[Scalewoodman]

Nice job + on the way to zero debt. Quite a legacy, Mr. Marchionne. Excellent management. Let's get Alfa and Maserati on the plus side of the ledger asap! https://www.allpar.com/news/2018/04/fca-profits-better-credit-less-debt-40411

 

[lost1750GTV]

that's a big drop in maserati sales, not good.

 

[AugurMan]

that's a big drop in maserati sales, not good.

In the comments I learned that the article misquotes the Maserati sales. They dropped from 11,700 to 9,300. Not 930.

Thats a 20% drop, not a 92% drop. LOL.

 

[Scalewoodman]

Thanks for the correction, Augerman. I, for one, and most of us- are really rooting for them in a world that discourages innovation and a competitive market that can be cruel. Today's vehicles are world's different than what they were producing even 5 years ago.

We were just discussing how short the tech life cycle is in our current environment and how much risk there is in innovation. Apple vs Nokia or BlackBerry. The rise of Amazon in retail vs Sears. Even Ford is bailing on capital planning rather than try to compete with Toyota and Honda... These are amazing times and I don't take anything for granted.

 

[stelviofan]

Quite a legacy, Mr. Marchionne. Excellent management.

Too bad he's retiring next year. Whoever ends up replacing him has some big shoes to fill.

 

[Scalewoodman]

You're right- sort of like betting on the jockey not the horse + a lot of pressure to take things to the next level and hot to find a synergistic partner to develop alternate propulsion technologies. But a lot accomplished in a few short years from near death to today wiping out debt out of cashflow along the way. Amazing challenge to nurture the passion and produce more efficiently than the others.

I, for one, have always been and relate to the underdog and will be rooting for continued success.