Today I’m reading one of my RSS feeds, and I come across this headline:

Police raid auto shop in search of forged parts

So I’m wondering what kind of crime, exactly, is alleged to have been committed here?  The headline makes it sound like he’s being accused of producing knock-offs.

“The investigation comes as the culmination of a long-running dispute between Layson’s and the Chrysler Corporation and is the result of competitor’s complaints about the market share Layson’s has been able to capture manufacturing long-discontinued parts for the collector car hobby,” the statement said.

(emphasis mine)

So, let me get this straight: Chrysler is upset that someone is selling parts in a market they’re no longer engaging in, and proclaiming it stomps on their economic turf?  The parts don’t have anything on them that links to Chrysler.  Chrysler could probably have a market for those parts, but has chosen to discontinue making them.  Dave Layson responds:

Layson manufactures parts without Chrysler’s trademark Pentastar logo and under the law, is completely justified in so doing.  Layson’s has always sold the parts it manufactures as “Reproductions” and has bent over backwards to make the distinction clear because frankly, the new parts are far superior to the originals.

In addition, Chrysler has yet to roll-out a meaningful licensing program to include manufacturing standards, exclusivity agreements, marketing agreements or a uniform royalty structure.

Because of that fact, and years of turnover and indecision at Chrysler, Layson’s Restorations, like many other similar vendors, has not opted to participate in the company’s ill-conceived and yet to be fully developed licensure program.  As a result, Chrysler has tried to intimidate and coerce vendors in this industry to pay into what amounts to a, “Black hole” of a non-existent and yet-unformed licensure program.

Parts that carry the Pentastar logo seized from Layson’s were all purchased from “licensed” vendors, and are not so called “Forged auto parts” as the mis-informed authorities acting at Chrysler’s behest allege.

(again, emphasis mine)

Fuck you, Chrysler.   At best… AT BEST, you could have brought suit against Layson’s, and even that would make you complete douchebags.  But bringing criminal charges?   Come on. Now you’re scum-sucking, bottom-feeding, pantywaist douchebags for stooping this low.

This only makes me wish I thought more of Chrysler cars in the first place so I could now indignantly shun buying one.  But Chrysler hasn’t produced cars worth a damn for decades, (I chuckled when Layson says his products are superior to the originals and doesn’t WANT them confused with Chrysler parts) and I’d be lying if I said shunning them was some sort of principled stand here.

(Side note, do you know how hard it was to type that? “…his reproduction parts are superior…” “…his manufactured parts are superior…” YOU try thinking of a way to type that so it didn’t sound like a subtle reference to his twig and berries.)

But fuck you, Chrysler, just the same.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.