Special-edition vehicles drive pitch to raise millions to fight against health crises.

DO big American vehicles – and perhaps small Italian ones – make you see red?

There’s chance they might well yet do. And, in the context of what they’re involving with, the brands are very much okay about it.

Jeep, RAM and Fiat are partnering with U2 frontman Bono’s (RED) organisation to offer special-edition vehicles, aimed at raising almost $6 million to fight against health crises.

There’s no word from the brands’ national distributor, Ateco, about whether product coming to New Zealand will involve in the cause and word from Stellantis headquarters in Turin, Italy, suggests it will be unlikely.

So far the public relations’ material about the project speaks purely on product selling in North America and in Europe.

However, if it does stretch to Australasia you’ll have no problem identifying vehicles that are tied to it: The commitment is literally colour-coded.

So far the vehicles nominated for inclusion are editions of the Jeep Compass and Renegade small sports utilities, the RAM 1500 pickup and, for Europe, an electric version of the Fiat 500.

Money from the sale of the vehicles will support the Global Fund, which began operations in 2002 to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It has since expanded to include aid for the coronavirus pandemic.

Stellantis – which, just to remind, is the umbrella organisation to which all these marques belong – has declined to say how much profit from each vehicle sale will go toward the organisation.

The tie-up is the latest for (RED), which has formerly partnered with Amazon, Apple, Beats and Starbucks.

It also adds to the list of collaborations for Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer of the company, formerly Fiat Chrysler and maker of Jeep, Ram and Fiat vehicles.

He has become known for convincing brands such as Gucci and celebrities like Eminem, Bill Murray and Bruce Springsteen to partner or advertise for the automaker.

 “As the first automotive brands ever to join forces with (RED), a leader in the worldwide fight against pandemics, our immediate goal is to initiate a call to action to help combat these global health emergencies, including COVID-19 relief efforts,” Francois said in a release.

Bono, co-founder of (RED), called the partnership with the automaker “a power shot in the arm” for the organisation’s “fight against pandemics and the complacency that fuels them.”

“I’m here to sell an idea that unless this pandemic is defeated everywhere, no one is safe anywhere,” Bono said during a news conference on top of Fiat’s former headquarters in Turin.

“I’m not sure it’s clear that people realize that it’s not an act of charity to get vaccines out to people who live on the other side of the world, it’s enlightened self-interest.”