Italy confronts Stellantis over foreign-made cars with Italian symbols

A "war" is ongoing between Italy and itself as the Italian government is battling Italian car brands that have become part of the Stellantis group. According to Italian law, selling a product with the Italian flag is not permitted if it does not originate from an Italian factory. And here lies the problem.

Italy demands greater engagement from Fiat in Italy, and the government is not pleased with Stellantis’ moving production to other countries. Under local law, no car can bear symbols or names associated with Italy if it is not produced in the country.

Recently, 134 units of the Fiat Topolino were confiscated in Italy. These units arrived in Italy bearing the Italian flag symbol, even though they are produced in Morocco. The Alfa Romeo Milano also caused a minor scandal; the latest model of this brand was made in Poland. In this case, it was about the Italian name, which is against Italian regulations. Therefore, we ultimately know this model as the Alfa Romeo Junior.

Fiat 600 and 600e will also change. These cars have the symbol of the Italian flag, yet they are manufactured in Tychy, Poland. Accents in green, white, and red appear on the rear bumper.

It is a minor detail, but it is not compliant with the law, and it will need to be removed. Theoretically, it would suffice not to place these symbols on cars exported only to the Italian market, but Stellantis may abandon this decoration altogether to avoid producing two different bumpers.