Chrysler Group LLC, the U.S. automaker run by Fiat SpA, will brief directors next month on its plan for new models and integrating the Italian company's technology, two people familiar with the matter said.
Sergio Marchionne, chief executive officer of Chrysler and Fiat, will present a blueprint for the future of Chrysler's brands, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the details are private. The plan probably will call for building Fiat's first U.S. model in Mexico, the people said.
"The board has to weave the company together," said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "One element will be how they will integrate the two companies, and the other thing will be the strategic product plan."
Chrysler's survival pivots on whether Marchionne can win buyers with new vehicles and end losses that sent the company into bankruptcy on April 30. Marchionne, 57, said last month that Chrysler would be profitable, without giving a date.
The nine-member board will gather in the last week of September, the people said. A spokeswoman, Shawn Morgan, wouldn't comment on the September agenda for the directors, who were appointed by Turin, Italy-based Fiat, the U.S., Canada and the United Auto Workers union. They first met in July.
Filling Gaps
Marchionne has said he plans to introduce mid-size and compact sedans that will be developed in the U.S. and sold globally. Those vehicles also will fill gaps in Fiat's lineup, he said on a July 22 conference call.
The plan being presented to the board may not have final decisions on what models Chrysler will build or where they may be made, and instead give options, the people said.
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