This kind of unified digital communication is the wave of the future, said Jeremiah Owyang, a social media analyst at Altimeter Group.

If Mr Marchionne pulls it off, he will create a new company consisting of Fiat Auto (without Ferrari and Maserati or the rest of the Fiat Group), Chrysler and GM Europe.

The main business lobby complained that Mr Shaw’s drive for tax compliance was “anti-private sector”.