agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Fiat Poised To Increase Chrysler Stake

April 5, 2011
2 min to read


Fiat SpA is on track to increase its stake in Chrysler Group LLC to 30 percent from 25 percent, possibly by the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter said.


Fiat's stake will increase once the Italian auto maker completes two international sales goals established by the U.S. government as part of the 2009 federal bailout of Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Ad Loading...


One part of the requirement is that Fiat must help Chrysler lift its sales revenue from markets outside North America by more than $1.5 billion since its emerged from bankruptcy in June 2009, and that has already been accomplished, this person said.


Fiat also must begin selling Chrysler vehicles at most of its dealerships in Latin America. Sergio Marchionne, who serves as chief executive of both Chrysler and Fiat, is putting the final touches on a plan that clears the way to do so by month end, this person said.


Meeting the dealership target has been difficult to accomplish due to franchise laws, especially in Brazil. Mr. Marchionne has voiced frustration in recent weeks over the challenges of completing the task.


Chrysler needs only to show proof to the U.S. Treasury Department it has met both requirements to trigger an increase in Fiat's holding. Chrysler's current shareholders—the United Auto Workers health care trust, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Canadian government—each will relinquish a small percentage of their holdings to give Fiat the additional 5 percent stake in Chrysler.


Chrysler and Fiat declined to comment.

Ad Loading...


News that Fiat was close to increasing its Chrysler stake was earlier reported by Bloomberg News.


Fiat can boost its holding again another 5 percent to 35 percent when Chrysler introduces a small car that gets at least 40 miles to a gallon of gasoline.


Mr. Marchionne eventually aims to make Fiat the majority shareholder in Chrysler, possibly by the end of the year. Fiat cannot lift its stake to 51 percent, however, until after Chrysler pays back the $7.4 billion its owes the U.S. and Canadian governments.


Mr. Marchionne has said he is working with a group of banks to secure commercial financing which will allow him to pay off the loans and secure a lower interest rate. The CEO has plans to take Chrysler public although he recently conceded that may now not happen until next year.


Fiat was originally given a 20 percent stake for taking management control of Chrysler after its exit from its federally financed bankruptcy reorganization. Fiat's stake was increased to 25 percent in January after meeting its first performance requirement, helping Chrysler start production of a fuel-efficient engine in a U.S. plant.

More Industry

Group photo of men outside storefront.
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 28, 2026

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers

The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.

Read More →
Hallway with lockered wiring and computer
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 28, 2026

Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs

U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.

Read More →
Gray-scale photo of a line of Mini cars in a dealership parking lot
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 27, 2026

Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great

A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Closeup photo of the front of a white car
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 21, 2026

New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative

A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.

Read More →
Nissan logo on front of building
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 21, 2026

Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop

Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.

Read More →
Couple talking with auto salesman next to new car inside dealership
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 20, 2026

April Less Affordable

Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Wooden people figures of different colors in a row, similar to board game pieces
IndustryMay 20, 2026

Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency

Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.

Read More →
Ingredient card, policies and procedures, fixed operations, variable operations, data security, audit
Industryby Jim GantherMay 19, 2026

Recipe for Compliance

The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.

Read More →
Photo of new Chevrolet Bolt parked on a beach
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 14, 2026

EVs Getting More Attractive

A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Benchmark bar graph showing April 2026 EV Sales
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 14, 2026

EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge

North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.

Read More →