Mr. Stellantis.
This is a new drug or the fictional sister city of Atlantis. That is the decision made by the merged company between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and French automaker PSA Group if its 50-50 merger ends as planned in the first quarter of next year.
As an exclusive call from the Dutch-based merger parent company, Fiat Chrysler’s Auburn Hills operations would become Stellantis’ North American headquarters. The vehicle brands and logos of the two corporations will remain unchanged, according to a joint agreement through Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group.
The new call is derived from the Latin verb “stello” which means “to shine with stars” – a nod, according to corporations that have been generating vehicles for more than 120 years, to their long history and intend to create a competitive world company.
“I think the kind of call sets the tone for a new start,” said Stephanie Brinley, senior automotive analyst for the Americas at IHS Markit Ltd. “Says they’re moving forward and it’s going to be a 50-50 merger, which can be very difficult, reinforcing this vision of a new company in which the two past companies have an interest.
“I’m not sure it’s vital to consumers at an express level. What they locate will be vital is how the products are executed.”
Stellantis has no connection to any country, Brinley added. It would have the Ram, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat and Maserati brands of the Italian-American manufacturer and the brands Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Vauxhall and DS of the French company.
“It provides them with the area of this umbrella to give their mythical brands all the respect and love they want,” Brinley said.
The call also avoids an alphabetical soup of acronyms that would make the mix of existing corporate calls, notes Karl Brauer, executive editor of Kelley Blue Book. And by not calling one logo on another, it prevents one from seeming more vital than another.
“The two weakest Fiat Chrysler logos are Fiat and Chrysler,” Brauer said. “It moves away from an express logo that can be a bit awkward if, and when, obviously, it struggles to have viability in the market. That’s an advantage.”
The procedure for identifying a call with French advertising firm Publicis Group began after automakers signed a binding agreement in December for the transatlantic merger that is expected to create the fourth largest car manufacturer by volume. Companies forecast annual savings of $4.1 billion. The scale, they say, would provide the capital needed to invest in long-term technologies and compete in the evolving industry.
Stellantis’ main name may constitute those main expectations, Brauer said, “It is better to be able to offer a solid and dynamic new company under this name.”
PSA would appoint six board members, Carlos Tavares, CEO of ITS, who would lead Stellantis. Fiat Chrysler would appoint five, its President John Elkann, who still holds the same position.
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