Former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne predicted this would happen. In the first few months of 2019, France's PSA indicated it’s not ruling out buying Jaguar Land Rover from Tata and it hinted it might form a partnership with FCA. Volkswagen and Ford are renewing their ties by collaborating in several areas while Daimler sent half of its Smart brand to China to live with Geely. We expect to report on additional mergers, buy-outs and shake-ups before the calendar rolls over to 2020.

This trend is accelerating but it’s not new. Market forces have pushed automakers into each other’s arms before. In 1954, Nash and Hudson both knew they wouldn’t survive alone for very long. So, 65 years ago they merged into American Motors Corporation (AMC) to challenge Detroit’s Big Three. Their gamble was, at times, a successful one; AMC held a 7.5% share of the American new car market in its best year. However, misguided management that released the wrong products at the wrong time drove the company into the mandibles of bankruptcy. Follow along as we explore the rise and fall of AMC: