by Michael Gauthier
- Ex-Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares wrote a new book about his experiences.
- He’s reportedly worried competing interests could tear Stellantis apart.
- Tavares hinted a Chinese automaker might buy the European brands.
Carlos Tavares shockingly resigned as Stellantis CEO last December, following internal disagreements with the company’s board. He’s now written a book that suggests the automaker could break up.
According to Bloomberg, Tavares wrote “I am worried that the three-way balance between Italy, France and the U.S. will break.” He went on to say Stellantis’ leadership needs to push for unity every day or they risk being pulled apart in multiple directions.
The 67-year old Portuguese executive also suggested his departure means “French interests” might not be as well protected as they were under his watch.
More: Carlos Tavares Got $24 Million As Stellantis Crashed And Burned
The former CEO went on to mention a scenario where a Chinese manufacturer could buy the European brands, while the Americans would take back control of their own. He said this would loosely mirror what General Motors did when they sold off Opel and Vauxhall.
The drama isn’t surprising as Stellantis has 14 brands and the company has refused to let some go. This has created plenty of problems on its own as the Tavares era was dominated by a focus on Europe.
This came at the expense of their American counterparts as Chrysler is barely alive, Dodge is in trouble, and Jeep’s money printing machine has run out of paper. Even Ram is reversing course and headed back to greener, Hemi-powered pastures.
Besides neglecting important brands, Tavares focused on cutting costs. This made him unpopular with employees and unions, particularly those in Italy and the United States. In fact, the UAW launched a Sh!t Can Carlos website, which still remains active to this day.
Following his resignation, Stellantis’ board wasn’t exactly shy about saying they disagreed with Tavares. However, the former CEO reportedly uses the book to tell his side of the story.
