Tag Archives: Stellantis

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Stellantis Names Veteran Engineer Olivier Jansonnie as New Motorsport Chief, Ushering In a New Era of Competition

Stellantis is shaking up its racing hierarchy—and betting big on a proven engineering heavyweight. Beginning January 31, 2026, Olivier Jansonnie will take the helm of Stellantis Motorsport, succeeding longtime motorsport architect Jean-Marc Finot. For a group whose portfolio spans everything from DS Formula E titles to Peugeot’s renewed Le Mans ambitions, this leadership change isn’t just administrative—it’s strategic.

A Quiet, Calculated Power Move

If the name Olivier Jansonnie rings a bell, it’s because he’s been behind some of the most technically demanding programs in modern racing. A graduate of Centrale-Supélec, Jansonnie arrives with more than 25 years of cross-disciplinary motorsport experience—LMP1, Hypercar, WRC, WRX, Cross-Country, DTM—and the résumé reads like a highlight reel of the last two decades of factory-backed motorsport evolution.

Jansonnie cut his teeth at Peugeot Sport in 1998 before jumping to Mitsubishi in 2003 to lead development of the Lancer WRC—an era when rallying still had a raw, developmental fierceness. As a freelance engineer, he contributed to major projects for Peugeot, including the brand’s 2009 Le Mans victory, one of the last great petrol-era triumphs before hybridization took over the grid.

Then came a pivotal shift: in 2012, BMW tapped him as head of vehicle development for its motorsport division. There, he oversaw aerodynamics, design, and quality engineering—a trifecta of responsibilities that cemented his reputation as one of the most technically versatile minds in the paddock.

In 2016, Jansonnie returned to Peugeot, eventually becoming Technical Director. Dakar challengers, WRX platforms, EV prototypes—if it wore a lion badge and raced, he likely touched it. Since 2020, he’s served as team principal of the Peugeot TotalEnergies endurance program, helping steer Stellantis back into the top tier of global sports car racing.

Now he’ll oversee the entire Stellantis motorsport portfolio in Europe, reporting directly to Emanuele Cappellano, Head of Enlarged Europe and Stellantis Pro One.

A Leader Stepping Aside After Four Decades

The man Jansonnie replaces, Jean-Marc Finot, is no mere placeholder. His fingerprints are all over Stellantis performance culture—from engineering the iconic 205 GTI in the 1980s to greenlighting modern high-performance platforms across Peugeot, DS, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Opel, Lancia, and Maserati.

During Finot’s tenure:

  • DS won two Formula E manufacturer and driver titles
  • Peugeot re-entered endurance racing, building the radical 9X8
  • Citroën, Opel, Lancia, and Maserati motorsport programs were revived
  • Customer racing expanded across the group

Finot retires January 31, 2026, marking the end of a career that spans nearly 40 years and some of the most beloved performance vehicles to ever wear French badges.

What Stellantis Says

Cappellano called Jansonnie’s appointment “critical in supporting each brand involved in motorsport,” praising his depth of knowledge while thanking Finot for building a “strong Stellantis Motorsport team, achieving many victories, two world titles, and enabling the development of iconic high-performance vehicles.”

Jansonnie himself struck a forward-looking tone, emphasizing both heritage and innovation:
“Motorsport has always been a cornerstone of the automotive industry… As we enter a new era of global championships, my mission is clear: to keep our brands at the forefront of innovation and performance… Backed by passionate and talented teams, I am ready to take on this challenge.”

What It Means for the Future

Stellantis has quietly become one of the most motorsport-diverse conglomerates in the world. Under one roof sit Peugeot’s Hypercar, DS’s Formula E legacy, Citroën’s rally pedigree, Abarth’s grassroots scene, and Maserati’s newfound racing ambitions.

Jansonnie inherits a motorsport empire at a crossroads—balancing electric championships, endurance hybrids, and customer racing while each brand searches for its post-2030 identity.

If Stellantis wants its racing efforts to turn into showroom excitement—real halo cars that matter to enthusiasts—Jansonnie is a logical, focused choice. Technical, unflashy, respected by engineers and drivers alike, he’s more racer than executive.

