Montezemelo Poised to Exit Ferrari?

Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemelo may leave the company by year-end after 23 years because of a disagreement about strategy, multiple unnamed sources tell Bloomberg News.

Reports say Montezemelo frets over parent Fiat SpA's pressure to contribute more sales. He wants to maintain Ferrari's exclusivity by controlling annual volume at about 7,000 units.

Bloomberg suggests Montezemelo's star is fading. He was named chairman of Fiat in 2004, the year Marchionne became CEO. But he gave up the post six years later and did not win a seat on the board of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

Italian media reports say Montezemelo told friends the Fiat-Chrysler merger marks the end of an era because "Ferrari is now American." Marchionne chastised him last weekend for portraying himself as essential to Ferrari's future. Nobody is indispensable," Marchionne declared.