Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) will be able to make more than six million cars a year by 2018 as its strategy, focused on relaunching the Alfa Romeo and Maserati marques bears fruit, its chief executive said yesterday.

Sergio Marchionne’s comments underscore his upbeat view of the group’s prospects following the full merger with US partner Chrysler and reinforce a long-cherished production objective.

Mr Marchionne has always said that a production capacity of at least six million cars a year was critical for an automaker’s survival on the global stage, though the company does not give out past production figures.

He reiterated the group’s forecast of a 2014 trading profit of between €3.6 billion and €4 billion on revenue of around €93 billion. – ( Reuters )