And that may be exactly what Stellantis needs.

Source: Stellantis

News

Stellantis Posts Strong Q3, Bets Big on a $13 Billion U.S. Comeback Plan

Stellantis is putting rubber to the road again. The multinational megagroup—home to Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, and more—just posted a strong third quarter for 2025, showing that its sprawling lineup and renewed focus on North America are paying off.

The company reported €37.2 billion in net revenues, up 13 percent year-over-year, fueled by booming shipments and a long-overdue rebound in U.S. sales. That’s 1.3 million vehicles delivered globally, a 152,000-unit bump over 2024. The real star? North America, where production jumped 35 percent thanks to normalized inventory levels after last year’s dealer stock reduction squeeze.

The Product Offensive

Behind those numbers lies a wave of new metal. Stellantis has already rolled out six of ten new models planned for 2025, with ordering open for a slate of high-profile launches: the SIXPACK-powered Dodge Charger Scat Pack (2-door), the four-door Charger Daytona, the reborn Jeep Cherokee, the Fiat 500 Hybrid, and the sleek DS No.8.

Sales across the company’s American brands rose 6 percent versus Q3 2024, pushing Stellantis to an 8.7 percent market share in September—its best in 15 months. The return of the HEMI® V-8–powered Ram 1500 didn’t hurt, either, marking a nostalgic counterpoint to the company’s steady march toward electrification.

Europe, Middle East, and Beyond

Across the Atlantic, Stellantis found mixed fortunes. The European portfolio—bolstered by fresh B-segment contenders like the Citroën C3, Opel Frontera, and Fiat Grande Panda—delivered modest growth, with revenues up 4 percent. But its EU30 market share dipped to 15.4 percent, dragged down by slowdowns in France and Italy and softer performance in light commercial vehicles.

Elsewhere, the Middle East and Africa helped balance the scales with healthy gains, even as South America cooled.

A $13 Billion Bet on America

If Stellantis’ third-quarter performance was the appetizer, the main course is a $13 billion U.S. investment plan announced in mid-October—the largest in the company’s century-long American history. Over the next four years, that cash will fund five all-new models and create 5,000 jobs, signaling that CEO Antonio Filosa is betting big on a long-term U.S. resurgence.

The plan includes reopening the Belvidere, Illinois, plant to build two new Jeep models (Cherokee and Compass), launching a new midsize Ram truck in Toledo, Ohio, and giving Warren, Michigan, a new large SUV with both range-extended EV and internal combustion variants. Meanwhile, Detroit will host the next-generation Dodge Durango, and Kokomo, Indiana, will take on the all-new GMET4 EVO engine.

Stellantis says the expansion will boost its U.S. production capacity by 50 percent and come alongside 19 product refreshes through 2029.

The Road Ahead

Despite the optimism, Stellantis remains cautious. The company reaffirmed its H2 2025 guidance, expecting stronger revenues and cash flow but warning of one-off charges tied to warranty estimate revisions and strategic realignments. In plain English: a little short-term turbulence before a smoother ride.

CEO Antonio Filosa put it simply:

“We’re implementing important strategic changes to give customers greater freedom of choice. Our Q3 results show encouraging progress, and we’re building on these gains with decisive actions to support long-term, profitable growth.”

From a brand that’s juggling plug-in hybrids, hydrogen vans, HEMI muscle, and small European city cars, that “freedom of choice” mantra might be more literal than ever. Stellantis isn’t just surviving the EV transition—it’s revving up for it.

Source: Stellantis

News

The Holy Trinity of Italian Genius — Stellantis Heritage Unleashes Lancia, Abarth, and Alfa at Bologna’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca

If you’ve ever wondered what Italian passion looks like distilled into metal, chrome, and the occasional whiff of burnt oil, Stellantis Heritage just handed you the answer on a polished silver platter. This year’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca in Bologna (October 23–26) won’t just be another nostalgia trip through Europe’s most glamorous automotive archive. No — it’s a full-blooded celebration of Italy’s obsession with beauty, bravery, and speed.

At the centre of the show? Three legends from the Stellantis vault, each representing a different decade, a different dream, and one relentless national instinct — fare di più. Do more. Push harder. Build faster.

