REPORT: Fiat wins bid for Bertone

According to the Wall Street Journal, Fiat has beaten out two other finalists and has won the bid for bankrupt design house and small-scale auto manufacturer Carrozzeria Bertone. The Italian Economic Development Ministry said in a statement that Fiat was chosen as the winning buyer due to its proposed three-year 150 million Euro investment into the company and the promise to keep Bertone's 1,137 workers on the job.

Intriguingly, Economic Development Minister Claudio Scajola further said that Bertone's manufacturing unit will be "[integrated] with Chrysler for the production in Italy of some models for the American auto company." The mind reels with the possibilities of Italian-designed and built Chryslers flooding American showrooms – for better or for worse.

[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req'd]