Automotive

Sergio Marchionne, The Man Who Saved Fiat, Chrysler has Died At Age 66

MILAN – Sergio Marchionne, a charismatic and demanding CEO who engineered two long-shot corporate turnarounds to save both Fiat and Chrysler from near-certain failure, died Wednesday. He was 66.

The holding company of Italian automaker Fiat’s founders, the Agnelli family, announced Marchionne had died after complications from surgery in Zurich. At Fiat Chrysler Automobiles headquarters in the Italian town of Turin, flags flew at half-mast, while in Rome the parliamentary committee for labor and finance observed a minute of silence.

“Unfortunately what we feared has come to pass,” Fiat heir John Elkann said. “Sergio Marchionne, man and friend, is gone.”

Marchionne built the dysfunctional companies into the world’s seventh-largest automaker, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, almost by personal force of will, living on a corporate jet crossing the Atlantic to push employees to accomplish what most people thought was impossible amid a devastating global recession.

Marchionne, who was Italian and Canadian, had revived Fiat by 2009 when he was picked by the U.S. government to save U.S.-based Chrysler from its trip through bankruptcy protection after being owned by a private equity company.

“It’s highly unlikely that Chrysler would exist today had he not taken that gamble,” said Autotrader.com analyst Michelle Krebs. “The company was in such bad shape, being stripped of any kind of resources by the previous owners.”

Marchionne met most of his goals, even though at times he was doubted by nearly everyone in the automobile business. But he didn’t live long enough to complete his last two: personally hand over the reins of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to a hand-picked protege and lay out plans for transforming supercar maker Ferrari.

Marchionne had surgery on his right shoulder last month, and the company said last weekend that complications meant he would not be able to return. No details were released.

The manager, known for his folksy, colorful turns of phrase and for his dark cashmere sweaters no matter the occasion, was the darling of the automotive analyst community. Even when expressing doubts at his audacious targets, they showed admiration for his adept deal-making. That included getting GM to pay $2 billion to sever ties with Fiat, key to relaunching the long-struggling Italian carmaker, and the deal with the U.S. government to take Chrysler without a penny down in exchange for Fiat’s small-car technology.

Marchionne joined Fiat after being tapped by the Agnelli family to save the company. Fiat had for generations been a family-run enterprise, and having someone at the helm from outside Italy’s clubby management circles – even a dynamo like Marchionne – was an enormous change.

Other key corporate moves included the spinoff of the heavy industrial vehicle and truck maker CNH and of the Ferrari supercar maker. Both deals unlocked considerable shareholder value for Agnelli family heirs led by John Elkann. Elkann, 42, came into his own under Marchionne’s stewardship, taking over as chairman in 2010 having been tapped more than a decade earlier by his grandfather, the late Gianni Agnelli, to run the family business.

As Marchionne’s health failed following surgery, a clearly emotional Elkann delivered what amounted to an impromptu eulogy and message of gratitude to a man he called his mentor.

“He taught us to think differently and to have the courage to change, often in unconventional ways, always acting with a sense of responsibility for the companies and their people,” Elkann said over the weekend. “He taught us that the only question that’s worth asking oneself at the end of every day is whether we have been able to change something for the better, whether we have been able to make a difference.”

It was Marchionne’s success in turning around a pair of Swiss businesses that drew the attention of the Agnelli family. He joined Fiat’s board in May 2003, four months after the death of Gianni Agnelli. He became CEO in June 2004, following the death of Gianni Agnelli’s brother, Umberto, Fiat’s chairman, leaving a family void in the company.

As an outsider, Marchionne was unfettered by local loyalties and he set about cutting jobs and expenses, slimming management ranks and increasing shareholder value along the way. He brought in other outsiders to key positions and relaunched the iconic 500, which became one of the new Fiat’s calling cards as it expanded abroad.

While he started small with limited industrial alliances, his ambitions soon grew. The bankruptcy of Chrysler gave him the opportunity to create a global car company with brands including Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati that he envisioned would grow to 6 million cars a year. A global economic crisis that bottomed out car sales in key U.S. and European markets prevented him from reaching that goal, but his industrial vision never faltered as he spun off CNH and Ferrari into stand-alone entities.

