Carlos Tavares, who resigned as CEO of Stellantis last week, leaves behind a legacy of polarizing decisions. Among these, the abandonment of the famous V8 Hemi engine, despite strong internal and external opposition, remains one of the most controversial.
The Hemi V8: reduced to limited uses
Although the Hemi V8 remains offered as a crate engine and with some frame-on-frame models (like the Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Durango), it has been left out of the majority of Stellantis' vehicle lineup. The new Dodge Charger can now only accommodate Hurricane in-line (6-cylinder turbo) or electric engines. A reinstatement of the V8 would require costly re-engineering, which seems unlikely at the moment.
Management under fire from critics
According to internal sources, Carlos Tavares was obsessed with short-term cost reductions, which allegedly led to poor management of the product line and relationships with suppliers, unions and dealers.
An anonymous employee said this: “He acted like he knew everything, but he didn't listen to advice. He blamed American executives for the company's problems without acknowledging his own mistakes. »
An uncertain transition for Stellantis
Carlos Tavares, whose salary reached nearly 40 million last year, was temporarily replaced by a committee of ten people led by John Elkann. Meanwhile, Stellantis is looking for a successor capable of turning things around.
Tim Kuniskis, known for popularizing the Hemi V8 and Dodge muscle cars, retired in May, but was brought back to serve as Ram's CEO.
Original content from auto123.
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