Third-quarter profits exceed forecasts at Chrysler and GM, on target at Ford

It was a prosperous third quarter for each of the Big Three. Chrysler's $680 million net was clearly toward the upper end of Wall Street's range of expectations, and GM's $1.27 billion was a very pleasant surprise, especially when bolstered by news that the General added another $1.5 billion to its cash reserves, now at a robust $14.5 billion. Meanwhile, Ford, which relied on financial services once again, made the bottom line look blacker than it would be otherwise. A richer mix of vehicles (thanks largely to more F-series pickups and the launch of Expedition) in the U.S. helped bring the summer's profit to $686 million, roughly twice the year-ago level.