“Yo, Adrian... It’s me, Rocky!”

Dear Members,

Take it from Rocky…“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows… You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”

Atop the 72 steps leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art are the bronze footprints left by the infamous Rocky Balboa where he completed his training runs for the big prize fight. Many FLU members traveled to downtown Philly during FFO09 weekend and stood there in the shadow of Rocky’s statue overlooking the Philadelphia skyline.

I took this picture of Rocky’s footsteps on that Thursday night at FFO and never gave it more thought beyond a photo souvenir until now. The warm summer days we had at this year’s Freak Out have given way, turning into fall and a snowy winter has arrived. Rocky’s footsteps may be covered in a blanket of snow by now. All is quiet and most of our engines are silent. Many of our beloved cars are garaged or even placed long term winter storage. Sure, this happens every year. Yet things feel a little bit different this time.

Our economy is in the middle of a very deep recession. A lot of good people are hurting with record unemployment. Seems every day another business is closing, a friend or family member loses their job or some unexpected crisis crops up. Lately it’s seems easier to take bad news, perhaps you just get numb with the record cold temps.

We’re an Italian car club. We love our cars. If you’re a member of Fiat Lancia Unlimited, that’s easy to see. But who would have foreseen the chain of events unfolding across the automotive landscape witnessed over the last year? Just a few weeks ago we learned that Saab will be closing its doors. Another fine automotive marque will soon be gone, along with 3400 talented people now out of work. Sadly, that trail to the unemployment office line has already been blazed by workers at Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer. GM and Chrysler went bankrupt too. Global warming climate change may be in question, but economic climate change is very real.

Adding insult to injury, the “Cash for Clunkers” program took a lot of functional older cars off American roads while taxpayer’s paid the tab. Sorry to be partisan, but I’m solidly “Pro-Life” toward older vehicles. “You Tube” episodes show snickering “auto care technicians” injecting sodium silicate down the oil filler tube and watching engines gasp their last while glass grows down in the sump. Seeing a clip of a magnificent Alfa 164 V-6 engine die while techs laughed was painful to watch. But even if it’s just a rusty, crusty old Chevy Corsica, it offends me as a car enthusiast to view automotive assisted suicide. Someone may ask, “It’s just an old car John. The planet may well be saved and cash was paid, so who’s the victim?” Take your pick…the neighborhood auto care center, the auto parts store, the tire dealer, paint & body shop, muffler shop and the used car dealer. Auto junk salvage yards lose half their car’s value with a glass packed engine. Even new car dealers got hurt, fronting cash for months on the deals and storing the car cadavers in the back lot while government dragged its feet. By the way, studies show that the new car owner drives more miles in the new car than the old clunker, negating all the environmental value of the higher mileage car. Yet, it’s called a success?

Things look pretty bad, yet Rocky is still right. It is about how hard you can get hit, and still keep moving forward. Everyone has taken some hits over this last year. Let’s check back with ol’ Rock and get a little more advice.

Going in one more round when you don't think you can - that's what makes all the difference in your life.”

The Obama administration was ready to liquidate Chrysler in March, 2009. However, the prospect of 300,000 more unemployed and 15 cents on the dollar to melt down the Pentastar, there was just one more round… Fiat and its version of Rocky, Sergio Marchionne.

Except this is no fictional story; Sr. Marchionne is the real deal. As with most great leaders, Marchionne made his entrance at Chrysler’s darkest hour. Pundits and the media initially scoffed while worn out “Fix It Again Tony” jokes made a brief resurgence. But Sergio’s a man on a mission with

an undefeated record in the automotive ring. Once the media discovered that that “Tony” was dead, the jokes have ceased. Yes sir, Marchionne is a fighter…the real deal.

Born in Chieti, Italy but raised in Toronto, Canada, Sergio Marchionne joined Fiat’s Board of Directors in 2003 and became CEO in 2004 during when the Agnelli family stuggled to keep the company going. Many thought Marchionne was hired to preside over Fiat’s liquidation. After all, their Italian market share had dropped from 52% in the 1990’s to only 28%. Sergio went into the ring, took charge and returned Fiat to profitability for the first time since 2000 in 2006. The job took just two years, and Fiat trimmed six month’s off the “design to market process”, and will roll out 23 new models from 2007 to the end of 2010. Buyers are seeking smaller, less costly cars that deliver a level of refined amenities and plenty of power. Fiat took a few hits but continues to aggressively move forward while the other marques simply plan to react as the market changes.

On November 4th, 2009, Marchionne and the Chrysler team held a press conference to outline a five year plan including news that the Fiat 500 will be sold here in North America. The latest from Powertrain Manager Palio Ferraro is that Fiat will build the 100 HP Multi Air 1.4 liter FIRE engine (just introduced in the European Alfa Mito at a Chrysler plant in Dundee Michigan. This state of the art engine will be for the Fiat 500, a car that will be introduced here in the fourth quarter of 2010! The chassis will be built in Toluca Mexico with engines shipped in from Detroit for final assembly and export to North and Latin America. Initially the 100HP version will be sold, then by Q4, 2011 a 150 HP turbocharged version will go into the Abarth 500. The move will double Chrysler’s small engine capacity, a promise kept from the merger deal. Our guess is that the new Fiat 500 will arrive with all of the appointments shown on the car that was in Philly… Six Speed, A/C, Sunroof, power windows, 16” alloys, antilock brakes, traction control, leather, Bluetooth media interface, cruise control, seven airbags and… 45+ MPG. Marchionne fully intends to take the lead in the small car segment. Yes friends, the lead. Fiat is taking charge, not following. Got that? Revise your paradigms right now because we’re moving forward. What makes me so sure? Fiat has a stand at the Detroit International Auto Show this cold January with the piping hot new 1.4 liter, 170 HP turbocharged Fiat 500 Abarth, dressed in the appropriate metallic gun metal gray. No prisoners will be taken ladies and gentleman, this is the real deal. Get on board, tighten the seat belts, turn the key and hold on for dear life… because this is not your Uncle “F.I.A. Tony’s” Fiat anymore.

Fiat Lancia Unlimited’s Fiat Freak Out 2010 will be in Asheville/st1:City>, NC at the Crown Plaza Hotel July 8^th to 11^th, 2010. Our club room rates are just $99 per night and we’ll be hosting many of our activities at the brand new 16,000 square ft. state of the art Crowne Plaza Expo Center at the hotel. Not only that, we’ll display Fiat & Lancia past, present and future, showcasing everything we’ve got in a spectacular panoramic photo to be taken in front of America’s largest and finest home, the 250 room Biltmore Estate mansion. Make plans now to attend an event that will be watched around the world.

Our 27^th annual show will be held just 90 days prior to the scheduled introduction launch of the new Fiat 500 to North America. We’ll be ready. After all, just a few months ago we stood on the front steps at the exact same spot where Rocky was before the big prize fight. We have stepped into those shoes & we’re ready. The new glossy paper for this issue is one small step in stepping to our mission.

Make no mistake, North America is the big prize and it’s time for us members to move forward as a club. Believe it or not, you and your car will become quite a conversation starter as the general public becomes aware that they will soon be able to buy our brand again. So, in many ways we’ll be in the front lines as the new cars are launched. We’ll be ready. Oh, and if you’re ready to order a new 500, it may be possible to do so by the time we get to Asheville. So what do you say Sr. Sergio, may we reserve a booth at Freak Out where members and the public can place an advance order?

"That’s how winning is done..” -John Montgomery, FLU President

See you at Fiat Freak Out!