Chairman of Volkswagen's supervisory board Ferdinand Piech is holding talks with representatives of the Elkann and Agnelli families, who control Fiat.
The German side is primarily interested in acquiring the Chrysler brand, but Ferrari and Alfa Romeo are attracting no less attention.
The possible sale of these brands is explained by the fact that the Italian management is likely considering an option to withdraw capital from the automotive industry. The only asset they would like to keep is Ferrari.
Information about the talks immediately affected the quotes of both companies. Fiat securities rose by 4%, while VW shares slightly declined — by about 1%.
Such a development came as a surprise, because earlier Fiat presented a plan to increase sales by 60% by 2018. Moreover, the purchase of Chrysler allowed to halt the decline in revenue and even stabilize the situation. Nevertheless, the company's losses persist, and the sale of part of its assets could become a kind of rescue measure for it.
