Profesoruツ Posted February 27, 2021 Posted February 27, 2021 Liaisons, some dangerous, some inspired and many unexpected, have long created drama in the automotive industry.Half a century ago, no pundit could have imagined modest, middle-class Peugeot being a lead player in an industrial combine including the mighty (it was then) Fiat, America’s third-biggest car maker (it was then) Chrysler and Opel and Vauxhall, twinned then cast off by General Motors. Almost as wild would have been the idea of Fiat swallowing Chrysler, Jeep and a pick-up brand called Ram.Yet that’s exactly how things turned out, with Stellantis formed from the merger of the PSA Group (which grew out of Peugeot) and FCA (Fiat and Chrysler merged).So how did its various brands get here, and what are some of their most memorable creations? Fiat invented the supermini with the 127 in 1971, and its Punto descendant was often the best seller in Europe. It’s amazing that the firm abandoned such success, despite tight margins.Tipo: A fine example of Fiat’s bipolarity: the charming 500 on one side, the dull and underdone Tipo on the other. A fine piece of retro engineering that has succeeded beyond Fiat’s wildest dreams, doubtless saving the brand.124 Spider: FCA’s on-off commitment to models caused this pleasingly effective Fiat-and-Mazda mongrel’s early death.Alfa Romeo8C Competizione: Beautiful proof Alfa can easily sell a car for over £100k, but proof ignored.
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