Such has been the evolution of the world’s motor industry, well-known manufacturers that started off as independents have long since been swallowed up by larger firms, with takeovers and mergers seeing most marques becoming small cogs in a massive automotive machine. And when those big organisations then also become part of the same process, we’re left with a decreasing number of corporations with ever-expanding product portfolios.
The most recent example of this was the merger between PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, a deal that brought together such disparate marques as Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall/Opel, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Abarth, Fiat, Maserati, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge, all of which are part of what’s officially known as Stellantis. Fascinatingly though, each of those individual marques had previously been snapped up by automotive giants, with…