From the hallowed halls of the Heritage Hub in Turin and the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, emerge three machines that defined eras and defied reason:

  • the Lancia D25 (1954),
  • the Fiat-Abarth 750 Record (1956), and
  • the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo (1966).

Together, they’re not just cars. They’re rolling testaments to what happens when engineering meets espresso-fueled insanity.

The Mission: Vision, Velocity, Victory

Under the watchful eye of Roberto Giolito, head of Stellantis Heritage and designer of the Fiat Multipla (yes, that one), the brand’s historical wing isn’t just dusting off museum pieces. It’s telling stories — stories about how Italy built cars not merely to move, but to matter.

As Giolito puts it, these machines “aren’t signs of the past, but tangible proof of the Italian drive to innovate with style, courage, and imagination.” Translation: these are the greatest hits of an era when design sketches were drawn with cigarettes and conviction.

Lancia D25 (1954) — The Race That Never Was

If Enzo Ferrari had a rival worthy of his jealousy, it was Vittorio Jano — the genius behind the Lancia D25. Born from the ashes of the Carrera Panamericana-winning D24, this car was the ultimate 1950s racer that never got its chance to show off.

With a 3.75-litre V6 producing 305 hp and a top speed kissing 300 km/h, the D25 could’ve eaten early Ferraris for breakfast. It had the kind of obsessive engineering detail that would make modern chassis designers weep: transaxle rear end, inboard brakes, independent suspension, and a spaceframe chassis that used the engine as a structural member.

But fate — and Formula 1 — intervened. Lancia pulled out of sports car racing, and the D25 never got its day in the sun. Only one example survived, wearing its Pininfarina body like a tailored Italian suit that never went out to dinner. Now, in Bologna, it finally gets the spotlight it deserves — a mechanical opera in 12 cylinders (well, six, but you get the point).

Fiat-Abarth 750 Record (1956) — The Bullet That Beat Time

If Carlo Abarth were alive today, he’d be the kind of man who sets an alarm just to break it. The Fiat-Abarth 750 Record, designed by aerodynamicist and styling sorcerer Franco Scaglione, was a wind-cheating bullet that looked more UFO than automobile.

Its job? Simple: humiliate the stopwatch.

In 1956, at Monza, it smashed six endurance records — including the 24-hour run, covering 3,743 km at 155 km/h average speed. A 750cc engine. One driver. And a whole lot of audacity.

This wasn’t just speed; it was science dressed in aluminium. The Record’s teardrop shape influenced generations of Abarth and Fiat models, proving that performance and beauty could occupy the same slender space. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., son of the U.S. President, flew to Italy just to sign an exclusive deal with Abarth after seeing it. Because when Italy does small, it still does spectacular.

Alfa Romeo Scarabeo (1966) — The Rebel Prototype

And then there’s the Scarabeo. Even by Alfa Romeo standards, this 1966 prototype was pure mischief. It looked like a spaceship, sounded like a race car, and entered the world by flipping its entire roof forward instead of opening doors.

Under its O.S.I.-built skin lived the beating heart of a Giulia GTA — a twin-cam 1.6-litre four-cylinder — mounted transversely in the middle of the car. Radical? Absolutely. Functional? Shockingly so. The tubular chassis even used side members to store fuel tanks, a layout later echoed by Alfa’s racing prototypes.

It debuted at the Paris Motor Show that same year and immediately stole hearts (and headlines). The version on display in Bologna is the second prototype — with doors this time — and it remains an exquisite survivor from a time when Alfa didn’t just build cars; it built ideas on wheels.

Beyond Nostalgia

Between the Heritage Hub in Turin and the Museum in Arese, Stellantis isn’t merely keeping its past alive — it’s turning memory into momentum. Across 15,000 square meters of history, you’ll find engines, legends, and the sort of stories that make you believe the phrase Made in Italy still means something in metal.

So, if you find yourself in Bologna this October, skip the tortellini (just for an hour) and make a pilgrimage to where Italy’s golden era still hums. Three cars, three decades, one truth:

No one does beauty at speed quite like the Italians.

Source: Stellantis