Ford, Fiat to produce small cars together
{{date|September  9, 2005}}

[[Image:Fiat Cinquecento Sporting.jpg|thumb|250px|Fiat Cinquecento - Sporting Model]]

[[Image:Ford Ka.jpg|thumb|250px|Ford Ka]]

[[w:Italy|Italian]]-based [[w:Fiat|Fiat]] Auto SPA and [[w:United States|US]]-based [[w:Ford|Ford]] Motor Co. announced they signed an agreement to cooperate in designing two small car models. This came only seven months after [[w:General Motors|General Motors]] severed their relationship with Fiat.

Both companies plan to work together on a new version of the popular [[w:Fiat Cinquecento|Fiat Cinquecento]] and on a replacement for the [[w:Ford Ka|Ford Ka]], both to be based on the [[w:Fiat Panda|Fiat Panda]] platform.

The cooperation can help reduce the companies' small car production costs and ease financial difficulties they are facing. Ford is struggling with high labor and health care costs, while Fiat suffers from its unprofitable Italian plants.

After the deal was announced, shares of Fiat rose $0.06 to $9.44, while Ford gained $0.06 to $9.95 on the [[w:New York Stock Exchange|New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)]].

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8CGS9C80.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db
|title=Fiat, Ford to work together on small cars
|author=Aidan Lewis/[[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]]
|pub=BusinessWeek
|date=September 9, 2005}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4228802.stm
|title=Fiat and Ford forge car alliance
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=September 9, 2005}}

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[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Italy]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
Fiat Cinquecento - Sporting Model

Ford Ka

Italian-based Fiat Auto SPA and US-based Ford Motor Co. announced they signed an agreement to cooperate in designing two small car models. This came only seven months after General Motors severed their relationship with Fiat.

Both companies plan to work together on a new version of the popular Fiat Cinquecento and on a replacement for the Ford Ka, both to be based on the Fiat Panda platform.

The cooperation can help reduce the companies' small car production costs and ease financial difficulties they are facing. Ford is struggling with high labor and health care costs, while Fiat suffers from its unprofitable Italian plants.

After the deal was announced, shares of Fiat rose $0.06 to $9.44, while Ford gained $0.06 to $9.95 on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

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