The letter-only new name removes the name of Walter P. Chrysler from the company he founded in 1925 for the first time in its history.
In a statement, the automaker said the name change “does not affect the company’s headquarters location in Auburn Hills, Michigan, its holdings, management team, board or brands.”
The statement also noted that FCA US LLC “remains proud of its joint heritage” and that the company “continues to build upon the solid foundations first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 as well as a rich Fiat heritage that dates from 1899.”
The corporate name change doesn’t affect the names of the company’s U.S. automotive brands: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat and Alfa Romeo, or their marketing efforts.
In a commentary posted on the company’s media website, Ed Garsten, FCA US’s head of digital media, explained that the name change is “all part of the changes underway since our parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NV] came into being in October.”
Garsten continued: “When you think about it, when someone changes their name from Smith to Jones for personal or professional reasons, they’re still the same person. The change just makes sense for them. In that vein, our commitment to quality, style, performance and service hasn’t changed, we just have a new name to reflect our role in our new company, and that makes sense.”
Italy changes
The message was similar in Italy, where Fiat loses its association with its roots in Turin. The letters in Fiat stand for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino -- or Italian Auto Factory Turin.
"The name change, which represents the latest phase in adoption of the FCA corporate identity, is intended to emphasize the fact that all Group companies worldwide are part of a single organization," the company said.
"It also further underscores the success of the integration and the new, truly global organization that everyone at FCA has contributed to creating," the statement added.
"Over the next few months, other Group companies in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and the other operating regions will undergo a similar name change. "
