Meet Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Now that the parent company of the Fiat brand has finalized the purchase of the Chrysler Group, a decision has been made to reorganize the business and “establish a true peer to the major global automotive groups, in both scale and capital market appeal.” The new organization will be known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the publicly traded company will be listed on the New York and Milan (Italy) stock exchanges.

There’s a new FCA logo, too, which provides an opportunity to see how muchthought actually goes into trying to create a new corporate identity. Consider: The starting point for the design of the stylized “FCA” logo was a decision to use an initialism in the first place. As explained by the brand, it “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.”

Then, the look of each individual letter was “inspired by the essential shapes used in automobile design”:

• The “F” takes its design from the square, symbolizing concreteness and solidity.
• As a variant of the circle, the “C” represents a vehicle’s four wheels while also inspiring feelings of movement, harmony and continuity.
• Providing a symbol of energy and a perennial state of evolution is the triangle shape of the final “A.”

The party line from Sergio Marchionne, who remains CEO of Fiat and chairman/CEO of the Chrysler Group: “We have worked tenaciously and single-mindedly to transform differences into strengths and break down barriers of nationalistic or cultural resistance. Today, we can say that we have succeeded in creating solid foundations for a global automaker with a mix of experience and know-how on a level with the best of our competitors.”