Historic brands Autobianchi And Innocentscurrently owned by the Stellantis Groupcould pass into foreign hands due to the new Made in Italy law. This law allows the State to use unused Italian trademarks for at least 5 yearsThe government’s aim is to relaunch car production; brands could be sold to foreign manufacturers, such as BYD, Dongfeng And Cheryforced to produce in Italy.
Relaunch of the Autobianchi and Innocenti brands
The Italian Government introduced a provision in the Made in Italy law that allows the State to acquire historic brands, such as Autobianchi and Innocenti, to offer them to new investors. Two interventions regulated by law allow the State to take over the ownership of trademarks that a company intends to cease or of trademarks that have been unused for at least five years.
The Ministry of Enterprise can request the revocation of the trademark and, if accepted, register it again to offer it to investors in Italy. The concession will be evaluated based on investments, employment, sector, location and timingwith a license agreement of at least 10 years, which can be cancelled in the event of cessation or relocation of the business.
Negotiation with the Chinese
The decree aims to strengthen the attraction of foreign investors, especially Chinese automakers such as BYD, Great Wall Motors, Chery, Dongfeng And Jackexploiting historic Italian brands such as Autobianchi and Innocenti, not currently used by Stellantis.
The government, through the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, has already obtained the registration of the Innocenti and Autobianchi trademarks with new graphic features. It remains to be seen whether these trademarks will be used in the negotiations with Chinese manufacturers or they will remain unused.
Who is Autobianchi?
Autobianchi was born in 1955 in Desirenear Milan, as a result of the collaboration between three giants of Italian industry: Fiat, Pirelli And whites. The idea behind this joint venture was to combine the experience and resources of these companies to create automobiles that would stand out for their innovation and quality. Fiat brought its vast experience in automobile manufacturing, Pirelli its expertise in tires, and Bianchi its tradition in building bicycles and motorcycles.
One of the first and most famous models produced was the Bianchinaintroduced in 1957. This model, available in various versions, immediately stood out for its elegant and compact design, becoming an icon of the 60s. Subsequently, in 1969, Autobianchi launched the A112a small utility car that became very popular not only as a city car but also in sporty versions, appreciated by young people and rally car enthusiasts.
In the 1980s, Fiat fully integrated Autobianchi into its structure, and the brand was gradually discontinueduntil production ceased completely in 1995.
Who is Innocenti?
The history of Innocenti began in 1933 in Milan, thanks to Ferdinand Innocentwho founded the company to produce steel pipes. The most significant turning point came in 1947 with the creation of the Lambretta scooterswhich soon became a symbol of urban mobility in the post-war period, thanks to its practicality, robustness and attractive design.
In the 1960s, Innocenti decided to enter the automotive market, starting to produce vehicles under license from the British Motor Corporation (BMC). Among these, the Mini Innocentsan Italian version of the famous British Mini, won over the public thanks to its compactness and versatility.
The history of Innocenti was characterized by several changes of ownership. In the 1970s, the company was acquired by British Leylandand later, in 1976, came under the control of From Thomasan Argentine entrepreneur who relaunched the brand with new models and marketing strategies. Despite his efforts, the economic difficulties and increasing competition led to the end of automobile production in the 1990s.
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