1965 Fiat 1500 on 2040-cars

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Stellantis to halt production at Melfi, Italy, car plant in April, union says

MILAN — Carmaker Stellantis will halt production at its plant in Melfi, southern Italy, April 2-12 because of low demand triggered by the COVID-19 crisis, the UILM union said on Monday. Production at the plant, where the world's fourth largest automaker makes Jeep Renegade and Compass models and the Fiat 500X compact SUV, has been repeatedly disrupted due to weak demand and semiconductor supply shortages. The FIM CISL union said last week the firm was considering permanently closing one of its two production lines at the Melfi plant to address excess capacity in Italy. European car registrations fell 23% year on year in the first two months of this year, according to industry data, as protracted coronavirus lockdowns and consequent uncertainty keep impacting spending decisions among families and businesses. UILM's Gianluca Ficco said on Monday the company told unions the latest Melfi production freeze was specifically due to low demand and not a result of the global chip shortage. A spokesman for Stellantis confirmed the plant would be closed in that April 2-12 period. All of Melfi's more than 7,000 workers would be put on a furlough scheme for the period.  

2015 Fiat Ducato and French siblings get prettier face, finer features

The Ram ProMaster only introduced itself to US buyers - prognathous jaw first - last year, but it might quickly be the recipient of some plastic surgery. Above is the new face of the 2015 Fiat Ducato, which does duty as our ProMaster, the Citroën Jumper and the Peugeot Boxer and will be officially unveiled on May 12. Its face still slopes forward all the way to the bottom, but the distance and weight of the jutting chin has been greatly reduced by curving lines that more artfully integrate the new three-piece bumper with the sheetmetal. That bumper can be had in two colors, and the front end also gets new, sleeker headlights with LED DRLs.
Trims are named Classic, Tecno and Lounge, and all benefit from ESP, a new underride guard and an upgraded cockpit with touches like better seats, Bluetooth and a clipboard that can be affixed to the dash and is robust enough to hold smartphones and tablets. High-zoot options - which would give the ProMaster better fight against the Mercedes Sprinter if they carry over to our market - include lane departure assist.
The Ducato will come with choices of three roof heights, four lengths and eight capacity ratings. You'll find info on that and much more in the press releases from Fiat and Peugeot below, and we'll find out more about how the ProMaster will benefit in a few weeks.

Former Fiat Chrysler VP pleads guilty in UAW corruption probe

Former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executive Alphons Iacobelli pleaded guilty on Monday in connection to allegations that he made at least $1.5 million in improper payments to senior union officials, the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit said. Iacobelli, 58, a former Fiat Chrysler vice president of employee relations, was charged in July in U.S. District Court in Detroit with taking part in a conspiracy to pay prohibited money and gifts to United Auto Workers union officials. Sentencing was set for May 29. Iacobelli faces a statutory maximum of eight years in prison, and prosecutors said he will be required to repay $835,000. A lawyer for Iacobelli did not immediately comment on Monday. Iacobelli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Labor Management Relations Act and to filing a false tax return based on his failure to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income that he illegally diverted, the government said. Iacobelli reportedly made some lavish purchases with money taken from the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center — a 2013 Ferrari 458 Spider and two solid-gold Mont Blanc pens costing $37,500 apiece. He reportedly sold the sports car at a discount when news broke of the investigation. The government said Iacobelli conspired to make illegal payments in an effort to obtain concessions and advantages for Fiat Chrysler "in the negotiation, implementation and administration of the collective bargaining agreements between FCA and the UAW." Monica Morgan, the wife of former UAW Vice President General Holiefield, who died in March 2015, is also expected to plead guilty, Reuters reported last week, citing a person briefed on the matter. She faces a plea hearing on Feb. 6. Morgan was charged with conspiring with Iacobelli to violate federal labor law. Morgan's lawyer, Steve Fishman, declined comment. Jerome Durden, a former Fiat Chrysler official whom the government charged with conspiring to divert over $4.5 million in UAW training center funds, pleaded guilty in August. The Justice Department has a wide-ranging investigation under way. In November, General Motors and Ford confirmed they were cooperating with the investigation into alleged misspending at UAW union training centers funded by U.S. automakers. It was not clear if Iacobelli is cooperating in the ongoing investigation. General Motors is conducting an internal investigation into the matter. The UAW said in a statement Monday that it is "appalled at these charges.