His most quoted presentation to analysts, titled “Confessions of a Capital Junkie,” argued that consolidation was inevitable in the investment-heavy car industry. But though he tried for another merger with General Motors, talks never led to a deal. Still, newspaper photographs of a chain-smoking Marchionne awaiting talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel outside the Chancellery in Berlin on the role of GM’s then-subsidiary, Opel, made clear just how personally he took the negotiations.

Marchionne had planned to step down as CEO of FCA after the close of 2018. He always insisted that his successor would come from inside — so it was no surprise when British manager Mike Manley, who helped boost Jeep to global success and get Fiat a foothold in Asia, was named as his successor as Marchionne’s health failed.

He had never indicated plans for Ferrari or CNH, leaving many to speculate that the tireless manager known for his short sleep cycles and globe-trotting style would use those positions to keep a foothold in the automotive world.

In June, he laid out FCA’s five-year plan — raising the eyebrows of analysts who pointed out he would not be the one to execute the plans. He responded by expressing confidence in his hand-picked team that helped draft the targets.

The plans included launching electrified powertrains across Fiat brands — a tacit acknowledgement that the company had lagged in introducing hybrid, hybrid-electric and full-electric engines. They also were to put Ferrari engines in Maserati cars as Marchionne sought to take on electric-car pioneer Tesla — but unlike at Tesla, which has so far failed to turn a profit, earnings were fundamental at FCA.

Marchionne’s penchant for numbers was always clear in his attentive quarterly presentations. He let his real satisfaction show during the June 2018 presentation when he announced the company had reached zero debt, by donning a necktie for the first time in a decade — albeit briefly.

His next major move was to be the presentation of a new business plan in September for Ferrari, which he aimed to turn into a luxury company beyond just cars to further boost earnings.

At his last public appearance in his role as CEO, Marchionne in June attended a ceremony in Rome where a Jeep was presented to the paramilitary Carabinieri police. Marchionne began his brief remarks noting that he grew up in a household where his father was a Carabinieri officer.

He said he recognized in the Carabinieri “the same values at the basis of my own education: seriousness, honesty, sense of duty, discipline and spirit of service.”

Marchionne was divorced. He is survived by his companion, Manuela Battezzato, and two grown sons, Alessio and Tyler.

By Coleen Barry nad Tom Krisher – The Associated Press

Krisher reported from Detroit. Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

Automotive

Russell’s early departure leaves Lando Norris on pole at the Hungarian F1 GP.

(CTN News) – Lando Norris and his McLaren squad survived a tough qualifying session for the Hungarian Grand Prix, but they know they must perform on Sunday.

Lando Norris needed to win Budapest after Oscar Piastri locked off the top row in the field’s fastest McLaren. Recent races have been costly owing to wasted opportunities and little mistakes.

He matched Max Verstappen’s pole lap at the Hungaroring, who was unhappy to finish third. In a confident and aggressive approach, the 24-year-old finished more than three tenths ahead of the Dutchman, hitting the apexes.

Piastri followed Lando Norris by two hundredths of a second on the second hot run, demonstrating McLaren’s speed.

McLaren is doing well since Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix.

His potential triumphs have been cost by team and driver error, for which both parties have taken responsibility. On Sunday, he and McLaren will know they must do well.

Norris was quietly pleased with his historic first pole in Hungary and third overall. Although confident, McLaren will also be proud of their recent race progress. No one has won the pole in Budapest since Lewis Hamilton won the race and flag in 2012.

Norris and his crew recognize they must capitalize on closing gaps with 12 races left to drive Verstappen to the finish. Lando Norris understands. Behind Verstappen by 84 championship points.

“I know we missed out on some races, but we did the best we could in every one of them, and I don’t want to get back into all that stuff,” he said. I expect Oscar and Max to challenge me in the rear, not a clean weekend.

“Every location and point must be maximized; the more we can do to return to Max and Red Bull, the better.”

Hungary is a great opportunity since Lando Norris Verstappen was plainly unhappy with his car and outperformed. This disappointed him twice because the team had swiftly upgraded this race.

