Chrysler has the most difficult thing for Fiat to aquire in the US, and if Fiat wants to sell cars here again it has to have this. "This" is a distribution system which could cost a billion dollars or so to set up.

So if this deal goes through Fiat will have a US distribution network and it will get US assembly plants almost thrown in for free.

Sounds great, 'eh? Well, someone still has to make it work. When AMC and Renault set up a joint venture in the US one of the results was a new factory that was built in Canada. When Chrysler bought AMC they were bragging about how they bought the entire company for less than it cost to build the new plant. It all sounded great at the time, but things change and if the management can't change with the times....

Hopefully, Fiat's management is up to the challange.

Pooka