Automotive News reports on a very important development in the aftermath of the Chrysler bankruptcy. The residual values of Chrysler vehicles, which plunged prior to and during the bankruptcy, have rapidly rebounded after their emergence from bankruptcy protection.

The Automotive Lease Guide bumped up residual values for all three Chrysler brands in July, primarily because of the automaker’s rapid exit from bankruptcy. But the values are still lower than they were before Chrysler LLC filed for Chapter 11 protection…

In the July-August period, the 36-month residual values were 32.5 percent for Chrysler, 34.8 percent for Dodge and 37.4 percent for Jeep. Jeep’s value increased 5 percentage points from May-June, Chrysler’s rose 3.7 percentage points and Dodge’s rose 3.5 percentage points.

The boost for the automaker, now known as Chrysler Group, signals that General Motors’ vehicles could enjoy the same boost as the automaker prepares to emerge from bankruptcy protection as early as today or tomorrow.

Those residual values are important because they determine the monthly payments for leases and the trade-in value of the vehicle at the end of the lease. The faster they rebound, the lower the lease payments on Chrysler vehicle leases will be and the more vehicles will be leased and sold.