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Fiat shareholders green-light Chrysler merger, end of an Italian era

Fiat has just taken a major step away from its Italian heritage, as shareholders officially approved the company's merger with Chrysler. That move will lead to the formation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, a Dutch company based in Great Britain and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, according to Automotive News Europe.
The company captured the two-thirds majority at a special shareholders meeting, although there are still a few situations that could defeat the movement. According to ANE, roughly eight percent of shareholders opposed the merger, which is a group large enough to defeat the plan, should they all exercise their exit rights outlined in the merger conditions.
Meanwhile, Fiat Chairman John Elkann (pictured above, right, with CEO Sergio Marchionne and Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo), the great-great-grandson of Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli, reaffirmed his family's commitment to the company beyond the merger. Exor, the Agnelli family's holding company, still maintains a 30-percent stake in Fiat.

GM, Ford and FCA expected to extend coronavirus shutdown into April

U.S. automakers General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler are expected to extend their current shutdown in North America into the month of April as the fight to slow the spread of the coronavirus continues. At this point, the exact dates that Detroit's Big Three automakers will restart vehicle production remains up in the air. Ford said in a statement that it does not plan to restart production until at least April 6 but warned it could be further delayed into April. United Auto Workers President Rory Gamble sent a letter to union members saying that FCA had "no plans to reopen on March 30." GM has yet to confirm its plans — its last statement said the decision when to reopen "will be reevaluated week-to-week after" March 30 — but unnamed sources told Reuters that it will also comply with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's order barring non-essential businesses from operating until April 13. Gamble's letter said the union is "waiting to hear from GM and are demanding that they put our membersÂ’ safety first and adhere to government and health officialsÂ’ recommendations to stay-at-home." A spokeswoman for Whitmer was unable to clarify on Tuesday whether auto production is considered essential or not. Michigan has declared vehicle sales by auto dealers to be impermissible under the order, but dealerships and other facilities can make repairs.  The UAW also said two Fiat Chrysler union members — one in Indiana and one in Michigan — have died after contracting the coronavirus. A group representing major U.S. and foreign automakers warned in a letter to U.S. lawmakers with other industry groups on Monday that, "Auto industry analysts are expecting sales to be down by as much as 40 percent in March compared to 2019." The letter said 95% of North American auto plants are currently closed. Reuters contributed to this report. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Government/Legal Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Plants/Manufacturing Chrysler Fiat Ford GM coronavirus

Fiat previews a new Panda, and a whole Panda-based range of global cars

Fiat isn't attending the Geneva Motor Show, but that hasn't stopped it from going to Geneva ... Italy. That's right, there's a dainty patch of ground in Brescia called Ginevra, which is Italian for Geneva. Fiat CEO and Stellantis' chief marketing officer Olivier Francois has pulled another sly one, hosting his own miniature auto show at a bar in Ginevra to showcase Fiat's coming range of global models. The presentation is all about the Panda, old and new, with Fiat reworking the spirit and ethos of the 44-year-old nameplate into four concepts that start with an all-new Panda on Stellantis' global platform, then branch into two updates on popular current products and two all-new products. After winning the Stellantis family sales title with 1.3 million units moved last year, Francois said of the brand, "[Our] next step will be to transition from local products to a global offer that can benefit all of our customers everywhere in the world," embodying the philosophy that "functionality should never exist without fun." A plan for sharing up to 80% of parts between models, on top of that shared platform, is the key enabler. And just as we mentioned yesterday with Jeep, Fiat's talking big about the range of available powertrains, with ICE, EV, hybrid and PHEV in the mix.   Here's the heart of the new range, your all-new Panda just like it says on the door, called "City Car" in the video. Fiat will present this one to itself and the world in July this year during the company's 125th anniversary. In it can be seen the basic idea of the concept Fiat presented to itself as a 120th birthday present, the Centoventi Concept revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show (the one in Switzerland). We heard nothing about the Centoventi after that, its fundamentals showing up first in the Citroen C3, and from there back to Fiat with this all-new Panda. Francois called this a sort-of "Mega Panda," a phrase we want on a T-shirt, boasting a crossover-like upright design, higher driving position, and increased roominess. The entire range will emphasize sustainability, ease-of-use, and modularity. The Panda demonstrates ease with the retractable charging cable emerging from the hood. Inside, the oval motif in places like the dashboard and seats recalls Fiat's original factory in Turin, the Lingotto building with the oval test track called the La Pista 500 on its roof. If you're looking for competition to the dashing little Renault 5 that did make the trek to Switzerland, this is it.