1967 Chrysler Imperial Coup Very Rare 1 Of 3,325 on 2040-cars

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How Renault, Fiat Chrysler, and yes, Nissan, could save through sharing

If French automaker Renault green-lights a proposed merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the companies almost immediately could begin saving money by consolidating components and basic structures on many of their most popular vehicles, an industry analyst said on Tuesday. The synergies could multiply if they invite Japanese automaker Nissan, currently Renault's alliance partner, to join the merger, according to a former Renault and Nissan executive. Renault and Italian-American rival Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are in talks to tackle the costs of far-reaching technological and regulatory changes by creating the world's third-biggest automaker. A Renault-Fiat Chrysler combination "would mean a greater sharing of parts (which) could really boost the profitability of Fiat Chrysler's smaller vehicles," said Sam Fiorani, vice president, AutoForecast Solutions. Building similar models on a common vehicle architecture, Fiorani said, "would give both companies a lot more freedom in manufacturing. They could mix brands and vehicle sizes on the same assembly line, switch vehicles between plants to balance production, and even shift production from one country to another, depending on changes in demand, tariffs or other considerations." Fiorani said Fiat Chrysler could benefit from sharing the French automaker's expertise in electric vehicles and powertrains, where Renault and Nissan have jointly invested more than $5 billion. These are areas in which Fiat Chrysler has little in the way of components or intellectual property. Another sector that is ripe for consolidation is light commercial vehicles, where Renault and Fiat Chrysler could build a variety of vans in several sizes on common platforms that could be assembled and sold in global markets. Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen AG began their alliance discussions a year ago by focusing on potential collaboration in light commercial vehicles. Getting Nissan's blessing Fiorani said Renault's CMF architecture, which was jointly developed with Nissan and underpins many of Renault's passenger cars and crossovers, could be used by Fiat Chrysler on a wide variety of vehicles. As an example, he said the CMF could provide a new single foundation for at least five Jeep models, including the Renegade, Compass and Cherokee, which now are based on four different platforms.

Appeals court delays 'sensible resolution' meeting between GM, Fiat Chrysler CEOs

DETROIT — Three federal appeals judges have delayed a court-ordered meeting between the CEOs of General Motors and Fiat Chrysler to try to settle a lawsuit over corruption by union leaders. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman last week ordered GM CEO Mary Barra and FCA CEO Mike Manley to meet before July 1. But GM on Friday asked the federal appeals court in Cincinnati to overturn the order and remove Borman from the case. In an order issued Monday, three appellate judges delayed Borman's order to provide time to consider legal points raised by GM. GM is suing crosstown rival FCA alleging that it got an advantage by paying off United Auto Workers union leaders to reduce labor costs during contract talks. FCAÂ’s former labor chief, Al Iacobelli, is in prison, although the company denies that it directed any prohibited payments. In his order last week, Borman described the lawsuit as a “nuclear option” that would be a “waste of time and resources” for years if he allows the case to move forward. The judge ordered Barra and Manley to sit down without lawyers by July 1 and reach a “sensible resolution of this huge legal distraction.” Borman wants an update from them on a public video conference that same day. Over the weekend he modified the order to allow lawyers to attend the meeting. In a court filing, GM called BormanÂ’s order a “profound abuse” of power. “The court possesses no authority to order the CEOs of GM and FCA to engage in settlement discussions, reach a resolution and then appear alone at a pretrial conference eight days later, without counsel,” GMÂ’s attorneys said. “Second, the court has no business labeling a properly filed federal lawsuit assigned to the court for impartial adjudication ‘a distractionÂ’ or a ‘nuclear option,’” GM said. Borman canÂ’t be viewed as impartial, company lawyers said. The judge declined to comment. In a court filing Monday, Fiat Chrysler lawyers wrote that GM didn't make a good case to remove Borman because judges routinely direct lawsuit parties to talk about settling. The lawyers wrote that GM originally wanted the case assigned to Borman but now apparently is worried that his tough questions mean he will dismiss GM's claims. “GM should not be permitted now to complain that that judge has turned out to be less hospitable to GMÂ’s claims than GM anticipated. Parties are not permitted to engage in such judge shopping," the filing said.

Stellantis dealers plead that letting Chrysler die is not an option

Executives and dealers have recently cautioned that a dark cloud looms over Chrysler's horizon, and figuring out why doesn't require an MBA from Stanford. And yet, Stellantis dealers say bright days could be ahead, if only the company reinvigorates the Detroit-based brand with long-awaited and much-needed new products. "This whole thing started with Chrysler. I don't want to get emotional about a brand, that's not the case. But, I don't want to see a brand like that left at the sideline and just thrown out to pasture," said David Kelleher, the head of the Stellantis National Dealer Council, in an interview with industry trade journal Automotive News. Kelleher added he would feel "violated" if the 96-year-old carmaker shut down. Keeping it around is relatively easy, but transforming it into a thriving business is far more difficult. Years of underinvestment have crippled the brand. It's almost exclusively dependent on North America, where it sells two models: the 300 and the Pacifica/Voyager duo. Sales in the United States totaled 110,464 units in 2020, down from 126,971 in 2019. To add perspective, Ram, Jeep, and Dodge sold 624,642, 795,313 and 267,328 units, respectively, in 2020.  While enthusiasts and analysts understandably worried Chrysler would die under Stellantis, Kelleher opined that the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Group can make the brand stronger. Products and technology from the French side of the partnership can be leveraged to help Chrysler expand its range and increase its sales while keeping development costs in check, he said. He stopped short of revealing which vehicles he has in mind, but his comments are interesting because PSA's lineup is almost entirely made of up small, European-flavored cars that are diametrically opposed to the models Chrysler's reputation is built on.  Hatchbacks are dropping like flies in the American market, so putting a Chrysler badge on, say, a Peugeot 208 and bringing it to America is out of the question. Wagons are unpopular, too, which leaves crossovers and SUVs. Oddly, the Chrysler brand is not represented in one of the most popular market segments in the United States. PSA doesn't dabble in burly SUVs, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it does small crossovers reasonably well. Could Chrysler move into the space occupied by the Toyota C-HR and the Hyundai Kona, among others?