In 1998,
Daimler-Benz and
Chrysler Corporation announced a merger, valued at 38 billion, resulting in a change in company name to "DaimlerChrysler AG". The merger delivered promised synergies and successfully integrated the two businesses. Wiggers' concept of a platform strategy like the VW Group, was implemented only for a few models, so the synergy effects in development and production were too low. As late as 2002, DaimlerChrysler appeared to run two independent product lines. Later that year, the company launched products that appeared to integrate elements from both sides of the company, including the
Chrysler Crossfire, which was based on the Mercedes SLK platform and utilized Mercedes's 3.2L V6, and the
Dodge Sprinter/
Freightliner Sprinter, a re-badged
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. Chrysler reported losses of US$1.5 billion in 2006. It then announced plans to lay off 13,000 employees in mid-February 2007, close a major assembly plant and reduce production at other plants in order to restore profitability by 2008. In May 2007,
Daimler agreed to sell the Chrysler unit to
Cerberus Capital Management for US$6 billion. Two years later, Chrysler's
bankruptcy was filing in the United States. After the merger Fiat Chrysler in 2014, Wiggers' concept of a platform strategy was implemented. ==
Strategische Unternehmensführung==