AUBURN HILLS, MI (AP)-- The Italian car maker Fiat says its acquisition of the final Chrysler stake is complete, making the U.S. car company a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiat.
Fiat Spa said Tuesday that it closed the deal announced January 1 with the cash payment of $1.75 billion to a union-controlled trust fund. That's on top of an initial $1.9-billion payment, which was arranged through a special distribution from Chrysler. Fiat also made the first installment on an additional $700 million payment.
Fiat has been running Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler since 2009, but lacked full control until Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne won a hard-fought deal with the minority stakeholder. The deal gives Fiat a freer hand to push deeper integration and decide where the joint company will be based and listed, plus its name.