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Fiat Chrysler CEO says Apple’s desire to make a car is an ‘illness’, automobiles are a complex business

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Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has weighed in on the continuing Apple Car rumors. In an interview with Reuters at the Geneva auto show, the executive said Apple should think twice before jumping into making cars. He said automobiles are a ‘complex business’ and it makes more sense for Apple to partner with an existing car manufacturer than do everything itself. The exec felt so strongly about this, he described it as an illness to want make cars independently.

“If they have any urges to make a car, I’d advise them to lie down and wait until the feeling passes,” Marchionne told journalists. “Illnesses like this come and go, you will recover from them, they’re not lethal.”

He believes that existing companies have enough spare production to accommodate Apple’s needs. Obviously, Fiat Chrysler would prefer if Apple took a more backseat approach to automobiles. Current reports indicate Project Titan continues to progress despite some bumps in the road with executives leaving the company.

At Apple’s investor call, Tim Cook likened the car project to Christmas, saying that it will ‘be Christmas Eve for a while’ — the rumor mill is currently suggesting a 2020 launch for Apple Car, so it’s still a way off. Following Apple Watch, it is thought the car will be Apple’s next major new product category.

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Comments

  1. jeamland - 8 years ago

    As a Fiat owner (and I love my car) I can honestly say, without any hesitation whatsoever, that Marchionne is what’s wrong with the auto industry. That doesn’t Apple SHOULD make a car, but any judgmental statement from Marchionne should be taken with a grain of salt (at the least) or completely ignored (probably a better choice.)

  2. therazorpit - 8 years ago

    Sergio you have it all wrong, its your products that are an illness to the automotive industry. Apple could upset the preverbal apple cart if they choose to enter this market.

  3. chrisl84 - 8 years ago

    Everyone is all excited for an Apple Car but rest assured not many people are going to be able to afford the Apple Car. Apple prices their products at a huge premium so expect bare bones base model Apple Car to cost over 80K. Unless you are SERIOUSLY well off this is Apple Car stuff is a pipe dream.

    • viciosodiego - 8 years ago

      If its price is like iPad pricing today, it will sell like hotcakes.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        You dont have to get a loan to buy an iPad…..you’ll need a credit score of 750 to buy an Apple Car

  4. There is some missing text in the article above that help put the comments into context. My correction:

    “He said, PARAPHRASING BLACKBERRY’S RESPONSE TO RUMORS APPLE WAS BUILDING A PHONE, automobiles are a ‘complex business’ and it makes more sense for Apple to partner with an existing car manufacturer than do everything itself.”

  5. prowlhome - 8 years ago

    Most Fiats are shocking and end up in the crusher in 10 years.

    The guy is a complete douche and when the 500e was on sale – He used people not to buy it as he lost money on it as Fiat is not spending money on Electric development – He is only selling them for specific California requirements and refuse to sell them elsewhere – Complete dinosaur and hope he goes away.

  6. I bet that’s what the mobile phones companies told Apple when they were looking to make a phone… :)

  7. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    ooo, someone is scared.
    What if this turns out like the iPhone?

  8. alanaudio - 8 years ago

    The fundamental issue is that existing car manufacturers believe that the only way to make a car is to do it pretty well the same that they they do. I think it’s very unlikely that an Apple car will be very much like conventional cars and therefore any partnership between Apple and a motor manufacturer would be a recipe for disaster as they would be approaching things from completely different perspectives.

  9. paulywalnuts23 - 8 years ago

    Swiss said similar things about the watch and we see how that is working out.

  10. Vincent Conroy - 8 years ago

    You know what other businesses are “complex”? Computers. Phones. Music. Television. Apple has had a hand in revolutionizing all of these industries. Remember when Apple tried to “partner” with carriers to make a smartphone? Didn’t go so well. When the leash was taken off, Apple made their own phone and it changed the way we thought about cell phones. Same thing with the iPod. As Jony Ive once said, “It’s very easy to be different, but very difficult to be better.” Sure, Apple COULD partner with another manufacturer. But they won’t. Because it’s only when a company, be it Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc. is given the freedom to fully realize its ideas that we see something not just different, but better.

    The quote sounds like Mr. Marchionne is simply afraid that he will lose ground to Apple sooner rather than later.

  11. Sergio Marchionne is the Donald Trump of the Auto Industry. He’s been shooting off his mouth year in and out about how GM should merge with FCA. AS IF. Only FCA has a dime to gain. But he just keeps saying things — as if he’s not running the third place US Auto company with the worst overall CR grades.

  12. ^..^ (@chrlfx) - 8 years ago

    Yep, one can only hope Mr Marchionne is saying this to ‘protect’ his brand’ rather than actually believing it. Every industry that Apple has tackled it has, at the very least, disrupted and in some cases destroyed. Here’s an example of another ‘nearsighted’ executive commenting on Apple moving into the mobile phone market back in 2007; Telstra’s (Australia’s biggest Telco) operations chief Greg Winn “”There’s an old saying – stick to your knitting – and Apple is not a mobile phone manufacturer, that’s not their knitting,” Mr Winn told AAP. “You can pretty much be assured that Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and ZTE and others will be coming out with devices that have similar functionality.” In addition to mobile calling, music portability and email capability, the iPhone boasts a vastly enhanced design that significantly challenges most mobiles’ current approaches to user interface.

    Sound familiar Mr Marchionne? Any Swiss watch makers want to comment now? Record Companies?

  13. galley99 - 8 years ago

    I’m still not convinced that Apple is making an entire car, but merely the systems that run the car, plus things like autonomous control and collision avoidance. Those systems could be sold to every auto manufacturer.

  14. 311sie - 8 years ago

    “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” -Ed Colligan, Palm CEO

Author

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.