From his signature sweater and collar shirt to the way he conducts media scrums with off the clef remarks, the 60-year old Italian-Canadian is anything but shy when it comes to anything and everything regarding the automotive industry.
DETROIT, MI- Chrysler Group LLC CEO and Chairman Sergio Marchionne is not your typical executive.
From his signature sweater and collar shirt to the way he conducts media scrums with off the cuff remarks, the 60-year old Italian-Canadian is anything but shy when it comes to anything and everything regarding the automotive industry.
The lifestyle of Marchionne, also CEO of Chrysler’s parent company Fiat SpA, was pretty well documented in his "60 Minutes" interview earlier this year, but a more realistic example occurred Thursday afternoon following the Auburn Hills-based automaker announcing it will invest $238 million and add about 1,250 new jobs to three of its plants in southeast Michigan.
Media, as they always do, swarmed the podium of the, what one Fox News reporter called, “oracle” of the auto industry. They asked him questions ranging from if he’ll retire before Ford Motor Co. CEO and Chairman Alan Mulally (he doesn't know) to the fiscal cliff (the media’s flavor the week).
Here are some of Marchionne’s comments on the wide-ranging topics discussed following the announcement at the automaker’s Mack I engine plant on the city’s east side:
Letter to employees about Jeep production not moving to China:
“It was not a reflection on any political campaign. I was just rectifying the record. (You should) only speak the truth, I was taught to do that when I was a kid.”
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during a rally last week in Ohio said that he had read a story that Jeep "is thinking of moving all production to China."
Marchionne did not mention Romney directly in the letter, but said suggesting the “backbone of the brand” will not be produced in the U.S. “is inaccurate.”
Regarding building Chrysler vehicles in Europe to meet customer demand in North America:
“No … We’re adding additional shifts at four facilities. We’re putting a third shift in Warren in the first quarter of next year (and) we just added a third shift at Jefferson.
“We keep on getting better and better at running lines. We will take things full-out before we start spilling (over to Europe).”
Projection on pickup truck sales:
“We’re seeing very stable demand on the truck side and we think we’ve got some success and positioning in the product lineup with the Ram 1500,” he said. “I expect it to do really well.”
Grand Cherokee diesel:
"I think it’s going to make a huge difference in the U.S. market. I think it will give diesel, finally, the proper chance to compete.
“People have the wrong perception of what diesel is like.”
On the American market’s reception to the reintroduction of Alfa Romeo:
“I think it’s going to be quite receptive because the technology that we’re bringing to the U.S. market is advanced technology with all the requisites of Italian styling.”
If his thoughts have changed regarding electric vehicles:
“Uh huh, my view has not changed.”
If he is happy with the contract with the Canadian Auto Workers union:
“Happy is a very strong word ... I think it’s an agreement that we can use, that’s the best thing I can tell you.”
On Fiat taking full ownership of Chrysler:
"I sincerely hope so."
Fiat currently owns 58.5 percent of Chrysler as a result of the 2008-2009 automotive bailout. The rest of the company is owned by a United Auto Workers hourly retiree health care trust.
On if Chrysler had enough money to purchase Chrysler:
“Yea, Fiat is sitting on 12.5-13 billion (reporter asks, the money is there?) Last time I checked. I was in Europe yesterday and the money was there before I left.”
Follow up: But you need a lot of that money to restructure Europe?
“You’ve got to be very careful when you start looking at Fiat,” he said. “Fiat has got other businesses that (can generate money). All the premium brands – Ferrari, Maserati, all the components businesses.
“People keep on forgetting that we’re the biggest automaker in Brazil by far. That business makes over a billion Euros a year.”
Worried about public opinion in Italy?
“No … Anybody who brings about change is automatically marked as a rebel.”
On Chrysler coming close to a preferred lender and not creating an in-house financing arm:
“Reality shapes itself in a variety of ways, just wait.”
On auto market outlook for 2013?
"I think the market will be a very good market. I think it will be a benign market.
"It’s not just my year, but I think the other guys share a good level of optimism … I think the numbers that come in will be well in access of what 2012 was."
On what the name of the replacement will be for the Jeep Liberty:
“It’s the Liberty successor. It won’t say all of that.”
On a possible successor when he retires:
“Games are on. Let people work their butts off and we’ll find out what happens when I’m ready to step down. It ain’t going to happen tomorrow, so they need to work a lot.”
How much it would hurt Chrysler if the U.S. fell off the “fiscal cliff:”
“It’s very difficult for me to predict,” he said. “I want to rely on the wisdom of the political leadership …”
Ram’s chances of beating Chevrolet for the No.2 pickup in the U.S.:
"I don’t know the chances. I sincerely hope we do … We’re just going to work very hard to try and position Ram … I think that we have the best lineup of pickups in the U.S. It’s a very humble statement. Apparently the guys in Texas agree.”
Click here for more on the announced Chrysler invest and jobs in Michigan.
Email Michael Wayland: MWayland@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/MikeWayland