Verstappen had stated that the upgrades will define the second half of the season, but he admitted that he did not think they had gone far enough and could not defeat the McLarens.

“The changes are effective, but we still need more as we are not at the top,” said he. “Despite the imbalance, I liked the laps. I was pushing hard, so you had these little moments. Fast lap times are less crucial today. Simple: we need to work more because we’re moving slower. McLaren’s qualifying performance suggests a lot of ground to cover.

Lando Norris completed his best lap despite two crash-related stoppages.

Verstappen looked great in dry Q3 hot laps. He set a record with a lap time of 1 minute, 15.555 seconds and was quickest through each sector.

Lando Norris followed and pushed through the corners with fearlessness, posting a perfect 1:15.227 lap time. Piastri improved to second place on the penultimate laps while Verstappen did not, and Yuki Tsunoda’s crash halted the session.

A tardy coda didn’t matter when practice resumed because the last two minutes on old tires were worthless. McLaren has all the cards, but they must perform at the highest level to prove the legendary brand can win again.

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari was fourth and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes fifth. George Russell, Sainz’s teammate, was unexpectedly ousted in the first round.

Sergio Pérez of Red Bull struggled again in the first qualifying round. He hit the curb, lost the rear at turn eight, and crashed, interrupting the session.

Poor performance again for the Mexican, whose Red Bull berth is in risk after a succession of poor performances, especially in qualification. His contract, recently extended to 2025, may have a performance clause, and Red Bull is unlikely to tolerate him underperforming for long. He was sixteen.

Russell fell behind because Lando Norris Mercedes didn’t fuel the car until the session ended. The British driver was eliminated in 17th place after staying out when the track dried after the break.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari placed sixth, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin placed seventh and eighth, Daniel Ricciardo of RB placed nine, and Tsunoda placed tenth.

Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen of Haas finished 11 and 15, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber 12 and Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant of Williams 13 and 14. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly placed ninth and twentieth for Alpine, while Guanyu Zhou placed eighth for Sauber.

SOURCE: GN

Automotive

M5 Partially Closed as Cullompton-Exeter Crash Hospitalizes Two

(CTN News) – Two people were sent to the hospital for treatment as a result of the M5 tragic vehicle accident that happened in Devon.

The accident between two vehicles was the cause of the disaster. One more consequence of the crash is that it has left the M5 partially blocked to traffic to this day.

Between junction 28 for Cullompton and junction 29 for Exeter, the highway was blocked in both directions; however, one lane on the southbound carriageway has been opened up for previously closed traffic.

In a statement issued by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, they stated that they were notified of a traffic accident that had happened in the Exeter district at 2:29 p.m. on Friday, July 12.

M5 happened in Exeter, according to reports.

Furthermore, information was given to them by the South Western Ambulance Service.

To provide medical assistance to those injured, four land ambulances, each with two crews, an air ambulance, a critical care M5 vehicle, a doctor, an operations officer, and a responding officer were dispatched to the scene of the incident.

Furthermore, a critical care vehicle was dispatched. We also dispatched an air ambulance to the scene of the event.

Two patients were transported to their respective hospitals: one was transported by land ambulance to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, while the second patient was flown there by air ambulance.

After being moved, the two patients were sent to hospitals in Devon and Exeter, respectively. Simultaneously, both patients were transferred to their respective sites at the same time.

Here’s what Devon and Somerset M5 Fire and Rescue Service said:

“We responded to the scene of a road traffic collision on the M5 at 2.30 p.m. today, between junctions 28 and 29.” The statement cited above was part of an official declaration.

A car that had been hit by another car coming from the other direction had two persons inside that had been rescued. It had been traveling in the other direction.

We offered support as the people were being taken out of the car. These people are now receiving medical assistance from the ambulance service in order to fulfill their duties.

The event caused significant delays for the M5 and the routes that pass through Exeter during the period when traffic was being redirected. In order to accommodate the traffic, this was being done.

A southbound vehicle experienced wheel failure, causing it to cross the center reserve and merge with the northbound road approaching. The car was going the wrong way, which is why this happened. The vehicle was traveling southward at that precise moment.

