A death in Zurich, an arrest in Tokyo and a young heir who has long wanted to ease his family’s dependence on the car business are the powerful human factors helping propel a proposed merger that could shake up the global auto industry.
John Elkann, the New York-born scion of one of Europe’s most famous business dynasties, became vice chairman of Italian car maker Fiat in 2004 at age 28, bringing little attachment to cars or Italy.
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