Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares, finally got told to GTFO over Thanksgiving Break. And if you’re a Mopar fan, that’s one more thing to be thankful for this season. Truth is – just about everyone within Stellantis, from the dealer network to the unions, wanted Tavares out ASAP. Tavares was supposed to retire in 2026, but that wasn’t soon enough. Details are vague (aka: no one’s narc’ing on nobody), but apparently there was a butting-of-heads between the board, investors, & Tavares… which ended in Tavares’s immediate resignation. In the meantime, Chairman John Elkann will head an executive committee until Stellantis can find a new CEO… if they survive long enough. So that’s the question everyone’s asking:
…with the emphasis on soft
Will Stellantis survive?
And what does the future look like for the American brands, Dodge, Chrysler, RAM, and Jeep? Keep in mind, Chrysler ONLY makes the Pacifica at this point. And Dodge castrated their entire reputation with an electric Charger that makes poser/fake engine sounds. Evidently, Jaguar took ZERO notes lol. And in the process of self-humiliation, Dodge (and RAM) lost their well-respected enthusiast CEO, Tim Kuniskis. Even tried-&-true Jeep Wrangler sales are struggling. Turns out – consumers don’t buy overpriced, over-complicated, electrified mediocrity. Tavares is likely leaving with a small country’s worth of money, and the Stellantis brands (particularly the American brands) are on life-support.
The pope praying for Stellantis (Tavares right; Elkann… tall guy on left)
And yet Stellantis is not alone in their shat bed…
Just this past week, anonymous NISSAN execs revealed they have maybe 6-12 months left… and “all offers are on the table”. Volkswagen has also finally seen the light on their queefy offerings, and admitted they have 1-maybe-2 years to get back on track. So why does such potentially devastating industry news feel so good? Because quite frankly…
The automotive industry deserves this…
They deserve it after all the bullsh!t they pulled over the last 4 years. And while it feels like vindication for betrayed enthusiasts/fans to watch ‘em squirm & burn, honestly, no one wins here. Well let me correct that – China wins. The door is now wide open for momentum-filled Chinese carmakers to take controlling interest of any one (if not all 3) of these brands. Take the new Chinese-made AUDI for example. It’s very possible, this is how China ultimately takes over the automotive industry. By using familiar emblems like Nissan, VW, Audi, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep… and North American workers & assembly plants to avoid tariffs. Checkers vs chess.
So to recap & trace this back…
American & European governments made a play to overreach & over-regulated the automotive industry. They put their *hands* where it didn’t belong, attempted to manipulate a market, and legislated an EV agenda under a lie of sustainability (or at the very least, a rushed & unproven theory). What makes it more frustrating, is that from the get-go, China so obviously had home field advantage with electric vehicles. But it doesn’t stop there – because governments/administrations forced all this on an automotive industry that was already stressed with a global pandemic, shortages, & inflation. And somehow the CEOs/leadership at these legacy car companies (save for Toyota) collectively lost their spine, lied, & complied. And prioritized virtue signaling over 1) quality, 2) the best interests of their customers, or 3) truth. So what happens now? I guess we get our popcorn & watch.
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