FIAT buys 35% of Chrysler

[sasguru]

Breaking news on BBC front page...

[BrilloPad]

I wonder what price they paid? Can't have been much bearing in mind the pension liabilities.....

[Mich the Tester]

It was on the radio this morning. FIAT want access to production facilities in the US to build Alfas for the US market plus the little tiny cars they think Americans will finally start buying.

[threaded]

I wonder what price they paid? Can't have been much bearing in mind the pension liabilities.....

Yes, with those pension liabilities I would expect that FIAT would have been paid a substantial amount to take that albatross.

One often thinks that senior managers are just a collection of clueless gobtulipes, yet dismiss it as the ramblings of potential jealousy, but then a bunch do something like this and you know your initial instinct was spot on.

Didn't Crysler swap from "Choice-build" to "Net-build" a few years ago, and hence managed to make their crap cars even more unreliable straight off the forecourt? You just couldn't make it up!

So, how long will FIAT last after this?

[sasguru]

Wrong again threaded

It's a pretty good deal for FIAT as they're not paying cash and have no commitments to Chryslers future.
They get access to the American market and Chrysler gets access to their small car platforms and technology.

[Bagpuss]

It was on the radio this morning. FIAT want access to production facilities in the US to build Alfas for the US market plus the little tiny cars they think Americans will finally start buying.

Sounds like a clever move, middle class americans love to buy european cars rather than poorly designed and built american ones

[DimPrawn]

Next to an American car a FIAT is going to look like an Aston Martin.

[Mich the Tester]

Next to an American car a FIAT is going to look like an Aston Martin.

Indeed. Show them a Panda. They'll be like East Germans used to be, when they stood agog at the quality of a Polo.

[threaded]

Wrong again threaded

It's a pretty good deal for FIAT as they're not paying cash and have no commitments to Chryslers future.
They get access to the American market and Chrysler gets access to their small car platforms and technology.

We shall see.

FIAT might not have to stump up any cash now, but once that bailout money from the US government is gone someone is going to be made to pay those pensions, and America being America, it won't be the American partners who have to pony up the cash...

FIAT will regret this, big time.

[Churchill]

Indeed. Show them a Panda. They'll be like East Germans used to be, when they stood agog at the quality of a Polo.

They'll have to go on a F***ing diet first!