An angry DaimlerChrysler shareholder group urged the company's chairman to quit Friday in a growing fight over who is to blame for the slump at the U.S.-based Chrysler automaking division.
Separately, Chrysler announced it will idle a number of plants in the next three weeks to cut inventories of unsold vehicles.
Critical Shareholders DaimlerChrysler, an umbrella for small shareholders in the German-U.S. company, became the second group of German shareholders to demand the immediate resignation of chief executive Juergen Schrempp, saying he cost them $30 billion in lost stock value.
DaimlerChrysler AG, the third-largest automaker in the United States, said it will idle seven of 12 North American plants for at least part of the next three weeks after its U.S. sales fell 5.5 percent in November.
The company will close two plants next week, one plant the week of Dec. 11 and as many as five the week of Dec. 18.