Chrysler and Lancia May Unify By Year End

It looks like the lines between European and American are going to blur rather quickly over at Chrysler. A new report on Autocar quotes Sergio Marchionne as stating that Lancia and Chrysler could merge by the end of 2010. The merger would include pulling Chrysler out of European markets and using Chrysler models to augment the Lancia line. Here in the States, we’re likely to see a growing number of Chrysler-badged Lancias as the companies make the move toward unification.

Marchionne said: “In Europe, Lancia is an undersized, underdeveloped brand, with nothing bigger than the Delta. Chrysler, which has a true global reach, has nothing smaller. Put them together and you have a full lineup.”

At the Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler had a quiet but notable Chrysler-branded Lancia Delta on display. In Autocar’s report, Marchionne stated that the Delta may be on its way to the U.S. [Autocar via MotorAuthority]