Fiat and parent company Stellantis have gotten into trouble again for alleged violations of the “Made in Italy“law, which either the Italian government apparently takes very seriously, or Fiat is somehow woefully unaware of the provisions of the strict law. A shipment containing dozens Fiat Topolino EVs was denied entry into the country because the Topolinos allegedly violated regulations by carrying Italian flags, when in fact they were gathered in Morocco, per Automotive News.
Italian financial police and customs have seized a total of 134 Fiat Topolino EVs at the Tuscan port of Livorno, the Italian newspaper reported La Repubblica reports. The daily quotes members of the Italian authorities as saying of the Topolinos: “…they are not Italians, they cannot show the tricolor on their side, they are breaking the law.” The small EVs are built across the Mediterranean in Morocco rather than in ‘Il Bel Paese’, one of Italy’s unofficial nicknames meaning the beautiful country. The foreign assembly of the Topolinos is clearly a cost-saving measure, and Stellantis has said in the past that producing cars could save thousands of euros on the retail price of models such as the Alfa Romeo Junior, born Milano, which required a name change as it was sold . produced in Poland.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, strongly believes that foreign production is necessary to reduce the price of emerging models and electric cars so that they can reach a critical mass in Europe and allow EU car manufacturers to de-risk to expect cheap Chinese electric cars to overtake the market.
Of course, the Italian government has objected to foreign production for a number of reasons: the first is that Italy jealously guards production.Made in Italy” brand, which is reserved for products designed, manufactured and packaged in the country. There is even a specific brand branch of government which monitors violations against the brand, as well as a national holiday held on Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday, April 15. The second reason is that Italy has invested millions of euros in it Stellantis in the form of public donations, precisely so that the car manufacturer can keep production in the country and avoid laying off car workers.
With some Fiat models being built abroad, the government is at loggerheads with Stellantis and has begun to scrutinize its branding practices to the point of forcing the automaker to avoid using anything that would even suggest models like the Alfa Romeo Junior and Fiat. Topolino is made in Italy.
Given their foreign origin in Morocco, Topolinos are not legally allowed to wear symbols that could confuse buyers and make them think they are ‘Made in Italy’, such as the flag or tricolor. The funny thing is that the Topolinos carry the flag in the form of stickers, which are meant to honor the country of the Topolino’s development. Stellantis claims that the small electric cars are designed in Turin, Italy, but built in Morocco to bring their price down to a premium. accessible amount of just €9,890, or $10,749 at current exchange rates. Please note that the Topolino is classified as a four-wheeler and not a car like its cousin, the Lemon Amithat was not developed in Italy.
Stellantis denies it has broken any laws and says it will remove the stickers from the Topolinos so the electric vehicles can legally enter the country. I especially can’t wait for the aftermarket to respond with OEM+ Italian flag stickers that some people want to playfully slap on the doors of their Topolinos and restore them to their true stock form.
