All three companies are owned by the Fiat Group, under whom the engine sharing program was organized.

The change follows last week's executive realignment at the top of the parent company, the Fiat Group.

Lancia took over the role of motorsport for the Fiat Group during the 1980s.

In 1992, two top corporate officials in the Fiat Group were arrested for political corruption.

Meanwhile the Fiat group announced a drop in operating profits of more than half, to 2.1 trillion lire ($1.7 billion).

The Fiat group is viewed by business as the pre-eminent example of the Italian industrial renaissance.

Balocco is the seat of the major proving ground of Fiat Group.

A subsidiary of Fiat Group, it has 32,000 employees and a turnover of 5.4 billion euro in 2008.

Autobianchi was bought by the Fiat group and integrated into the operations of Lancia.

In 1988, Simmel was acquired by the Fiat Group.