Effective 23 June, Filosa takes the wheel of one of the world’s largest carmakers, with full CEO powers already granted by the Board. And if that sounds like a tall order, Filosa has been doing hot laps around this track for more than 25 years.

As Chief Operating Officer of South America, Filosa took the FIAT brand and launched it into a market-leading orbit, before doing the same for Peugeot, Citroën, Ram, and Jeep.

One of his biggest wins was the creation of Stellantis’ Pernambuco plant in Brazil. It became the launchpad for Jeep’s regional dominance. Brazil is now Jeep’s biggest market outside of the U.S.

Then came the role of Jeep CEO, where Filosa steered the brand’s international strategy and welcomed the Jeep Avenger in Europe.

Fast forward to December 2024, and Filosa took on the role of Chief Operating Officer for the Americas. He slashed bloated inventories, reshuffled leadership, rebooted product pipelines, and opened meaningful lines of communication with dealers, suppliers, and unions.

A special committee of Stellantis’ Board, led by Executive Chairman John Elkann, scoured both internal and external candidates before unanimously giving Filosa the nod. Elkann himself had this to say, “Antonio’s deep understanding of our Company, including its people who he views as our core strength, and of our industry equip him perfectly for the role of Chief Executive Officer in this next and crucial phase of Stellantis’ development.”

Vice Chairman Robert Peugeot echoed that sentiment, “His track record of successful leadership during his many years with our Company speaks for itself. He’s a natural choice to become Stellantis’ next CEO.”

Even Nicolas Dufourcq, CEO of Bpifrance, one of Stellantis’ key investors, chimed in with support, “Antonio Filosa has the knowledge, the experience, and the talent to lead Stellantis to new successes.”

“It is my great honour to be named the CEO of this fantastic Company,” Antonio Filosa said. “I have always been inspired by the immense talent, passion and commitment of our people at Stellantis. We have the world’s best and most iconic brands in automotive history and an over 100-year heritage of innovation.”

Come 23 June, with Filosa at the helm and a new leadership team set to be unveiled shortly thereafter, the company enters a new chapter. 

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Auto Germany, the sole agent responsible for Opel cars and commercial vehicles in Singapore, has confirmed it will stop selling the German marque by the close of next year.

The main reason for the decision was the lack of fresh, competitively priced models in Opel’s global pipeline over the next three years.

“We’ve placed our last order,” said Mr Keith Pang, director of Alpine Group, which owns Auto Germany. That order came in January, and once those vehicles are sold, the curtain will fall. “We will run the business until the end of 2025, or until all stock is cleared, whichever comes first.”

Still in the pit lane

For the time being, existing customers needn’t panic. Auto Germany will continue to offer workshop services (including maintenance, repairs and warranty claims) from its Alpine Centre at 7 Ubi Close. Support will remain until a new dealer is found or, as Mr Pang rather stoically puts it, “until the last vehicle is off the road.”

Currently, Opel occupies the second and third floors of the four-storey Alpine Centre, and continues to retail three models. But how many units remain in stock? That remains under wraps.

From promise to plateau

It wasn’t always this quiet for Opel.

Back in 2012, Alpine started selling the brand with a humble 99 cars registered in its debut year. By 2017, the number had grown tenfold, peaking at 961 registrations. But the glory days proved short-lived. In 2024, only 40 Opels were registered.

And it’s not as if the brand lacked ambition. Opel was among the first European carmakers to offer electric vehicles in Singapore, outpacing even Volkswagen and Citroën to the plug. In 2022, a high-profile deal saw Opel commit to supplying up to 500 electric Corsa hatchbacks to car-sharing operator BlueSG.

But even that momentum failed to hold; only 217 electric Opel vehicles were registered between 2022 and 2024, and that figure included other models outside the BlueSG agreement.

The Stellantis shuffle

Opel’s story is just one chapter in a larger reshuffling within the Stellantis family here in Singapore.

Earlier this year, Peugeot changed hands from Vantage Automotive to Cycle & Carriage. Meanwhile, brands like Alfa Romeo and Jeep (once under Capella Auto) are in limbo, with no replacement dealers named thus far.

It’s a sign of the times, perhaps, that the once-steady dance of dealership and brand has turned into musical chairs. The industry is evolving rapidly — electrification, changing consumer habits, and razor-thin margins are reshaping the automotive landscape. Some brands keep up. Others stall.

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