Fiat will be the exclusive distributor of Chrysler in Europe

The Italian manufacturer announced yesterday that starting next month Fiat will take charge of sales and servicing of cars of the Jeep and Dodge brands in 11 European countries, a process that will begin in Italy and will take approximately 2 years to complete.

Fiar will also gradually replace Chrysler’s former commercial partner (Daimler) with logistical support, in other words it will replace the spare parts and general services distribution network.

The activities and employees of the various Chrysler companies in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland will be gradually transferred to the corresponding areas of Fiat over the next 18 months. It is indicated that 400 Chrysler Europe employees will eventually become part of the Italian company.

Distribution contracts with Chrysler importers in other European countries will also progressively pass to Fiat, which will eventually become the sole distributor of Chrysler brands in Europe. The Italian manufacturer plans to announce its plan to integrate European Chrysler dealers into its own distribution network on April 21.

As an additional note, Chrysler lost market share last year on the old continent, whereas Fiat increased its sales by 6.3%, earning a profit higher than that of 2008.

Source | Auto News