FCA Gamble Pays Big

A few people might’ve been mad when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said it would stop making the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200, focusing on trucks and SUVs instead. We’re now seeing the fruits of that gamble as FCA profits have soared. In fact, the automaker should be free of debt by the end of 2018, according to an AutoBlog report.

This kind of progress means FCA might one day be able to compete with Ford and GM. In fact, with weak operating earnings over at the Blue Oval, thanks to things like the use of aluminum for the F-150, FCA might surpass Ford this year.

Sergio Marchionne, the current CEO, could go out on a high note. He hands over control of the company next year, with that position going to one of his acolytes inside FCA. Of course, that might mean no real shakeup in how the automaker does things, which right now may not be all bad.

What this news means is Marchionne is done playing matchmaker. He was on an aggressive push to pair FCA with just about every major automaker in the world, but was publicly shot down over and over. That embarrassing era is over, at least for now.