The return of Alfa Romeo to North America has already been delayed to next year, and the Italian automaker’s success hinges on Sergio Marchionne completing the Chrysler buyout.
Alfa Romeo already announced that the 4C will be produced in limited numbers each year and now a report suggests that the automaker’s U.S. future is dependent on Chrysler’s cash flow and manufacturing in order to mass produce the 4C. The problem is, 41.5 percent of Chrysler is still held by a union trust and it wants $40 billion for its share.
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Marchionne balked at the idea of paying that much and shortly thereafter, the trust exercised its right to file for an IPO; a move that could fast-track valuation of its share. Fiat warned of the possibility that it would withdraw support of Chrysler if an IPO occurs. Now, a Bloomberg report suggests that Fiat won’t be able to justify the business case for selling the 4C to U.S. consumers without full ownership of Chrysler.
GALLERY: Alfa Romeo 4C
[Source: Bloomberg]
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