Newly combined Fiat and Chrysler to be called Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

January 30, 2014: The newly established holding company of Fiat and Chrysler will be known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, following the recent £2.6 billion (Rs 26,985 crore) buyout of the latter by the former.

The group will have its base in the Netherlands and a tax domicile in the UK. FCA's shares are planned to be listed on stock exchanges in New York and Milan before the end of the year.

A decision on the location of the global headquarters for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, now the world's seventh-largest car maker, has yet to be taken Sergio Marchionne, CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler, said: “Today we can say that we have succeeded in creating solid foundations for a global automaker with a mix of experience and know-how on a level with the best of our competitors.”

A long-term business plan is due to be presented at the beginning of May 2014, which will outline the future for all the group's brands, including Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Lancia.

Fiat said that the new logo, unveiled as part of the announcement, was spurred on by the need for an identity that represented "an organisation that is much more than the sum of its two parts".

The Fiat-Chrysler deal will allow Fiat to be able to draw on Chrysler's technology more swiftly, and gain more from Chrysler's current profitability, which is in stark contrast to Fiat's struggles in Europe. In particular, the revival of Alfa Romeo is said to hinge on using Chrysler know-how.

Speaking earlier this month after acquiring the 41.5 percent of Chrysler Fiat did not already own, Marchionne said: "The unified ownership structure will now allow us to fully execute our vision of creating a global automaker that is truly unique in terms of mix of experience, perspective and know-how."

LEWIS KINGSTON, AUTOCAR UK