2012 Fiat 500c Pop on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Trump Administration will look 'very carefully' at FCA/Peugeot deal

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's administration will look very closely at the planned merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday. The deal, announced on Thursday, would create the world's fourth-largest automaker. "We will obviously look at it very, very carefully," Kudlow said on Bloomberg. "The president has not commented on the deal ... We're not afraid of doing business with international companies, Lord knows." When asked about the 12.2% equity stake and 19.5% voting stake China's Dongfeng Motors holds in PSA, Kudlow said: "With respect to the Chinese story, we obviously are alert and on guard." The deal, which would be structured as a 50-50 merger, would create the fourth-largest global automaker with annual sales of nearly 9 million vehicles. Fiat Chrysler told employees the deal could generate synergies of 3.7 billion euros but added "these synergies are NOT based on closing plants." Fiat Chrysler declined to comment. There has been speculation Dongfeng might sell its holdings, which could help ease the deal's passage through U.S. regulators, given U.S.-Chinese trade tensions. "We will welcome a good deal. We hope it will get more production in the United States, more factories and workers and employment in the U.S. And with respect to the Chinese angle, we will take a careful look at it," Kudlow said. Fiat Chrysler said on Thursday that "teams at both companies are working to finalize discussions and reach a Memorandum of Understanding in the coming weeks."

Junkyard Gem: 1985 Bertone X1/9

Sales of the Fiat X1/9 began in the United States in 1974, and the price tag was very reasonable for a mid-engined Italian two-seater. For a time, these cars were common sights on American streets, at least in non-rusty areas. Then Americans became disillusioned with the Fiat brand, and the company folded its tent and departed the continent after 1982, not returning until 2010. Automotive dealmaker Malcolm Bricklin saw an opportunity at that point, and his company began bringing in 124 Sport Spiders badged as Pininfarinas and X1/9s badged as Bertones. Here's an '85 Bertone in a California wrecking yard. Fiat had hired Bertone to design the X1/9 in the first place, so the badging change wasn't so jarring to those Americans familiar with the car's history. Bricklin introduced Subaru cars to the United States in the late 1960s, started his own car company in the middle 1970s, then went on to bring a Yugoslavian-built Fiat 127 variant to these shores, via the same company that was already bringing in the X1/9. Power came from what amounted to a Fiat 128 engine/transaxle assembly, mounted just behind the rear window. In 1985, the Bertone X1/9 had 75 horsepower and weighed just over a ton. This car still has the allegedly valuable hardtop. I'm pretty sure that every American X1/9 owner has several of these stashed away by now. Optimistically, Bertone used a six-digit odometer in this car. 188,285 miles would have been pretty respectable in a 1985 Corolla, never mind a Fiat known for shaky electrical systems and poor build quality. I still see quite a few X1/9s in the big self-service wrecking yards, and even more 124 Sport Spiders. The seat upholstery is very stylish. I checked this car's VIN on the California smog-check database, which shows that it last passed the emissions test in 2009. Perhaps something broke soon after that and the car awaited repairs that never came. It has both a trunk and a frunk. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Just a thing for a nice leisurely drive on a salt flat.

Chrysler and Fiat are not going away, though the strategy is shifting

BALOCCO, Italy — At FCA's five-year plan extravaganza last week, most of the news was focused on just four brands — Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. In fact, Chrysler, Fiat and Dodge weren't even on the day's agenda. That led to some speculation that Chrysler might finally get the axe. Well, rumors of the brand's demise have been greatly exaggerated. In addition to an updated deal with Waymo, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne expanded on future plans for Chrysler and Fiat during a Q&A session with investors and journalists. Marchionne said that Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat make up only 20 percent of global sales. While that means Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo make up the bulk of FCA's profits (and most of that comes from Jeep and Ram). Currently, the Chrysler and Fiat brands just aren't important or valuable enough to warrant their own press conferences, but that doesn't mean things are doom and gloom. Marchionne said that both brands still have a future in FCA's portfolio. For Chrysler, that means more vans and possibly crossovers, and only in the North American market. The Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid are doing well enough, so those will continue. Look for a crossover or two to come sometime down the line. Every Chrysler going forward will focus on utility and that's bad news for 300 enthusiasts: Marchionne said flat out that the Chrysler lineup won't contain any cars. Expect hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric versions of each new model. FCA plans to have an electrified version of every global model by 2022. Details were less clear for Fiat's future, though it won't be going away. The only new model that was announced was a new version of the all-electric Fiat 500e, a car Marchionne famously encouraged customers not to buy as the company lost $14,000 on each one sold. For North America, Fiat will focus on "green cars," though what exactly that means is unclear. Expect a refreshed version of the 500X in the next couple of years. Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters Earnings/Financials Green Chrysler Fiat Crossover Minivan/Van chrysler pacifica fiat 500e