Daimler Set to Revive Plymouth Brand

Apr. 01, 2013 11:00 AM ET by Jay Traugott / 80 Comments

In a bid to launch an affordable entry-level brand of its own, Daimler is reportedly set to revive Plymouth in the US market.

In a highly unusual move, Daimler is reportedly in the final stages of firming up plans to formally revive the old Plymouth brand in an attempt to capture a greater chunk of the US car market. The idea is to make Plymouth an entry-level brand for Mercedes as it strives to aggressively expand its North American sales operation. But perhaps the biggest question is why Plymouth? Aside from the historical and familiar name, the answer is apparently in the fine print of its former relationship with Chrysler.

Back in 1998 during its final merger talks with Chrysler, Daimler demanded to have a clause added in the final agreement that stated any brands that could potentially be discontinued after the merger would become the sole property of Daimler. Plymouth was shut down in 2001 but the rights to its name have been owned by the Germans ever since. Now Daimler management feels it's a good time to get it up and running again with a lineup of German-engineered but affordable family cars. Mercedes dealerships across the US are expected to begin preparing to handle the upcoming revived Plymouth lineup shortly.

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Daimler Set to Revive Plymouth Brand

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