As it turns out, the Fiat Group’s decision to tie the fate of its next generation Alfa Romeo Spider to the Mazda MX-5, could be the beginning of a new relationship between the two automakers.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at a Chrysler plant in Belvidere, Illinois, Fiat and Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne said that the company is open to deepening its newly found partnership with Mazda in order to lower its manufacturing and developing costs as well as to expand its reach.
“We will continue to look at other bilateral arrangements,” said Marchionne who added, “We’re totally open.”
Reuters reported that while Mazda builds Alfa Romeo’s next Spider on the same production line as the new MX-5 in Japan, the Fiat and Chrysler Group could manufacture the Japanese automaker’s vehicles at its own plants worldwide.
The Italian company has entered several production partnerships over the years, including the Fiat 500 that is built in a joint venture with Ford’s Ka in Poland, the Fiat Punto with GM’s Opel Corsa and the Fiat Sedici with Suzuki’s SX4 in Hungary.
“The economics make it very difficult for most automakers to continue to produce all their own platforms and powertrains”, Marchionne told reporters, according to Reuters. “We’re willing to engage in discussions with anyone else,” he added.
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