Stellantis: The Weird New Name For FCA And Groupe PSA

The merged FCA and Groupe PSA have decided to call their corporation Stellantis. The company says that the name comes from the Latin verb "stello", which means "to brighten with stars." The interstellar name doesn't feel like a stellar choice, though, because it has no ties to either automaker's extensive history.

The companies offer a little explanation for the Stellantis name, but it doesn't really clarify a reason for choosing this specific moniker. "The name's Latin origins pay tribute to the rich history of its founding companies while the evocation of astronomy captures the true spirit of optimism, energy, and renewal driving this industry-changing merger."

According to the Stellantis announcement, senior management from both companies were involved in coming up with the name. The French advertising and public relations firm Publicis Groupe also consulted on the decision. The next step is to create a logo for the business.

You're not going to see Stellantis on the grille of any vehicles, though, because it's purely the name for the automaker at a corporate level.

FCA and PSA (now Stellantis) finalized their merger plans in December 2019 and anticipated the entire undertaking to be complete in the first quarter of 2021. The company selected current PSA Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares as Stellantis' CEO first five years.

The new automaker is expected to be the world's fourth-largest automaker with annual deliveries of around 8.7 million vehicles. It consists of 13 marques, including notable names like Peugeot, Citroën, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram.

Stellantis intends to create two platforms that would underpin over two-thirds of its brands' models. Sharing technology so extensively would help save money through economies of scale.

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