A Pink One, With Green Leather Seats?

Chrysler says it’s going to try to fill custom orders for many of its models in just 16 days.

The company has streamlined its ordering system to a point where special orders of many models will be built and delivered in 16 days, starting with the 1996 model year, executive vice president Theodor Cunningham said Monday.

Because special orders often take weeks, most car and truck buyers find what they want or settle for something that comes close that’s already on a dealer’s lot.

Cunningham said 16-day delivery on special orders won’t be possible with models Chrysler is selling faster than it can build. Extended-cab Dodge Ram pickups, for instance, are in such demand that the company has stopped taking dealer orders for 1995 models.

“The next step will be to take all of our orders down to 16 days,” he said. “We are losing people right now on some of our trucks,” because what they want isn’t available and they don’t want to wait weeks for delivery.

Chrysler has dropped its turnaround time for most special orders from 68 days to 37 days in the past three years, Cunningham said.