Fiat Finishes 2008 With Its Best Ever Trading Profit

TURIN, Italy – January 26, 2009: Despite a difficult fourth quarter, the Fiat Group has completed 2008 with its best ever trading profit, up 4.0 per cent over 2007 to €3.4 billion in 2008, on a total revenue of €59.4 billion, up 1.5 per cent over the previous year.

Fiat Group Automobiles increased revenue slightly – +0.5 per cent – on 2007 to €26.9 billion, based on an annual production of 2,152,500 cars to achieve a trading profit of €691 million. Sales rose in the key markets of France (+31 per cent), Germany (+14 per cent) and Brazil (+9 per cent). Fiat light commercial vehicles (Fiat Professional) sold a total of 408,700 vehicles, up 5.3 per cent.

Maserati lifted its revenue in 2008 to a new record of €825 million, up 18.9 per cent, based on a 16.8 per cent rise in deliveries to 8,759 cars. Ferrari raised its profits by 27.4 per cent to €339 in 2008 over 2007, based on a slight increase in sales, up 0.6 per cent to 6,527 supercars. Ferrari revenue rose by 15.2 per cent to €1,921 million in 2008.

In addition to the automobile sectors within the Fiat Group, agriculture and construction equipment (CNH) lifted its trading profit by €132 million; trucks and large commercial vehicles (Iveco) rose by €25 million, and other business sectors rose by €70 million.