Sergio Marchionne Left A Road Map to the Future of FCA

The passing this week of Sergio Marchionne, the visionary chairman of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is both a somber but inspirational time for the sprawling multi-national company he led.

In 2009 Marchionne engineered the joining of two venerable but ailing families of car brands, ultimately creating a 10 fold increase in corporate valuation.

Recently Marchionne presented a new five year plan to continue moving FCA forward, and senior company sources noted in those presentations some wistful and perhaps prescient references to his “legacy” … though he passed from complications of routine shoulder surgery.

FCA will keep up the momentum of the new RAM 1500 pick-up and best ever Jeep Wrangler with, more product variations like the long awaited Jeep pickup, Grand Wagoneer and the RAM TRX or T-Rex going after the high performance Ford Raptor Pickup.

Look for bold thinking like the halo Dodge performance Hellcat and Demon Challenger and Chargers topping out at $85,000 … a Marchionne signature.

On the Italian side of the family, still enormously popular in Europe, Fiat is struggling in the US while higher margin cousins Alfa Romeo and Maserati are cleaning up worldwide.