(The Italian Automobile Factory of Turin might team up with Ford to bring us the 500!? flickr/van.brussel)
Fiat S.p.A., founded in 1899, had formed a partner ship with Ford after their agreement with GM dissolved back in 2005. With their new found friendship rumors have been spreading that Fiat is considering the usage of Ford’s distribution network to bring the new Fiat 500 (European Car of the Year 2008) stateside for 2010!
The 500 is available with four different trim levels: Naked, Pop, Lounge and Sport. Customers can also choose between 15 interior trims, 9 wheel options, 19 decals and 12 body colors. There are over 500,000 different personalized combinations of the 500 that can be made by mixing and matching the various accessories, decals, interior and exterior colors and trims (wikipedia).
Not sure how they will be received here in the USA, but within three weeks of the 500′s launch the entire year’s production of 58,000 units had been completely sold out. Fiat is expecting to break 350,000 units sold by the end of 2010. To that I say “BRING ‘EM ON!”
Thanks to William Lincoln for the scoop!
***UPDATE 7/8/08***
Check out this video of the ADDX custom Fiat 500. Lot’s of luv went into that kit.
Thanks to AgentZero for the scoop!
7. July 2008 at 9:18 pm
WANT!!!!!
(unless it has [relatively] crap mileage and is as loud and uncomfortable than my 1990 Corolla.)
7. July 2008 at 10:03 pm
That is the upside to high gas prices and a faultering worldwide economy. American automakers seem to be perpetually caught off guard with no competitive products to sell when things get tight, but always get creative in the end.
For the irregular small car enthusiast like me, this is a definite good thing. I don’t like high gas prices, but in a market economy there is ALWAYS an upside (even if its mostly for Chevron executives)
8. July 2008 at 7:25 am
We used to get a lot of Fiats in California and they were really unreliable, very poor materials and bad build quality. The Yugo was a Fiat. I think the Le Car might have been a Fiat.
Let’s have some of those Jap 600cc city cars!
8. July 2008 at 10:28 pm
First of all, the LeCar was French, a Renault. I did have a Fiat (new) in the 70′s, was really neat, beautiful design, great interior and engine, lousy reliability.
I will be the first to get rid of my 08 Hyundai Accent for the 500. I am of Italian heritage and I have loved the new 500 since its’ introduction.
If reliability is up, fuel mileage is high, it will be a no brainer
9. July 2008 at 7:49 pm
My first car was almost a fiat. I was 16 and my mom put the kaibosh/kibosh on the purchase. A few years later I was really glad I didn’t but it, the owner got fed up with it and had it towed to the car cemetary.