The fascinating story of a century-old automobile
dynasty Fiat is one of the world's largest automakers,
but when it made headlines by grabbing control of a
bankrupt Chrysler in 2009 it was unknown in the U.S.
Fiat's against-all-odds swoop on Chrysler---masterminded
by Sergio Marchionne, the Houdini-like manager who saved
Fiat from its own near-collapse in 2005 - has made the
automaker one of the most unlikely winners of the
financial crisis. Mondo Agnelli is a new book that looks
at the chain of unpredictable events triggered by the
death of Gianni Agnelli in 2003. Gianni, the
charismatic, silver-haired power broker and style icon,
was the patriarch who had lead the company founded by
his grandfather in 1899. But Gianni's own son had
committed suicide. Without a mature heir, the dynasty
and Fiat were rudderless. Backed by Gianni's closest
advisors, his serious, shy, and determined grandson John
plucked Marchionne from obscurity. Together, they saved
the family company and, inadvertently, positioned Fiat
as a global trailblazer when the global storm hit.A
classic story of ingenuity and hard work, the book
portrays a business dynasty that triumphed over
adversity and family tragedy because of its own smarts,
sweat, and ability to bend the rules A an engaging tale
for those interested in the stories behind the economic
crash, the book contains never-before reported material
about how Fiat succeeded in making Chrysler profitable
where both Daimler AG and Cerberus, its previous owners,
had failed. A story for a wide audience, from car buffs,
business readers, lovers of Italy, and anyone fascinated
by the lifestyle of Europe's most glamorous industrial
dynasty, this book tells the tale of how Fiat achieved
the seemingly impossible -- turning around an American
automotive icon everyone else had given up for
dead. |
|