Chrysler and Fiat?
By now, you've heard about the pending marriage between Chrysler and Fiat. If you're like me, you're scratching your head, trying to figure out how this will work.Fiat hasn't sold new cars in the United States since the early 1980s. I was actually a new Fiat salesman in 1980/81, at a multi-line dealership (Fiat/Subaru/Volkswagen) in Canoga Park, California. At that time, the only Fiats on our showroom floor were the Spyder, a front-engine/rear-drive convertible roadster, and the X19, an awesome little mid-engine/rear-drive two-seater. The cars were sexy, fun to drive and total pieces of junk. Build quality was laughably bad. We could never be sure if a brand new Fiat would even start, so test-drives were risky. Somehow, I managed to sell enough Fiats to be the top salesman in California that year -- I sold seven cars.
Certainly, Fiat has made great strides in the past 28 or so years since my last involvement with them. The very popular 500 competes with the Smart in Europe; the cool-looking Qubo is promising; and the Panda 4x4 is an adorable little SUV. Maybe Fiat would even consider bringing Alfa Romeo back to the States -- very cool.
The big battle, once the business details get ironed out, will be for the hearts and minds of American consumers. Our Fiat memories may be fond ones, but will they lead us to the showroom floor? Has Chrysler jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire?
Photo © Jason Fogelson
Comments
After reading your Fiat story, the thought that jumped into my mind was–hey maybe there’s hope for the “big three”. After all Fiat was awefully close to death too.
FIAT, the parent company of: Lancia, Maserati and Alfa-Romeo; builds some aswesome mobiles, besides, from what I read in “Car” magazine, some of the most technologically advanced engines, today.
On the European market the FIAT/VW group has practically very few real competitors and we’d only be too lucky to be able to get our hands on some of those wheels. Chrysler, let’s not forget, has been an American icon for practically as long as Detroit has been in existance, and, the parent company of the very successful, on a global scale, “Jeep”. Only try to imagine how cool the new “Crossfires” and “Vipers” would be, if arranged with a true European accent (chassis).
If the American consumer will still not be convinced by style and quality, well, I suppose they can continue to throw their money into crappy mega-ton mobiles, like they’ve been doing – but hey, that’s the patriotic thing to do. Me, on the other hand, I’d love to get my hands on a new Lancia-Delta, or even a cool looking 500. BMW, Acura, MiniCooper… Eat your heart out!