Is Fiat Chrysler Autos U.S. trying to force a merge with GM?

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
6/18/2015

This month the head of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US (FCA US), Sergio Marchionne, asked General Motors politely if the company would be interested in a merger. Most of the mainstream press made mention of it, many getting a giggle out of GM saying "talk to the hand." GM's actual response may not have been so cocky as was reported.

 

The Irish Times is reporting that FCA US may be trying to line up GM's investors to force a discussion of a merger. Accordingly, the report goes on to say that GM is enlisting advisors (also called lawyers) to be sure it is ready if it comes to a forced merger, buyout or some other form of pressure to merge.

 

Sergio Marchionne is one of the most accomplished heads of any automaker. Although very soft-spoken, he generally gets what he wants and his views are often ahead of the curve. He is well known to have said that car buyers don't care about things like engines and transmissions and that the larger automakers should simply team up to achieve even greater economies of scale. You are reading this at an enthusiast site, so you and I DO CARE about engines and other truck parts. Be honest though, most of our neighbors and relatives can't look at a car and tell which wheels are driven.

 

How would you feel about a merger between Ram's owner and the folks at GM that make Chevy and GMC trucks?

 

[MikeNH]

This crap has been tried in the past. Kirk Kerkorian tried to buy his way into power at all three U.S. brands during the recession and it didn't work. He pushed mergers too.

 

Not that I really agree with their tactics but the UAW would never let this amount of consolidation (layoffs) occur.

[nadrojcote]

He's right, the average car buyer doesn't care about engine options and power. They only care that it gets good mileage.

 

This is a huge merger if it happens. How will Ram owners be able to bad mouth GM owners and vise-versa?

[JeremyW426]

I'm undecided on this. If a merger were to occur, I'll admit I would be interested to see what the results would be. I grew up dodge, living and breathing mopar for the first 25 years of my life (being 29 now). I currently drive a 2015 Silverado simply because I work at a GM dealer but I do definitely love my truck. Both Ram and GM make solid trucks (arguments can be made, this is just my opinion) and feel that the result of a merge and taking the best from both trucks would produce one hell of a good truck. This all being said, I can't see any of this actually happening but I just think it would be interesting to see.

[Chris]

Soon we will see Camaros and Vettes with Hemis and Rams with Ecotecs.

[galliher_nc]

This is a huge merger if it happens. How will Ram owners be able to bad mouth GM owners and vise-versa?

I'll go to Ford and bad mouth both. I don't want a crappy half-Fiat truck.

[Victor Ferreira]

Honestly, people bad mouth Fiat for no reason. Chrysler is the bad part of their company, not the italians. Have owned several Fiats in my life (so has the family), they always turned out to be more reliable and better built than the equivalent GM or Ford product. (Granted I'm not talking about the US Market vehicles). Even owned a 500, and that was a pretty nice city car.

 

Chrysler, on the other hand, has only built crap for the past 20 or so years.

['01LS1]

What does it bring to the table? Would it just be operated with GM over the brands? Just do not see an advantage for GM other than some expensive patents/branding that may or may not even be relevant?

[Phillip123]

Ugh, the old rumor... Not gonna happen

[Duronimal]

Fiat ranked dead last of automakers in reliability, behind even Land Rover. The worst. US Today/JD Power. 273 defects per 100 vehicles. Chrysler is at 173.

[wilcfr]

I have owned numerous Fiat sports cars over the years. Insane fun, but rolling piles of s#*t. First time I ever had to carry tools with me at all times. The last thing GM needs is to associate their brand with Fiat or Chrysler.

[nadrojcote]

JD power usually has them as one of the worst for problems per 100 vehicles every year as well.

[Victor Ferreira]

I have owned numerous Fiat sports cars over the years. Insane fun, but rolling piles of s#*t. First time I ever had to carry tools with me at all times. The last thing GM needs is to associate their brand with Fiat or Chrysler.

New ones or 1970s ones?

 

Also, granted they do have a lot of "defects", but a Range Rover is still better than any GM product. Bentley is rated behind most domestics, and they're still better cars.

 

Not saying Fiats are perfect, because they're not. But I'd rather deal with a door handle that had to be fixed 2 weeks after buying the car (my case with my Fiat Punto) than with a vibration that never goes away and has no cure (our trucks).

 

 

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[SLESierra]

Honestly, people bad mouth Fiat for no reason. Chrysler is the bad part of their company, not the italians. Have owned several Fiats in my life (so has the family), they always turned out to be more reliable and better built than the equivalent GM or Ford product. (Granted I'm not talking about the US Market vehicles). Even owned a 500, and that was a pretty nice city car.

 

Chrysler, on the other hand, has only built crap for the past 20 or so years.

Chrysler on the other hand helped pull Diamler Benz out of their crappy production methods and was robbed in the break up, and so far have been the bright side of the FIat/Chrysler Merger in the US. The FCA stock in which I currently own is being driven not by Fiat products but by designs that were in place when Fiat bought Chrysler. Just go to the FCA website and it will give and read the investment reports and you will see what I am saying is fact. As for product, the company I work for has a fleet of trucks that beg to differ with you on crap, some with 240K plus and still pulling loads on the highways without any thought.

[wilcfr]

Owned them back in the seventies. 2 124 Spiders, 2 X1/9 and one 128 sedan. The sports cars were just bat s**t crazy fun. Raced a Mustang through the GSMNP at midnight in one of the X1/9s what a blast. Not enough power to overpower the brakes or handling so you could drive it flat out. Would have loved to have had about 200 extra HP, but then that would have been a Ferrari. The 128 couldn't get up a small southern Indiana hill without dropping down to third gear. All were truly fix it again Tony cars. Had to be towed twice. But gawd they were fun.