Coming on the heels of Chrysler’s Chapter 11 announcement is word that after the company emerges from bankruptcy Chief Executive Bob Nardelli will be leaving, according to Automotive News.

The answer is Fiat. And so with that, the Italian auto giant is buying into not the Chrysler of today, but the one that will emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, possibly in a matter of weeks.

Most automakers announced December sales figures today, and once again the news is dismal. However, the annual declines are what deserve our attention. GM and Ford haven’t seen sales figures this low since the late 1950s and early 1960s, respectively. The General realized a 22.7 percent decline in sales for 2008 vs. 2007; Ford notched 22.8 percent, however that factors in Land Rover and Jaguar, which were sold to Tata Motors in mid-2007. [Full data from Automotive News]