In the wake of the relatively quiet Fiat takeover of Chrysler, the blended Italian-American
corporation has adopted a new logo, representing a “new corporate identity” that may help to
quell concerns that this latest change in ownership is just a repeat of the Mercedes-Benz
merger that left many Chrysler people in the corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI,
very unsatisfied. The new logo was unveiled this week in Turin.
The new logo is simple and uncluttered. The “FCA” acronym stands for “Fiat Chrysler
Automobiles,” and it looks more like a television network’s logo than anything that would
represent a car company. Still, simple has its benefits. Fiat and Chrysler plan to use the
new logo on vehicles “as soon as practicable.” For now, the current Chrysler and Fiat logos
will appear side by side.
In a press release, Fiat said that the new acronym “helps create a transition from the past,
without severing the roots, while at the same time reflecting the global scope of the
Group’s activities. Easy to understand, pronounce and remember, it is a name well suited to
a modern, international marketplace.”
To be honest, both Fiat and Chrysler’s current badges are much more evocative than this
sterile acronym, but as the company is trying to forge a new image following the merger,
keeping things simple seems to be a good approach. We’ll wait and see what the court of
public opinion has to say.
