Fiat-Lancia Unlimited

May 2009

OK, guess it’s time for my first official retraction from something I said in the last Prez column.

“We are going to see Fiat automotive fruit here in the next few years, because it’s just too tasty to hold back.”

I want to apologize to everyone. I was wrong in saying that we in North America are going to see Fiats in the next few years.

We’re most likely are going to see Fiats within the next year! Yes, this year! Can you believe it? A new Fiat or Alfa could be in your driveway by next summer. Think about it for a moment. That’s incredible, off the chart good news! We’re going to get cars for the first time since 1982, to be sold at local Chrysler dealerships.

The beauty of this Chry-Fi alliance is that the dealer network is already in place and Chrysler absolutely must have an influx of exciting, high mileage quality cars. Fiat in turn will be able to sell Chrysler products around the world, so it’s a win-win situation.

Better yet, current economic circumstances insure that the Fiats and Alfas coming in will be the hot blooded Italian cars we expect. Thankfully there is no time for Corinthian leather or faux wood grain trim since Chrysler does not have the time or money to do much more than a new badge or name plate. They’ll spend what cash they have on federalizing the cars, logistics and marketing. So we’ll get the fantastic styling, world class build quality and awesome overall performance that only Italy can produce.

Be prepared for a few ignorant “Fix It Again Tony” jokes, but that phase will pass quickly. Fiat has nothing to worry about, because after a 26 year of absence in North America, the quality of Fiat cars are world class. Fiat it’s just what Chrysler needs, and the Fiat Group cars are just what America needs. Our long wait is just about over. Ditto for our Alfisti brethren, who have served a long 15 year sentence in Alfa isolation. The stellar $200K Alfa 8C has already sold out its US allocation, but at least a sprinkling of the supercars will boost the image of the Alfa marquee in the states.

We are going to get the Fiat 500 and perhaps up to four Fiat / Alfa platforms. This time they will be a great success here, even though there are plenty of folks in the automotive “peanut gallery” (including a few journalists) that will say that’s not possible. The 500 especially is a “can’t miss” car. Let me explain why it will not fail. Jim’s 500 drew admiring crowds everywhere it went, even when parked next to a Lamborghini Gallardo convertible way up in the rural North Georgia mountains. All over the country men lusted, women swooned, children pointed and even little dogs wagged their tails in excitement over this little car. OK, perhaps a few folks were only excited about a genuine Irishman and not the car itself, but I’ve never seen anything like it.

Jim’s base engine model 500 is a 1.2 liter 4 cylinder with 68 HP, yet it proved very adequate for our roads. The zero to 60 time is 10.5 seconds while the 5 speed tranny gives the car a top speed of 114 MPH. During our Atlanta Italian Car Day mountain drive, the 500’s handling left a 4 cylinder Pontiac Solstice (with 110 more HP) in the rear view mirror many times on the twisty North Georgia mountain roads.

Ricambi editor Brett Melancon used Jim’s 500 as a daily commuter for several weeks during the time when gas hit $4 per gallon just after FFO08. Brett got an amazing 44+ MPG in spite of his well known heavy right foot. During the “One lap of America” tour, Jim reported a whopping 68 MPG on the way from Sacramento to San Francisco, with emission levels that are almost as clean as the Toyota Prius. Just wait until Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the greenie environmental lobbyists find out about the Fiat 500! It’s entirely possible that the 500 could be seen by the nation’s leadership as a car that could help solve global warming, along with solar panels, windmills and the latest, banning black vehicles in California. The 500 will most likely be built in Mexico, unless some of your children’s and grand children’s money is used to subsidize an existing American based factory.

US auto manufacturers are facing a legislative mandate, calling for a fleet average 36 MPG fuel economy standard to take effect in 2011. Bankrupt Chrysler has absolutely no choice but to make this alliance work since their current product lineup will never make the numbers. If there is one thing certain about America’s automotive future, congress would rather bankrupt domestic automakers than relax ridiculous CAFÉ mileage standards.

America will most likely get the Abarth version with a 1.4 liter turbo engine with a 135 BHP and six speed transmission, almost double the power of Jim’s car. The Abarth 500 has a zero to 60 time of 7.9 seconds, 127 MPH top speed and the mileage with the hot engine is over 42 MPG! There is even a Fiat 500 Abarth SS with 160 horsepower. Check it out on You Tube! Can’t miss!

All right, how about a worse case fuel price scenario where the cost of fuel (including newly invented taxes) spikes way up again? No problem. Fiat has a 1.3 turbo diesel 500 in Europe that gets 67 MPG and near 90 MPG on the highway! Listen, I’m not making these numbers up, it’s a fact. The 500 can’t miss, can’t miss, can’t miss.

The question for the club is, what can we do now that we know cars will soon be on the way? When Fiat brings cars here, Chrysler badged or not, some of our club members will buy one. I plan to buy one. Let’s say the cars come in and 10% of the membership buys a new Fiat. We could see a few dozen new cars at FFO10. If we can pickup 1% of the new Fiat owners currently outside the club, we could easily see 100 or more new cars at FFO11.

Here's the good news...we have already tested the waters. I did not see one tiny hint of animosity when the new Fiat 500 rolled in on Friday night at Freak Out. The membership loved the car, and this is a great opportunity to bring old and new together. It will take some planning and it needs to be discussed by the FLU Board and the membership.

We could easily have 20 current members buy a new car and bring it AND their vintage Fiat to FFO. Certainly we would welcome them with open arms. That being said we must make our club attractive to the brand new folks and it is a critical task ahead as this Chrysler Fiat alliance comes together.

The best thing we can do is make sure that old “Fix it again Tony” mentality is eradicated at all of the Chrysler dealerships, since it is the point of contact where old and new perspectives will meet.

I have an idea... and this is especially important for the FLU owners of the very best cars we have in the club. There are hundreds of Chrysler dealers in North America and someone from our club with a top drawer car should visit each one in the next few months.

Make sure your car is clean as a pin and 100% show ready. Pick a sunny Saturday afternoon and drive over to your local Chrysler dealership. Park right in front of the showroom so EVERYONE in the dealership will see your car. Walk in and with your best smile; ask for the latest news about the incoming Fiat group cars. Hang around for a few minutes and make sure the salesmen get a good look at your pristine car. Tell them that how much fun you are having, how reliable it is and how folks love to look at your car no matter where you go. Yes, just tell them the truth. They need to know about Fiat and the kind of cars they are now building. Mention that Fiat owns Ferrari too …just to make sure you change their preconceived notions and foster the paradigm shift. Even if you don’t have a show car to drive to the dealer, take your regular car and ask about the new Fiats. Get them excited about the future and the new platforms. Then give them your phone number and tell them to call you when the first models arrive. After all, you know about 500 people in the club who will want cars too.

Well, that’s the plan. We have an important role to play, even if you are not in the market for a new car. Our mission as a car club should always positively inspire attitudes about the Fiat, Lancia, and Alfa marques. Here’s our chance to make a big difference. Can’t miss, can’t miss, can’t miss. Let’s go do it!