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Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it

For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand's sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of "Mr. Piëch, drop it." According to a report in Ward's Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.
Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn't comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that "There is no substance in the news." If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there's Alfa's recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata - a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.
The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn't own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne's plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.

Ram and Fiat Professional announce plans for new trucks, vans starting in 2015

Ram Trucks CEO and President Reid Bigland got his turn among the executives elucidating the near-term futures for brands in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles umbrella, laying out the plans for both Ram trucks and Fiat Professional. After Bigland said that the company "will continue to invest heavily in commercial vehicles" for the Italian arm, he didn't give many specifics as to where that investment would go. What we do know for now is that a new Fiat Doblo will come next year - that's the truck we've been catching spy shots of and that will be the basis for the Ram ProMaster City.
In 2016 will come the next-generation Fiorino, a small cargo van sold in markets outside the US as a Fiat, as the Citroën Nemo and Peugeot Bipper. The European and South American markets will also get a new midsize pickup that same year.
Bigland's goal for Ram Trucks and Ram commercial is just a touch more ambitious: "Build the best pickup trucks and commercial vehicles in the industry" and increase NAFTA-market sales from 463,000 in 2013 to 620,000 in 2018. The waypoints along that road include a refresh for the Ram 1500 in 2015 and then a brand new 1500 to come two years later in 2017. Bracketing that, a refresh for the Heavy Duty lineup happens in 2016, and two years later it will also get an all-new generation.

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.