Ultimately, Chrysler wants customers to buy more cars, trucks, and SUVs, but on Friday, Chrysler executives implored dealers to order 15,000 cars by today to keep the company viable, according to Automotive News.

With all the negative, downright apocalyptic news, coming out from the industry by the minute, this story has haunted me. It is a real sign of how desperate the automakers have become that they are dependent on the goodwill of their customers--the dealers--to keep them afloat. Chrysler is not alone. In the auto industry, hundreds of suppliers are also facing dire times. Coast to coast, households and businesses are doing what they can to survive. More than Jeep is on the rocks. The pain is national.

The article quotes Chrysler co-President Jim Press as saying, "You have two choices. You can either help us or burn us all down."

Checking with Chrysler today, a representative reported that orders are coming in. Ultimately, this move may be equally important for a short-term revenue stream and for proving viability to the government in order to receive future assistance.

Less than a week ago, Chrysler reported 151-day car supply. (In automotive parlance, this figure refers to how many days at the current rate it would take dealers to sell their existing inventory.) Hard to imagine dealers wanting to pad their standing fleets with more mediocre (or worse) product, when they already have enough to last until mid summer. But the willingness to do so shows solidarity during these tough times.

For our take on Chrysler, read "Report card for Detroit." And for my take on the latest Chrysler incentives, read "Chrysler offers employee pricing … again."

—Jeff Bartlett