back to article Samsung Electronics reportedly ponders buying Fiat parts

Samsung Electronics is considering an acquisition of Magneti Marelli, the Fiat-Chrysler-owned automotive parts supplier. Magneti Marelli makes exhausts, suspensions, power trains, internal plastics and other in-car essentials and sells them to auto-makers other than its parent companies. Samsung is probably more interest in …

  1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Just because????

    Apple is (cough cough) supposed to be

    1) making an electric car

    2) rumoured to be talking to Fiat-Chrysler about a JV

    Just wondering you know...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Just because????

      Samsung is a big conglomerate of smaller companies that make stuff from chips to ships, it is actually surprising they never bought a Korean automaker like Kia to add to their collection in the past. The auto market is going to be changing in a lot of ways soon, with some of the long time players going away in twenty years, and some new ones emerging. If ever there was a time for an Apple or a Samsung to try to enter, the shift to electric autonomous vehicles would be the time.

      Obviously if Samsung enters the market they are going to need a parts supplier, because no one makes everything in their car (maybe Ford did back in the days when their factories took raw materials like iron ore and coal in one end and drove cars out the other) If they can cause problems for Apple's plans along the way, I'm sure that's just a bonus to them.

      1. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

        Re: Just because????

        it is actually surprising they never bought a Korean automaker like Kia to add to their collection in the past.

        It went with a joint-venture instead. "Samsung-Renault Motors" produces a range of cars based on Renault designs for the the Korean domestic market. (Info in English here: https://group.renault.com/en/company-vehicles/discover/renault-samsung-motors/ )

  2. Magani
    Trollface

    Like Lucas?

    The Magneti Marelli ignition on my old Fiat was about on a par with the UK's Lucas (Prince of Darkness) when it came to reliability. Good luck, Samsung.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Like Lucas?

      On the other hand, I recently rented a car with their latest ICE system and it was easily the best I've ever used. I can see why Samsung thinks it's worth buying.

    2. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

      Re: Like Lucas?

      Assuming you're not trying to reason from information that's nearly thirty years out of date, your old FIAT's ignition system was most likely made by Bosch, not Marelli.

      Today, Marelli is widely regarded as the most advanced automotive lighting systems supplier, with a customer list that reads like a who's-who of the top car manufacturers. But, in terms of a Samsung Electronics purchase, their position as a producer of digital "infotainment" systems would not be as commanding as other companies such as Bosch (makers of Audi's fancy "virtual cockpit") and Harman.

      1. Magani

        Re: Like Lucas?

        "... your old FIAT's ignition system was most likely made by Bosch, not Marelli."

        Stamped in big letters on both Fiats and a Lancia (I'm a glutton for punishment) were the names "Magneti" and "Marelli", hence I, possibly foolishly, assumed that's who had made them.

        Terrific if they've left their rather dubious quality control behind.

        1. Solmyr ibn Wali Barad

          Re: Like Lucas?

          Could have mentioned models there, or at least the timeframe you're talking about. Fiat has a long & dwindling history with suppliers.

          For what it's worth, my old 124 definitely had Marelli ignition coil and high voltage commutator. Was quite reliable for its era - but that era was bloody 50 years ago and expectations for reliability were not particularly high.

          1. ntevanza

            Re: Like Lucas?

            No, not like Lucas. With Lucas, you just stood in the dark in the rain. With Magneti Marelli, breaking down was unavoidably stylish.

    3. FreeTard

      Re: Like Lucas?

      Hmm, they seem good enough for F1, MotoGP, Indy, Nascar, WSBK, WRC & a ton of high end vehicles all the same.

      Here's one ref, I'll let you do the rest.

      http://formula1.ferrari.com/en/partners/magneti-marelli/

  3. Admiral Grace Hopper

    A long time ago, at a stores counter far, far away

    The alternator on my Fiat Uno packed up, cause, I soon found out, by worn out brushes. Knowing this to be a simple job I noted down the part numbers and cycled to the Fiat dealer.

    "Ah, yours will either have Bosch parts or Magneti Marelli. One is cheap, one one isn't. The Bosch one you can replace the brushes, the Marelli one is more of an assembly. Yours is Marelli - lets's look".

    He loaded up the microfiche and started scanning.

    "Ok ... ok ... not that one ... not that one ... here we are ... fucking hell, I wouldn't pay that".

    £70 for the brush assembly. He pointed me to the man round the corner who did reconditioned alternators for £40 (exchange).

    A good spares manager is priceless.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like