Maybe it's not that crazy... Fiat, Chrysler (and Cerberus, Chrysler's owner) issued a joint press release today stating that the Italian automaker will be taking a 35% stake in the troubled American firm. In exchange for that stake, Fiat will provide Chrysler/Cerberus with "product and platform sharing, including city and compact segment vehicles, to expand Chrysler's current product portfolio; technology sharing, including fuel efficient and environmentally friendly powertrain technologies; and access to additional markets, including distribution for Chrysler vehicles in markets outside of North America..." While this is, undoubtedly, good news for Chrysler and its owners, I can't help but wonder where it might lead... Will we someday see Alfa Romeo branded Sprinter vans (to go along with the Dodge, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinters already out there)? How about Lancia Grand Cherokees? Fiat Ram pickups? Will we stop associating Dodges and Chryslers with "hemis" and start joking that they are now the "Fix it again, Tony" brands? I do admit that this is a ray of hope for Chrysler, and perhaps the wisest thing that Cerberus has done with the company, but that's not really saying much, is it?
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