore the need to remove this affliction on the image from the corporation’s name.”

Now you just don’t go out and give ammunition to your critics, like coming up with funny nicknames we wouldn’t have thought of on our own!