page_title: Groupe PSA
section_title: Chrysler Europe acquisition
hierarchical_section_title: Groupe PSA / History / Chrysler Europe acquisition
caption_attribution_description: English: Philippe Varin - CEO of Automotive company PSA Peugeot Citroen, France
context_page_description: Groupe PSA is a French multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands. Peugeot is the largest PSA brand. PSA is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is a constituent of the CAC 40 index.
  Beginning in 2016, PSA began to outline a strategy which entailed the rapid expansion of the company, through both geographic expansion and acquisitions of other car companies. PSA has announced plans to enter the Indian, American, Canadian, ASEAN, and other markets in the coming years.
  Headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, PSA, with sales of 3.88 million units in 2018, was the third-largest Europe-based automaker, just a fraction behind Renault.
  On 31 October 2019, Groupe PSA announced intent to merge with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The merger would be on a 50-50 all stock basis. On 18 December 2019, FCA and PSA announced that they had agreed to the terms of a binding $50 billion merger, which as of mid-2020 was pending approval by European competition regulators. As of 16th July 2020, both companies decided to name the merged company "Stellantis".
context_section_description: In late 1978, PSA purchased the failing Chrysler Europe (which had been Rootes and Simca) from the troubled US parent firm for a nominal US$1.00, plus assumption of outstanding debt, leading to losses for the consortium from 1980 to 1985. Further investment was required because PSA decided to create a new brand for the entity for the disparate French and British models, based on the Talbot sports car last seen in the 1950s. From then on, the whole Chrysler/Simca range was sold under the Talbot badge until production of Talbot-branded passenger cars was shelved in 1987 and on commercial vehicles in 1992.
  All of this investment caused serious financial problems for the entire PSA group; PSA lost money from 1980 to 1985. There were some bright spots, however: mainly thanks to the success of the Peugeot 205 and in spite of Talbot sales withering away, PSA surpassed Renault in sales in the domestic French market for the first time in 1983. In 1987, the company dropped the Talbot brand for passenger cars when it ceased production of the Simca-developed Horizon; the Samba and Alpine/Solara had been discontinued a year earlier. What was to have been the Talbot Arizona became the Peugeot 309, with the former Rootes plant in Ryton and Simca plant in Poissy being turned over for Peugeot assembly from October 1985. Producing Peugeots in Ryton was significant, as it signaled the first time that PSA would build cars in the UK (car assembly at Ryton stopped in 2006 and the plant was closed). The Talbot name survived for a little longer on commercial vehicles until 1992 before being shelved completely. From 1987 to 1995, the Ryton plant also produced the Peugeot 405 saloon.
caption: Philippe Varin in Berlin, 2013
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