Stellantis is selling more, but this isn’t reflected in Italy’s GDP. There is a reason for this

In September, Stellantis car sales in Italy rose by 7.2 per cent compared with the same month last year, and for the first nine months of 2026, the increase compared with the same period in ’26 stands at 5.6 per cent. Unfortunately, however, the performance of Italy’s leading car manufacturer is not reflected in corresponding increases in production and employment. Although the end consumer is showing signs of recovery, there are no positive effects on our GDP. And this is certainly a contradiction worth investigating. Overall, the Italian car market grew by almost ten percentage points in September; if we broaden our view to the entire January–September period, growth still stands at 8.7 per cent. However, the official press release from the trade association, ANFIA, does not convey any enthusiasm, as it is keen to emphasise right from the outset ‘that almost all of this increase is attributable to cars produced in China, which account for 15.1 per cent of new registrations, with prices that are obviously out of reach for European manufacturers’. The automotive sector, therefore, is making superhuman efforts to stay afloat – argues ANFIA – but the enemy is too strong and Brussels must get a move on. In this far from easy context, it is worth noting with approval that the Stellantis ship is sailing on, and doing so at a pace 30 per cent faster than projected for 2025. So much so that, of the 10 best-selling car models in Italy, a full five are owned by the former Fiat-Peugeot group.

But where are these models manufactured? The answer to this question explains the disconnect between sales and Italian production. The car most favoured by Italian consumers is, as it has been for as long as anyone can remember, still the Pandina, which alone accounts for 7.5 per cent of the market and is, fortunately, built in Pomigliano. Stellantis’s second best-selling model, however, is the Jeep Avenger, which has been arriving from the Tychy plant in Poland since January 2023. Moving on to the third Stellantis model most favoured by Italian consumers: the Peugeot 3008. And the question remains the same: where is it assembled? In Sochaux, France – a factory that is emblematic of the Lion brand. But that’s not all: what is Stellantis’s fourth best-selling model? The Fiat Grande Panda, which in turn is built in Kragujevac, Serbia, at a plant situated on the site of the historic Zastava factory. We’ll round off this overview with the final Stellantis car in the top ten best-selling models: the Citroën C3. Where does it come from for the Italian market? From the Trnava plant in Slovakia, but also from the Kragujevac site we’ve already mentioned.

So there you have it: the mystery is solved. A buoyant market and Italian factories in distress. Two plants in particular are under the greatest strain and are the focus of the trade union’s concerns: Mirafiori and Cassino. At the Turin flagship plant, the setback is even harsher because production of the 500 hybrid – which was supposed to reach 100,000 units assembled per year – is now expected to stall at 70,000. Consequently, to avoid production stoppages and widespread furloughs, Fiom-Fim and Uilm have long been calling for additional production to be allocated to Mirafiori. Will their demands be met? Further details are expected on 20 October during a meeting between the company and the trade unions, which is anticipated to provide a detailed analysis of production figures plant by plant. At that meeting, we will also learn more about the future of Cassino, which is expecting the new Maserati and Alfa models promised by the company by December, and is also awaiting confirmation of whether or not a Chinese manufacturer with ties to Stellantis will set up operations in southern Lazio.