Hyperdrive
Elkann Says ‘Patriot’ Marchionne Saved Italy’s Auto Industry
- Agnelli heir discusses late CEO’s legacy in book interview
- Chairman calls Stellantis ‘evolution of Marchionne’s vision’
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Stellantis NV Chairman John Elkann credits former Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne with salvaging Italy’s auto industry and rejects years of criticism over the manufacturer progressively paring back its presence in the country.
“Sergio was a patriot in the highest sense of the word,” Elkann, 47, said in an interview for the latest edition of the biography of the late Marchionne, who ran the Italian carmaker from 2004 until his death in 2018. As Fiat’s chief executive officer, Marchionne and Elkann saved Fiat from near bankruptcy and combined it with US manufacturer Chrysler, turning two struggling regional players into one of the world’s biggest auto producers.