Currently reading: Delta faces axe but Chrysler UK presence maintained
Chrysler to stick to UK growth plan despite Lancia's reduction to a single model for the Italian market only, which spells the end for the Delta

The Chrysler Delta is set to be axed from sale in the UK. The model has already disappeared from the list of new vehicles for sale on Chrysler's UK website.

Chrysler has yet to officially confirm the Delta's deletion from UK price lists. An announcement is likely soon given the fact its donor car, the Lancia Delta, will be exiting production as part of plans outlined by Fiat-Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne to reduce the Lancia brand to sales only in Italy, where the sole model offered will be the Lancia Ypsilon supermini. 

For now, the Delta can still be sourced new from Chrysler dealers as models remain in stock but it has not been a sales success here. The Chrysler brand as a whole sold 2515 cars in the UK in 2013, a drop of 24.54 per cent from the 3333 units sold in 2012. 

Chrysler told Autocar it "still has volume aspirations in the UK" and will continue to sell its rebadged version of the Ypsilon, the 300C saloon and Grand Voyager MPV. The range of models would "maintain a presence for the Chrysler brand" in the UK, according to the company. 

Following the initial tie-up between Fiat and Chrysler, which has now turned into a full-blown takeover, Marchionne attempted to merge the Chrysler and Lancia brands. In mainland Europe, Lancia sold its own Ypsilon and Delta models alongside its own rebadged versions of the Chrysler 300C, Grand Voyager and 200 Convertible models. In the UK, the Ypsilon and Delta were sold as Chryslers. 

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

Join the debate

Comments
20
Add a comment…
typos1 24 January 2014

Yes, I know all that, but

Yes, I know all that, but they should have started selling Fiats and Lancias together again, that was my point and I stand by it,. Part of the reason I made it was the total mess Chrysler made in Europe, it means the Chrysler name has zero cache in Europe and the Lancia name still has loads despite the rust debacle and partly because of its rallying success. Youd have to be a toal idiot to think that selling Lancias with Chrysler badges would net you more sales than selling Lancias with Lancia badges, not one of Mr Marchione's better decisions. I ve seen some Deltas abou, about as many as the Ypsilons I ve seen (ie not many!). Funny youve seen Ypsilons in Fiat dealerships though, they werent Fiat/Chrysler dealers ?
n50pap 23 January 2014

Fiat/Lancia dealerships

In the early 90's there were combined Fiat/Lancia dealerships [Arnold Clark had one in Dundee] but when Lancia stopped being imported into the UK, Fiat just took over the available space. Putting the Chrysler badge on Lancia Ypsilons and Deltas was always going to be a gamble. I've seen loads of Ypsilons [normally pre-reg in Fiat dealerships] but I can't recollect seeing a Delta on the road. Previous instances of using the Chrysler badge weren't exactly a sales success. In the 70's they were attached to some pretty dire Rootes group products like the Avenger and Hunter and who could forget the Chrysler Alpine and Horizon models.
typos1 22 January 2014

Excellent idea, Gerhard,

Excellent idea, Gerhard, email Marchionne (I m serious). It would have cost peanuts to print some Lancia brochures, buy some signage and convert UK Fiat dealers to Fiat/Lancia dealers, they could ahave done it years ago and boosted LAncia sale, they would clearly have sold more then they would have sticking Chrysler badges on em, really who made that mad decision ? Cant understand why its only Alfa that people want to save, when Lancia has just as much history (and I own an Alfa !)