Fiat, Chrysler to build Mazdas?

Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne has told reporters that Fiat and Chrysler could be co-opted into building cars for other makers.

Automotive News Europe reported Marchionne saying that Fiat and Chrysler could spare production capacity to build cars wearing the badges of different brands. According to the publication, the Fiat and Chrysler boss touched on specifically building cars for Mazda, but the article did not quote Marchionne verbatim. Fiat already builds the Ford Ka on the same Polish production line where the Fiat 500 is built, and the CEO clearly believes there is plenty of potential to reduce global manufacturing costs by entering into partnerships with other manufacturers.

"We will continue to look at other bilateral arrangements," Marchionne said, according to the article. "We're totally open."

"The economics make it very difficult," Marchionne was also quoted as saying, in the context of car manufacturers going it alone, building unique models with exclusive drivetrains and architecture.

"We're willing to engage in discussions with anyone else."

In point of fact, Fiat and Chrysler building Mazdas could be a stretch. The latest deal between Mazda and Fiat to build a new Alfa Romeo sports car on the MX-5 platform has the Japanese company building the Italian car; rather than the other way around. On the face of it, Mazda is more likely to have excess production capacity and less likely to need an outside company to build its cars — no matter how cordial the relationship between the two may be.

But stranger things have happened in the global automotive industry...

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