agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Fiat and Chrysler Weave Operations Together

April 21, 2010
2 min to read


In November, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told an audience of reporters and analysts in Auburn Hills, Mich., that “Chrysler and Fiat have become inextricably intertwined.”
 On Wednesday, he will reveal just how interconnected the two carmakers will be in the coming years, reported Automotive News. Wearing his hat as Fiat CEO in Turin, Marchionne will unveil a five-year plan for the Italian carmaker. The Fiat plan calls for broad cooperation between Fiat and Chrysler in many operations, such as manufacturing, marketing, sales and finances. Marchionne has the companies working together in ways that luxury carmaker Daimler AG never dreamed of in its troubled decade-long marriage to Chrysler. “With Daimler, there was never a real chance to have an integrated pair of companies,” said David Cole, director of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. “Daimler was scared to death of having Chrysler taint Mercedes. 
There are great possibilities between Fiat and Chrysler. They’re in same price classes.” On Wednesday, Marchionne and his team are expected to announce these developments:

  • Near-luxury brand Alfa Romeo will build a mid-sized sedan and station wagon in the United States at Chrysler factories. The debut of the Alfa Romeo Giulia in 2012 would mark the return of Alfa to the United States after a 17-year absence.

  • Using the same Compact Wide architecture underpinning the Giulia, Alfa also will build a large crossover.

  • The Chrysler and Lancia brands will share platforms. For example, Lancia will get a version of the Chrysler Sebring replacement due later this year and a version of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

  • A small Fiat car with four doors and styling similar to the 500 will be sold in the United States in 2013.

  • A possible Fiat compact sedan that will be imported from a Fiat joint venture factory in Serbia for sale in the United States. If approved, it will arrive in 2013.

  • A Fiat-badged version of the Dodge Nitro SUV will be sold in Europe by the end of this year.

Ad Loading...

During the presentation Wednesday, Marchionne and his lieutenants are expected to give updates on the financial performance of Fiat and Chrysler. Sales targets for 2014 for the combined companies are expected. The companies have combined in other areas too. Olivier Francois is running both Chrysler and Lancia brands and acts as global marketing chief for both Chrysler and Fiat. On the manufacturing front, Chrysler’s North American factories will build as many as 400,000 Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands by 2014. Marchionne’s plan calls for reducing the number of platforms used by the two automakers and producing sufficient vehicles on each platform to gain economies of scale.

More Industry

Blue and white RV parked on beach facing the ocean.
Industryby Lauren LawrenceSeptember 3, 2026

RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint

Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.

Read More →
Photo of two men and one woman on a discussion panel
Industryby Hannah MitchellSeptember 1, 2026

Agent Acumen

An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.

Read More →
Gloved hand holding two wrenches next to “Turn Overdue into Opportunity” Graphic
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 27, 2026

Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity

As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Mitsubishi shadow line-up
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 25, 2026

Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan

The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.

Read More →
Photo of a laptop, cellphone and eyeglasses on a desk next to an office window
IndustryAugust 24, 2026

Selling to Grow

The question of whether you should sell your agency and if so, when, is up to you. But it’s a question worth asking to ensure you keep the business on the right path for yourself, employees and clients.

Read More →
Mechanic holding a vehicle diagnostic device while standing above an open car hood
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 24, 2026

Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High

Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
outside of car dealership with cars parked in front
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 20, 2026

Auto Group Acquires Top-Performing Rooftop

Car Pros sold its Kia Huntington Beach location to Sutherlin Automotive Group, marking the buyer’s third location in Southern California.

Read More →
Cars from the rear on a Shanghai freeway
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 19, 2026

China as Pacesetter

Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.

Read More →
Orange BMW car on empty road.
Industryby Hannah MitchellAugust 14, 2026

BMW Concept Car Makes Fuel to Burn

The prototype developed in concert with a South Carolina university engineering team generates more solar energy than it uses in a typical daily commute.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Six men standing for photo outside of car dealership
Industryby Lauren LawrenceAugust 13, 2026

South Carolina Auto Group Downsizes

Florida-based group Holler-Classic has acquired four rooftops, its first in South Carolina, from Dick Smith Automotive Group.

Read More →
Ad Loading...