Ferrari is officially under new management this week

Ferrari is officially under new management this week, a shift that will mark significant changes for the prancing pony brand.

“You’ve got to be careful about limiting the ambition of Ferrari because its customer base is an expanding customer base. The business itself is in good hands with FCA, as long as we don’t screw up the DNA of Ferrari,” Marchionne told CNBC.

Former chariman Luca di Montezemolo announced last month that he planned to resign after 23 years with the brand. In his place, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne is stepping to run the high-profile brand. Marchionne hasn’t been shy since then about saying he plans to ramp up production volume beyond the roughly 7,000-car limit  di Montezemolo leashed the brand to. Exclusivity is a key pillar in the company and Marchionne’s plan understandably is raising questions.

“I think that we are good holders of the assets,” he said. “The fact that I have come over as chairman goes to the level of commitment that we have made to this business.”

Rumors that Fiat was planning to sell Ferrari circulated earlier this year after Marchionne said that Ferrari was unique, but not untouchable. That led to speculation that the company was entertaining the idea of selling, but Marchionne stamped those stories out quickly. Ferrari sales are expected to reach roughly 7,200 this year, but Merchionne said in the past that the company could increase production to as many as 10,000 cars per year.