The Italian government is considering the possibility of taking over, through a decree, some of the former automobile brands owned by the Stellantis group and offering them to Chinese companies to encourage them to build factories in Italy, revealed the publication Il Sole 24 Ore on Friday, as reported by Reuters. The plan would target the Innocenti and Autobianchi brands, both of which were discontinued in the 1990s.
Innocenti was famous in the 1960s and 1970s for producing the Italian version of the British Mini model before being acquired by the Fiat group, which is now part of Stellantis. Similarly, Autobianchi, a former division of Fiat, produced city cars such as the A112 and Y10.
Il Sole 24 Ore reports that the Italian Ministry of Industry has registered versions of the two brands at the National Patent and Trademark Office, using different spellings from those registered by Stellantis.
Il Sole 24 Ore adds that the takeover of these brands by the Rome government would be possible under a law adopted in December, which is currently being reviewed by the Court of Auditors. This law targets brands that have not been used for at least five years. Once under government control, these brands can be offered to “companies, including foreign ones, that intend to invest in Italy or move production activities located abroad to Italy,” as stated in the law.
The government led by Giorgia Meloni and the Franco-Italian car manufacturer Stellantis are in a war of words, with the government accusing the auto group of neglecting its historic production bases in Italy. The Rome government is in discussions with Stellantis, the only major Italian car manufacturer, to increase car production in Italy to one million units per year. Simultaneously, the Italian government seeks to expand the local automotive industry by attracting a Chinese manufacturer to Italy.
On Thursday, Fiat unveiled its new Panda model produced in Serbia at its headquarters in Turin and celebrated its 125th anniversary. The event was attended by Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso, who once again urged Stellantis to revive its production activities in Italy.
Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, was founded in 2021 following the merger between the French PSA group and the Italian-American Fiat Chrysler group, bringing brands such as Fiat, PSA, Chrysler, Jeep, Citroen, and Alfa Romeo under one umbrella.
