Currently reading: Lancia and Chrysler future unclear in Europe

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chief Sergio Marchionne hints that Lancia brand could be wound down

The future of the Lancia brand and its integration with Chrysler will become clear on 6 May, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chief Sergio Marchionne has revealed at the Geneva motor show.

When Fiat and Chrysler first got together, Marchionne saw close synergies between Lancia and Chrysler, and launched a glut of badge-engineered Chryslers as Lancias in Europe.

In the UK, the reverse happened, with Chrysler models joined by badge-engineered versions of the Ypsilon and Delta.

The plan has not been a success, with Marchionne confirming earlier this year that all the Lancia-badged Chryslers were to be axed, along with the Delta, meaning Lancia would have just one model, the Ypsilon, which would only be sold in Italy.

This is set to be rubber-stamped in May when Marchionne reveals the future model plans for all brands in the newly created Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire. The plan is also set to reveal whether or not the Ypsilon will be replaced after its current generation.

“I will shed more light on Chrysler in Europe in May,” said Marchionne. “We have curtailed our ambitions for Lancia. I’m going to be saying things that will hurt old Lancia people. The market has moved on and not every opportunity can be realised, we can’t cede to every demand.

“There will be some reshaping of activities and we need to make money.”

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Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

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concinnity 9 March 2014

If VW can take Skoda from

If VW can take Skoda from cheap joke to semi-prestige value AFTER Lancia went through it's rough patch with rust on the UK market and during the time that Lancia won a bunch of world rally championships- (more than anyone else), I think that Fiat has demonstrated that they don't have a clue as to how to manage brands properly. For the past 50 years there has been haphazard and erratic model development and replacement in all the Italian marques. Alfa Romeo or Lancia used to have more brand equity than BMW, now they both have smaller product ranges than the Korean upstarts, Hyundai and Kia. As a car brand Fiat makes 2 models, the 500 and the Panda. Alfa makes 2, the Mito and the Guilletta and now Maserati is going to be bled dry as an upmarket brand just as it is starting to establish itself. In the time that it has taken to ruin the Italian motor industry Toyota has established Lexus with it's full range, the Koreans have started their brands from scratch and VW has rebuilt Skoda. How much longer can Fiat/Chrysler management continue to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? When Maserati,Jeep and Dodge are worth as little as Lancia and Autobianchi now ( apparently ) are.?
Old Toad 7 March 2014

Marchionne v Bahar

Marchionne will be the death of Lancia just like Bahar was to Lotus .

How do these shysters get the top jobs ?

3mocion 7 March 2014

Pieche would kill Alfa slowly and painfully...

I don't understand people's faith in Pieche restoring the Alfa brand. For one example, Taking over SEAT from the Spanish government in the 80's, there was much promise of turning it into the Spanish Alfa Romeo, and it would of been quite feasible as the Alfa brand has been neglected throughout and since the 90's, and there would have been enough time to develop the brand for today. A decade later and more than several concepts later, SEAT is starved of the mainstream essential models it needs to make money and has to compete with just two key selling models, meanwhile VW is thinking about introducing yet another SUV, the next gen loss making slow selling Phaeton, the loss making electric slug, and he is allowing major overlaps of brands (Skoda to become sporty and edgy like SEAT). All this stinks of greed, arrogance, a desire to make more money and world domination for the VW group, and i'm wondering if this is a German trait (i.e Germany running Europe, etc). Either way, It would be dangerous to have Alfa part of the VW group, as VW would find away to make it more clinical and German and more mainstream than it should be. Alfa needs to be with the Italians who just need to pull their finger out and fall in love with the brand again. I can see some life being breathed back into the Alfa brand, and i hope that the new 159 will get the rwd chassis and the breathtaking style and beauty they're promising. That would be a way to stick up two fingers to the anti-christ that is Pieche.
Frightmare Bob 7 March 2014

3mocion wrote:Either way, It

3mocion wrote:

Either way, It would be dangerous to have Alfa part of the VW group, as VW would find away to make it more clinical and German and more mainstream than it should be. Alfa needs to be with the Italians who just need to pull their finger out and fall in love with the brand again. I can see some life being breathed back into the Alfa brand, and i hope that the new 159 will get the rwd chassis and the breathtaking style and beauty they're promising. That would be a way to stick up two fingers to the anti-christ that is Pieche.

On the other hand, Lamborghini have done rather well under VAG ownership, without which they would surely have disappeared. Oh and, err, Bentley seem to be doing alright too.

n. leone 7 March 2014

Piëch or Marchionne

Right, Alfa should stay in Italian hands, but whose hands, pray? In that country there is only Fiat as a mass constructor, and Fiat has blown to smithereens all other Italian identities. After the late sixties, Fiat dismantled one by one all the technical characteristics that defined Alfa Romeo: rwd, for starters, rear gearbox and the lovely v6 later. They started then producing cars which merely boasted an Alfa badge and none of its contents, like an elegant Perrier bottle with plain water inside. The market was subsequently invaded with fwd progressively worse vehicles, like that abortion whose name I can't recall made with the Japanese (Arna, maybe).
The only constructor with the necessary financial clout to express an interest was VW. And why? Because Piëch ADMIRED alfas, the very same brand that for quite a period of time beat BMW flat in sportivity.
Marchionne's only interest is in finance and mergers. He doesn't care what the next Alfa will be. Likely a Chrysler platform (oh, what a juicy piece of cutting edge technology!) and a Fiat engine. Do you deem this to be the embodyment of the Alfa Romeo spirit? Not I!