“This is clearly the end of an era and maybe more, as Marchionne is not just the mastermind behind FCA, he is FCA,” said professor and former head of Fiat’s archives, Giuseppe Berta, in an interview with Automotive News. “After he is gone, FCA will have to change, and this opens room for a big transformational deal.” The trade publication posits on a few partners should FCA hold hands with another automaker. The first possibility: cross-town rival Ford. Both FCA and Ford are family-controlled automakers and one analyst believes the Blue Oval could be better off with FCA in its corner.