Marchionne Refutes Bloomberg Report on Fiat, Peugeot and Opel Tie-up

On Tuesday, we ran a story based on a report by Bloomberg News that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has been talking to PSA Peugeot Citroen and Opel executives about the three carmakers merging into a single entity. Today, however, Marchionne refuted the report describing it to Automotive Europe as “bizarre”.

The Fiat-Chrysler CEO admitted that he had been talking with GM and PSA CEOs Dan Akerson and Philippe Varin, respectively, but he stressed that the discussions were misinterpreted by the report.

Read more »

Once More: Marchionne Wants to Merge with Peugeot and Opel, Outgun VW in Europe

All mainstream European carmakers are, to a higher or lower degree, facing problems due to the debt crisis that’s storming the continent.

Ford has started closing down plants, Opel and Peugeot are burning cash each day for the past eight months while they try to figure out how to work on their partnership and, as for Fiat… well, thank God that Chrysler is profitable.

The sole survivor in this mess seems to be the VW Group that’s still very profitable, much to the annoyance of its rivals and especially Marchionne who accused Wolfsburg of not playing by the book. However, even the mighty VW has been forced to trim its estimates, as the crisis begins to knock on Germany’s door.

Read more »

O Say Can You Read: Romney Says Jeep will Shift All of its Production to China

There is nothing wrong with flying the Stars and Stripes during an election year; after all, in a democracy, people get to hear all sides and then decide whom they will vote for.

Unless, of course, your argument is based on a wrong assumption. Even worse if you make a statement in front of a wide audience based on misinterpreting a news report…

Mitt Romney, the Republicans’ 2012 presidential candidate, told an Ohio crowd last Thursday night that Jeep is considering moving all of its production to China.

Read more »

Novitec Injects Some Sportiness to the New Fiat Panda

Until Fiat's Abarth division performs its magic on the latest generation of the Panda, those looking for a sportier flavored version of the Italian city car will just have to do with whatever the independent tuning industry has to offer them.

In the case of German tuning brand Novitec, there are plenty of goods out on the table to improve both the styling and to some degree, the performance aspects of the Panda.

Read more »

Romeo Ferraris to Debut 235hp Cinquone Stradale "USA Tribute" at SEMA Show

Italian tuner and racing car builder Romeo Ferraris will head to next week's annual automotive aftermarket extravaganza in Las Vegas with its brand new Cinquone Stradale "USA Tribute".

The project car will be shown for the very first time in public and will signal Romeo Ferraris' foray into the U.S. market.

Read more »

Fiat 500X and Small Jeep to be Built at Melfi Plant, CEO Mulling Turning “500” into MINI-Rivaling Brand

The official announcement of the new Fiat-Chrysler production plan is scheduled to take place on October 30, yet details have already started to trickle out to the press.

Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reports that group CEO Sergio Marchionne will remain true to the agreement he made with the Italian government on September 22 and keep all of the local factories operational.

Read more »

Huge Gallery of Fiat's New 2013 Panda 4x4 and Panda Trekking

With Europe's economies currently in the doldrums, Fiat's move to expand its Panda range with two affordable crossover-like models in the A-segment, the Panda 4x4 and Panda Trekking, couldn't have come at a better time for the struggling automaker as many consumers are changing their preferences to smaller, cheaper and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Fiat describes the new Panda 4x4 as the "only genuine 'pocket' 4x4 car" in the European market and a "Jack of all trades" capable of tackling "mountain mule tracks and the urban jungle" with the same ease.

The Panda 4x4 rides on a jacked up suspension that offers a higher ground clearance over the regular 2WD model, while rolling on 15-inch wheels wrapped in 175/65 R15 84T M+S tires developed specifically for this model.

It gets permanent all-wheel drive that is managed through a "Torque on demand" system with two differentials and electronically controlled coupling, while also featuring an ESC (Electronic Stability Control) system with ELD (Electronic Locking Differential) function as standard.

Read more »

Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser Concept Unveiled Ahead of SEMA Show Debut

About a month ago, the Chrysler Group announced plans to display more than 20 Mopar-prepped Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and SRT brand concept vehicles and project cars at the 2012 SEMA aftermarket show, which takes place from October 30 through November 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Today, we get our first glimpse of one of those models and in particular, the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser that was revealed during a special event at Mopar’s Accessory and Performance Lab in Michigan.

Read more »

Is Fiat Flirting with Suzuki as a Response to the VW Group Wanting to Buy Alfa Romeo?

VW’s Chairman Ferdinand Piech and Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, two of the European automotive industry’s most prominent executives, have presumably read Sun Tzu’s Art of War and are aware of this excerpt:

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

The two groups are currently involved, if not in war, then certainly in a peculiar game of strategy and tactics – and there is no way of knowing who will come up trumps.

Read more »

Fiat-Chrysler CEO Marchionne Says European Car Market Won’t Recover Without EU Intervention

If anything, Sergio Marchionne is a man who speaks his mind – a bit too often, some might say. Still, the CEO of the Fiat-Chrysler group is deeply concerned about the drop in European car sales and he thinks something should be done about it.

Marchionne, who is also the head of ACEA, the European auto manufacturers’ association, is strongly endorsing the idea that there should be a European Union-led coordinated strategy if the industry is to survive.

“I am concerned that if we don’t find a collective will to resolve this at a European level, it is going to become a permanent crisis”, he said on Wednesday, October 10.

Read more »

1971 Fiat 500 L Formerly Owned by British PM David Cameron to be Auctioned Off

In 1998, a 32-year old Etonian named David Cameron, who at the time, worked for the Conservative Research Department, bought a 1971 Fiat 500 L as a surprise birthday gift for his wife, Samantha.

Fast forward 12 years to 2010 and said Brit assumes the office of British Prime Minister. The classic Cinquecento had been sold to a new owner 10 years after the Camerons acquired it, having covered a mere 1,000 miles in it.

Read more »

Fiat-Chrysler CEO to Announce 2013-2014 Sales Projection on October 30, Attacks VEBA

It’s not the best of times to be a Chrysler-Fiat executive, never mind the group's CEO. Sales keep falling due to the European crisis, your Italian factories are operating at less than 50 percent of their capacity and you have postponed the long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market more times than even you can recall.

At the same time, the local government and workers’ unions are, understandably, pressuring you to keep your factories operational.

Nevertheless, Sergio Marchionne isn’t willing to give up so easily. In fact, he has already met with the Italian PM and assured him that even though he won't implement the €20 billion (US$26 billion) investment plan that he announced last year, he won’t close any plants either.

Read more »

Fiat Wallpapers 2013-2014

Stylish Fiat 500 Abarth Black And Mehron Colour Car Wallpapers

New Fiat 500L Model White And Black Colour Car Wallpapers

Fiat 500L Model White and Black Latest Style Car Wallpapers

Fiat Viaggio Automobile Latest New Car Design Wallpapers

Fiat 500L Red And Black Colour Car Latest Design Wallpapers

Fiat Panda Red Colour Car Latest Design Wallpapers