NEW YORK (AP) -- Chrysler LLC is planning on resuming production at the majority of its plants by the last week of June, said Steven Landry, an executive vice president at the automaker.
Chrysler idled all of its factories almost immediately after it filed for bankruptcy protection as it sought to reduce excess inventory. Company executives said during a conference call on Tuesday that May vehicle sales fell 47 percent from last year, but inventory has fallen as well.
Spokeswoman Kathy Graham said the timeline for restarting production is an expectation and no final decision has been made.
Chrysler has been operating under Chapter 11 protection since April 30. Over the weekend, a bankruptcy judge in New York approved the sale of the bulk of its assets to Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA. That brings the Auburn Hills, Mich., automaker closer to emerging from bankruptcy, possibly as early as this week.
General Motors Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection Monday.
Chrysler has several plants in Ohio, including a complex that makes Jeeps in Toledo.