1971 Classic Fiat 500l on 2040-cars

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Stormtrooper-painted Fiat 500 brings Star Wars to LA Auto Show

Some of you might have heard that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is opening on Dec. 8. FCA US is one of the brand sponsors paired up with Lucasfilm on the cinematic Third Coming, so it's been rolling out themed products to get ready. At this week's LA Auto Show it showed off a Fiat 500e draped in the same lack-of-colors as customized by Garage Italia, the artistic tuner headed by Fiat scion Lapo Elkann that recently brought us the Alfa 4C La Furiosa. The 500e is ready for the First Order Legion - it might save them all that marching - with a black-and-white wrap that mimics the helmet across the windshield and hood, and puts Stormtrooper graphics on the wheel centers. The theme continues inside with custom leather and Alcantara seating, graphics painted in lacquer, and a Stormtrooper looking back at you from the steering wheel. Previously, FCA dressed up Dodge Chargers up like Stormtroopers and put them into Uber service in New York. The FIAT Brand Displays Custom Painted Fiat 500e "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Stormtrooper and Diane Von Furstenberg Custom-wrapped Fiat 500X at 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show November 19, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The FIAT brand will have two special custom-designed vehicles on display at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. As part of the FCA US LLC support of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," opening December 18, the FIAT brand will display a custom-painted Fiat 500e stormtrooper. Lucasfilm recently announced that it is collaborating with FCA US, in addition to six other global brands, for the launch of an expansive, historic promotional campaign in support of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." The exterior livery of the Fiat 500e stormtrooper is inspired by the armor of the First Order Legion, with a two-tone black and white custom painting of the car body. The windshield and the side windows are wrapped to bring out the immediately recognizable visor and helmet of the First Order stormtrooper. Inside, everything is in black and white, too, with total custom front and rear seats upholstered in leather and Alcantara®. The dashboard is painted in white and it is enriched by the "Star Wars" logo on it. All the details are painted in white/black lacquer, and a First Order insignia can be found on the two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Fiat sells part of its historic Lingotto factory in Turin

Stellantis-owned Fiat is selling part of its historic Lingotto factory in Turin, Italy, in a bid to downsize its real estate assets. Inaugurated in 1923, the facility built numerous Fiat models until it closed in 1982, and a test track built on its roof made it famous all around the world. Italian website Motori Online reported that digital services specialist Reply purchased a roughly 215,000-square-foot chunk of the complex with plans to turn it into an office building. There's no word yet on how much Fiat sold the space for, but most sources agree that the firm will retain ownership of the test track. And, the building itself isn't going anywhere: Reply will move in, but it won't knock it down and rebuild it. The test track that made Lingotto famous wasn't merely a gimmick: it was an important part of the production process for several decades. Raw materials entered the building on the ground floor and cars made their way through several stations scattered across the five floors before ending up (in one piece) on the roof. They were then driven for about half a mile before being sent out of the complex. This sped up the production process because road testers could put new cars through their paces without having to leave Turin, and it allowed Fiat to test prototypes without worrying about getting spotted by spy photographers. The track was also featured in the 1969 movie The Italian Job.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Fiat isn't the first Stellantis brand to leave its historic home. Peugeot left its headquarters in downtown Paris for the same reasons in 2017. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Auto News Plants/Manufacturing Fiat

Marchionne ready to get tough with GM over merger

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne absolutely refuses to let go of his dream of a merger with General Motors. With official discussions not happening, Marchionne now hints that a hostile takeover attempt of The General could be under consideration as a future strategy. In a massive interview with Automotive News, the boss explains why a tie-up with GM might be such a windfall for both automakers. By Marchionne's numbers, a merged GM-FCA would produce $30 billion a year in global earnings and 17 million vehicles annually. He claims these huge figures are based on analyzing plants around the world to find growth opportunities. So far, GM is refusing to sit down and look at the numbers, let alone even begin to negotiate. For now, Marchionne just wants to talk, but he's not against aggressive action, if necessary. He uses a bizarre metaphor in the interview to explain his feelings. "There are varying degrees of hugs. I can hug you nicely, I can hug you tightly, I can hug you like a bear, I can really hug you. Everything starts with physical contact," he said to Automotive News. "An attack on GM, properly structured, properly financed, it cannot be refused," he said in the interview. Marchionne is looking for partners, too. The UAW's significant stake in GM could be a strong ally, and he's reportedly recruiting activist investors for more help. Selling Magneti Marelli and spinning off Ferrari would put even more cash in the war chest. Both sides also have banks at their aid. While Marchionne received positive replies from some of his "Plan B" partners, he apparently lost interest in working with them. "Are they the people I wanted to get the response from? The answer is probably not. There are people who are interested in doing deals," he said in the interview. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Photo Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat GM Sergio Marchionne FCA merger