[volkman10]

Is Marchionne sounds like like Communism! Why should FIAT/Chrysler ask for EU intervention if they can't be run effectively ?

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne criticized German automakers for rejecting EU intervention that would help the region's automakers reduce excess production capacity.

"The issue is on the table, and we're trying to understand what the German position is," Marchionne said at a Fiat press conference on Wednesday.

Marchionne is current president of ACEA, the European automakers lobbying association. The majority of ACEA members agree that overcapacity is a problem in Europe except for Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, Marchionne said.

"The three German makers appear united against an EU intervention. But no one can say that overcapacity is not a problem in Europe," he said.
On March 20, Marchionne said the EU needs to get involved in a "painful" restructuring for European carmakers, including plant closures, because "if you leave it to the national countries, it won't happen." Plant closures must be distributed across countries and producers, he said.
German automakers continue to sell record numbers of cars globally, boosted largely by demand for their Germany-built models in markets such as China and the United States.
In the first quarter, BMW Group's global sales grew 10 percent to just over 400,000. Daimler's Mercedes and Smart brands sold a record 340,827 vehicles, a rise of 15.3 percent.

http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs...120409908/1247

[volkman10]

VW demands Marchionne step down as chief of Europe trade group.

Marchionne, who is also head of Chrysler, said this week Volkswagen was being too aggressive in its pricing strategy when conditions are already tough in the European auto industry.

Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker by sales, is considering quitting ACEA in protest over Marchionne's remarks
Volkswagen executives routinely express interest in purchasing Fiat's troubled Alfa Romeo brand despite Marchionne's refusal to divest the unit.

Volkswagen's influential supervisory board chairman, Ferdinand Piech, caused an uproar years ago when he told reporters that Fiat "isn't struggling enough yet" to be forced to sell Alfa Romeo

The criticism highlights the tension between VW, which today reported record first-half profit, and smaller European competitors such as Fiat of ] and PSA Peugeot Citroen of France, whose losses in the region are mounting.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2012...#ixzz21nm8pdyV