At the Mirafiori factory in Turin, Fiat has built everything from the Uno to the Multipla to the Maserati Quattroporte. Now the Chinese might come.
In 1939, Fiat's Mirafiori factory in Turin was inaugurated by Italy's then dictator Benito Mussolini. And now another dictator may set foot on the factory floor.
In October last year, the Stellantis group, of which Fiat is a part today, bought 21 percent of the Chinese car brand Leapmotor. The price? 1.5 billion euros.
But now Fiat is proposing to lay the foundations for Leapmotor's European production by building the brand's models at the Mirafiori factory.
That's what Automotive News writes.
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If the plans come to fruition, the brand from the communist dictatorship will be able to build 150,000 cars a year starting in 2026 or 2027.
The cars must be sold through Stellantis' network of dealers in Europe, so that the models from the communist regime avoid European punitive tariffs.
– If we have the opportunity, because it makes economic sense to build Leapmotor's cars in Italy, we will of course do it, says the group's managing director, Carlos Tavares.
During last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, Leapmotor presented two cars. One, a small city car called the TO3, is already available in France. And the other is called C10.
The bland name covers an SUV, which Leapmotor does not yet know where and in which markets within the EU the car can/will be sold.
