Italy’s Fiat has already expanded its auto empire to include Chrysler – with Opel likely to join in the coming months – but a new report reveals Fiat’s lineup expansion could stamp out at least one of its existing brands.
According to a recent Reuters report, a Fiat-Opel merger would likely spell the end for Fiat’s Lancia premium brand. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has reportedly told those close with the Opel merger talks that the three-way merger of Fiat, Chrysler and Opel would mean the ousting of the Lancia brand.
Lancia is by no means Fiat’s most successful brand, selling a mere 100,000 units last year – roughly the same General Motors’ Saab brand. However, Alessandro Alexandre, head of Lancia’s dealer association says the reports of Lancia’s demise are “nonsense”.
But with Fiat’s expansion plans, there may not be room in the Fiat stable for Lancia. As General Motors has discovered with its multiple brands, resources for r&d and marketing become all too thin, especially for a division that offers essentially nothing but re-badged vehicles.
05/19, 2:09 PM
posted by:
05Z88Path
Bring back the Stratos first! (Such a cool looking car…)
05/19, 2:36 PM
posted by:
F50
I agree, the Stratos is a great looking car.
05/19, 2:49 PM
posted by:
The Tuga
after the eighties lancia as been nothing more than a upscale fiat by banking on racing and sporty heritage, and since 2000 or so, it decided to be a fashion fiat. that ended with the 500
lancia just needs to do sexy sporty cars again.
otherwise, will not be missed
05/19, 2:56 PM
posted by:
No more oil for GM
lancia is one heck of a nice brand name.. too bad it hasn’t gotten any real attention.. its situation inside fiat is the same as saab’s inside gm all those years..
05/19, 3:15 PM
posted by:
A4
Lancias are pretty good lookin cars
05/19, 3:18 PM
posted by:
writeeddie
They can re-badge the American made 300M, Caravan, Wrangler (just add diesel engine) and other Chrysler products and sell it as LANCIA maybe? Why not? We’re getting rebadged FIAT on this side of the pond. No one really knows the Chrysler brand there anyway.
05/19, 4:47 PM
posted by:
save saab
I saw a Lancia (I think it was the new Delta) in Angels and Demons, really cool looking car. I think Lancia should go back to its roots as a it was just great in rallying.
05/20, 3:01 AM
posted by:
SomeGreek
writeeddie, we do know Chrysler and we think it’s a failure, quite bigger than Lancia. Rebadged cars failed in the states, why would they sell in Europe? Moreover non of this models fits with Lancias character and in Europe we are obsessed with character!
What could be good with Lancia is having 2 or 3 models and sell the through Fiats network. Share parts in projects that souldn’t carry Fiat’s badge.
05/20, 3:03 AM
posted by:
fan
the delta looked sweet in angels and demons, true… still, in reality it is a nice car, but far from the flashy look in the movie
05/20, 6:13 AM
posted by:
Hyperion
Yeah, this company is responsible for the Stratos HF, 037 coupe and Delta Integrale Evoluzione Group B rally cars from the 70’s-80’s. It’s a shame they aren’t selling anything more than rebadged Fiats in recent years. What has Fiat produced even as recently as the 1980’s that anyone has cared about? Perhaps only the original 126, which itself owed much to the old 500’s.
It would be a shame if they were to simply kill the brand in their own stable. Lancia should have a fighting chance in the 21st century.
05/20, 8:07 AM
posted by:
Suzhou
it is ok,Lancia is not available in my country.
05/20, 1:42 PM
posted by:
shaver
Just saw a Delta Integrale Evoluzione on display at rally oregon last week. Just a sick beast. Among my favorite cars all time. There was also a RS200 next to it, I was pretty much nutting myself.