Rumor: FCA preparing to drop Chrysler brand

CEO Sergio Marchionne has publicly committed to keeping Dodge alive, while Chrysler models have mysteriously dropped from the roadmap.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles may be preparing to retire the Chrysler brand, according to a speculative rumor from Automotive News' Larry Vellequette.

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne earlier this year made a public commitment to keeping the once-struggling Dodge brand alive, but has made no such declaration for Chrysler.

Perhaps more tellingly, the company appears to have quietly dropped several promised models from a roadmap outlined in 2014. The plan to turn Chrysler into a volume brand would have filled the lineup with eight models by 2018.

Rather than expand the Chrysler family, FCA has widdled it down to just the aging 300 and the Pacifica minivan. A midsize crossover, new 200 and smaller 100 sedan are still missing.

FCA has not officially confirmed the rumor, but Vellequette suggests it could be disclosed when the company outlines its next five-year plan.