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Fiat Chrysler says it did not know about Marchionne's illness

ZURICH/MILAN — Fiat Chrysler said it knew nothing about the medical condition of Sergio Marchionne after a Swiss hospital said on Thursday it had been treating the deceased chief executive for more than a year. "Due to medical privacy, the company had no knowledge of the facts relating to Mr. Marchionne's health," a Fiat Chrysler spokesman said. Questions have been raised about how long Marchionne, who died on Wednesday, was ill and how much the company knew before it made the situation public. Marchionne rescued Fiat and Chrysler from bankruptcy after taking the wheel of the Italian carmaker in 2004 and he multiplied Fiat's value 11 times through 14 years of canny dealmaking. He was due to step down at FCA in April next year. "The company was made aware that Mr. Marchionne had undergone shoulder surgery and released a statement about this," the spokesperson said. "On Friday, July 20, the company was made aware with no detail by Mr. Marchionne's family of the serious deterioration in Mr. Marchionne's condition and that as a result he would be unable to return to work. The company promptly took and announced the appropriate action the following day." Asked whether the scope of the statement included the board and the chairman, the company declined to comment. In emailed comments, Marchionne's family confirmed the companies had not been aware of his health conditions. "At the end of last week FCA was made aware Sergio Marchionne would no longer be able to return to work without mentioning any further details," the family said. The announcement of the death of Marchionne, 66, one of the auto industry's most tenacious and respected CEOs, drew tributes from rivals and tears from his closest colleagues on Wednesday. University Hospital Zurich said earlier on Thursday Marchionne had been treated for a serious illness for more than a year before his death. Marchionne had fallen gravely ill after what the company had described as shoulder surgery at a Zurich hospital. He was replaced as chief executive last weekend after Fiat Chrysler (FCA) said his condition had worsened. "Mr. Sergio Marchionne was a patient at USZ. Due to serious illness, he had been the recipient of recurring treatment for more than a year," the hospital said in a statement. "Although all the options offered by cutting-edge medicine were utilized, Mr.

Refreshed Chrysler 300 SRT won't be sold in NA

It looks like it might be time to bid farewell to the V8 rumble from the Chrysler 300 SRT - at least if you live in North America. The reported change comes as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reshuffles its ranks with the Dodge brand, re-absorbing SRT and building its muscular reputation with the Challenger and Charger Hellcat models. Meanwhile, Chrysler is taking a more mainstream approach, and that likely means the end of overt high-performance models from the division for now.
According to Automotive News, the 300 SRT will be discontinued in the US for 2015, but it won't be totally dead. Some right-hand drive markets will still get the brawny V8 sedan next year, a distinction that goes a long way toward explaining some spy shots we've seen recently.
The 300 SRT's North American demise probably shouldn't come as a total shock. In FCA's five-year plan, it says that the 300 is destined for a refresh to be unveiled later this year, presumably at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. There's no mention of the SRT model in the document, though, which seems to signal its end.

FCA CEO Manley says alliances are still possible but aren't necessary

DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive has a message for Renault SA and other would-be partners: We are happy to talk, but we can go it alone. "Strategically, we have a solid future and clear plans that are being invested in and are underway now," Mike Manley said during a session with reporters the day after the company released better than expected second-quarter results. "That isn't to say if there is a better future through an alliance or partnership or merger we wouldnÂ’t be open and interested to it." Fiat Chrysler is open to re-starting merger negotiations with French automaker Renault, Manley said, but added the French car maker is not the only potential partner to gain scale or plug gaps in Fiat Chrysler's technology or vehicle lineup. "To say are they the only opportunity, the answer to that question would be a definitive ‘No,Â’" Manley said. Fiat Chrysler in June withdrew a $35 billion merger proposal with Renault after French government officials intervened in the talks and sought to delay a decision on the deal. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Renault and Nissan are trying again to reshape their alliance and resolve disagreements that helped to derail the merger talks with Fiat Chrysler. Fiat Chrysler has a commercial vehicle partnership with French rival Peugeot SA, and the two companies discussed a broader combination before Fiat Chrysler made its offer to Renault, people familiar with the situation have said. Manley said automakers are not the only potential partners. "There are cooperations that can help in specific technologies. There are cooperations as we think about the consumer-car interface," he said. "You could see collaborations that never would be there in the past." Fiat Chrysler's North American business is strong thanks to Ram trucks and Jeep SUVs, but in other markets the automaker faces continued challenges. The company is overhauling its mass-market business in Europe, which is anchored by the Fiat brand. Fiat Chrysler's Europe, Middle East and Africa operations were marginally profitable in the second quarter and achieved 1.8% profit margin in 2018. Manley has set a goal of 3% operating margins, well short of the 10% margins the company forecast for North America.