Dodges to be rebranded Alfa Romeos, sell Fiats

UPDATE Chrysler Group LLC, the automaker run by Fiat SpA, will sell four models of the Italian carmaker's 500 subcompact in the United States, CEO Sergio Marchionne said. Chrysler, which emerged from bankruptcy on June 10, eventually will sell a convertible, wagon and sporty version called the "Abarth" in addition to the four-seat subcompact in the United States, Marchionne said in an interview on June 30. While the base 500 will go on sale next year, he didn't say when the other models will be available.

"All of those cars will be coming to the U.S.," Marchionne said. "Fiat will be known in the U.S. purely in terms of its 500 car."

07/03/09 With the ink still wet on the Fiat/Chrysler deal, many auto sites (including Autoblog) have had a bit of fun prognosticating which Fiat/Alfa models would be rebadged as Chrysler products. U.K. site Autocar is reporting that Fiat is exploring bringing in Dodge models to Europe to be rebadged at Alfa Romeos. CEO Sergio Marchionne is said to be considering the move, saying that the two brands share the same core identity.

Autocar quotes Marchionne as saying that Dodge is the muscle car of the U.S. while Alfa is the muscle car of Europe, the latter being an interesting bit of positioning that we Statesiders don't normally associate with the brand. If the right Dodge-branded products were to make their way to Europe, the theory is that the Auburn Hills marque could actually bolster the products already offered by Alfa. The problem is, though, that there are few (if any) Dodge models that could reasonably be expected to perform well in Europe. The only models that are likely to be of interest are the Charger, Viper and Challenger, and the there is a chance that the Viper could soon find itself outside of the Chrysler portfolio altogether. The Charger and Challenger are likely too big for Europe as well, and would probably only sell in small numbers.

Marchionne also tells Autocar that the Chrysler group is still losing money, but the rate has slowed due to production and labor cuts. Autocar

[Editor's Note: Cannot imagine a NASCAR fan cheering for the Alfa Romeo brand.]