National Highways indicated that based on the facts they have provided, it is expected that the police would begin their investigation into the occurrence given the magnitude of the calamity that occurred. The entity that made this information public was National Highways.

The Devon and Cornwall Police Department issued the following statement:

“We know the M5 closure is causing traffic.”

The statement that was released is located beneath you. “We will get people moving safely when we can but please bear with us while we deal with the incident and causalities at the scene.”

In order to accommodate cars and other small vehicles that were traveling on the now-closed northern route towards M5 Taunton and Bristol, the back of the line has been shifted.

This was done to create space for these cars, which were heading towards Taunton and Bristol. The purpose of this activity was to provide space for larger cars. At this point, it seems like more and more vehicles are being stopped from going forward.

Due to this incident, a second lane has been opened up for use by any and all vehicles traveling southward.

SOURCE: ITV

Automotive

Honda to Cease Production at One of its Thailand Auto Factories

(CTN News) – The Japanese vehicle firm Honda Motor made the news in a statement that was posted on Tuesday. The statement stated that the company intends to center its production at the site that it operates in the province of Prachinburi.

As a consequence of this, the production of automobiles will be halted at the facility that it operates in the province of Ayutthaya in Thailand by the year 2025.

The more difficult circumstances that the second-largest car manufacturer in Japan is facing in the country of Thailand, which is located in Eastern Southeast Asia, are exemplified by this move. Thailand is located in Southeast Asia.

There are several reasons for this, including the fact that Chinese firms are determined to grow their market share in Thailand, and a growing number of consumers are expressing an interest in electric vehicles (EVs). They both play a role in contributing to the problem.

The combined output of automobiles produced by Honda’s two facilities has fallen throughout the course of the succeeding four years, going from 228,000 vehicles in 2019 to less than 150,000 vehicles annually. This downward trend has occurred during the course of the past four years.

The preceding four years have been the time period during which this decline has taken place. With regard to the sales that the company has made in Thailand throughout the course of the past four years, there has been a consistent range of less than 100,000 to less than 100,000 for the entirety of this time period.

This is according to Honda’s spokeswoman.

When the factory first opened its doors in 1996, the company anticipates that it would continue to manufacture vehicle components at that location. When the firm finishes manufacturing vehicles at the Ayutthaya facility in the next year, the spokesperson stated that the company intends to continue producing automobile components at the plant.

In accordance with the statement that was given by the spokesman, the Prachinburi factory, which was built in 2016, will be utilized for the purpose of integrating the facilities with which automobiles are created. This was said in the statement. There are only two factories in Thailand that are owned and operated by the vehicle manufacturer, and these two factories are the only ones in the country.

According to the statement made by a spokeswoman for Honda in Thailand, the company’s goal is to reduce the disparity between the number of automobiles it produces and the number of sales it has experienced in the nation.

According to the remark that was made by the spokesman for the company, the automobile manufacturer are already exporting their products from Thailand, particularly to other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. According to a statement that was sent by a spokeswoman for the company.

Currently, Honda has no plans to invest in Thailand.

When it comes to mainland China, Honda and Nissan Motor, a Japanese automobile manufacturer that competes with Honda, have been hit particularly hard by competition from rising Chinese manufacturers.

Nissan Motor is a competitor of Honda. As a result of the fact that these businesses provide reasonably priced plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles that are loaded with software, a significant number of customers have been drawn to them.

Now, Japanese automobile manufacturers are at risk of losing clients in countries outside of China, such as those in Southeast Asia, to Chinese companies that are increasingly attempting to increase the quantity of automobiles they export and build up operations outside of China.

As a result, Honda Japanese automobile manufacturers are facing a potential loss of customers. They are exposed to this danger as a result of the fact that Japanese brands compete with Chinese brands in these locations.

BYD, a Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles, recently launched a plant in Thailand that will be responsible for the production of automobiles that are powered by electronic batteries.

This plant was established last week. The Chinese electric car manufacturers are beginning to establish facilities in the country, and this factory is a component of the wave of investments that they are making in the country. These investments have a total value that is greater than 1.44 billion dollars together.

SOURCE |SCMP