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Mon dieu! Citroen My Ami Buggy EV sells out in 18 minutes

PARIS (Reuters) - A limited edition of 50 Citroen Ami mini electric cars sold out in less than 18 minutes, parent company Stellantis said on Wednesday, prompting the French brand to post a cheeky message to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. "Sorry Elon, the only way to get one is to buy us", Citroen wrote on a billboard at Paris' Gare de L'Est train station, referring to the Musk's appetite for deals, which has recently included a $44 billion bid for Twitter. Since the Ami's launch in April 2020, Citroen has sold 22,000 of the small electric model in Morocco, Europe and Turkey. The car is produced in Morocco and does not require a driver's license. It is only sold online. For the limited edition "My Ami Buggy" version, the roof is replaced with canvas that can be rolled back and metal tube gates replace the doors. It is sold from 9,790 euros ($10,361). "The fastest customer managed to complete the whole purchasing journey and get his 'My Ami Buggy' in only 2 minutes and 53 seconds," Citroen said in a statement. ($1 = 0.9449 euros) (Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Writing by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Mark Potter) Featured Gallery Citroen My Ami Buggy concept View 11 Photos Green Green Citroen Economy Cars Electric France

Citroen and Ines de La Fressange Paris show off two new concepts

Citroën is taking some inspiration from the famous Parisian style with two new, chic concepts based on the DS3 (above) and DS3 Cabrio (right) with input from the fashion house Ines de La Fressange Paris. There aren't any actual mechanical tweaks to them; they just show what the cars could look like with a dash of haute couture.
The DS3 hatchback gets a spray of Ink Blue, satin-finish paint with a slightly contrasting Onyx Black roof, and its Cabrio sibling wears gloss Perla Nera Black body with an Infinite Blue softop roof. Other than the colors, they share a ton of other features with Ines Red mirror caps, 17-inch wheels, an Ines de la Fressange Paris emblem on the center pillar and a subtle Aéropostale red, white and blue trim strip wrapping around the back. They're both handsome vehicles, but it's hard to understand why some extra paint and trim make them concepts.
Inside, the two of them are identical, and their blue, white and red color scheme echoes the French flag. Compared to the relatively subtle exteriors, the dashboard is covered in eye-piercing Ines Red with the company's emblem. The seats are covered in Granite Blue leather with white stitching to get all of the colors in there. The Aéropostale trim strip also gets used again on the seats.

Stellantis reports $15B profit in first year of merger

FRANKFURT, Germany — Automaker Stellantis said Wednesday that it made 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion) in its first year after it was formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. The earnings nearly tripled profits compared with its pre-merger existence as two separate companies, as the maker of Jeep, Opel and Peugeot vehicles exploited cost efficiencies from combining the businesses. The result compared to a combined 4.79 billion euros for the separate companies in 2020 before the merger, which took effect on Jan. 17, 2021. Revenue for the combined business rose 14%, to 152 billion euros. CEO Carlos Tavares said the results “prove that Stellantis is well positioned to deliver strong performance" and had overcome “intense headwinds” during the year. Automakers have struggled with shortages of key parts such as semiconductor electronic components and rising costs for raw materials as the global rebound from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic brings more demand. The company said the benefits of the merger were worth some 3.2 billion euros during the year. Mergers can lead to streamlined costs as companies combine functions and spread fixed costs over a larger revenue base. The company accelerated its rollout of battery-powered vehicles, with sales of low-emission vehicles reaching 388,000 — an increase of 160%. Stricter environmental regulations in Europe and China are pushing automakers to roll out more electric vehicles with longer range. Stellantis started production of a hydrogen fuel cell commercial van under its Opel brand in December. Stellantis' other brands include Chrysler, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Maserati, Ram and Vauxhall. Related video: Earnings/Financials Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot Vauxhall