The subcompact 500 will be the first Fiat to enter the American market since the 1980s. (Fiat)
Baby boomers may recall seeing Fiats buzzing around local streets back in the '60s and '70s -- the 124 Spider, with its sumptuously graceful lines; the sporty, playful 850 convertible; and the angular, mid-engine X1/9.
The Italian cars were known for their excellent handling as well as their unique body designs. But in the mid-'80s, Fiat abruptly pulled out of the U.S. market, dogged by quality issues, disgruntled dealers and rising competition from Japanese automakers.
Now, having acquired a 35 percent stake in Chrysler, Fiat will be returning to the States within a year or two. What was it that compelled Americans to buy Fiats back in the company's heyday? And will those same traits -- if they're still evident -- lure a new cadre of buyers?
The Cinquecento
- The first Fiat to arrive in the U.S. will be the 500, known as the Cinquecento, an update of the Italian classic from the 1960s that has been a big hit since its introduction in Europe two years ago.
- With the 500, Fiat hopes to attract younger, urban drivers. In Europe, the car sells for roughly 9,000 euros ($12,000) on average.
- Alfa Romeo, part of the Fiat group, also will return to the U.S. with the MiTo, a compact now sold in Europe, as well as the Milano, reviving a name from the 1980s and '90s.
- --New York Times News Service
Ray Mortensen, owner of Renton auto-repair shop Performance Apex, purchased his first Fiat in 1968. He had to tinker with it so much that he became a fixture at a Fiat dealership, which then invited him to work as a mechanic.
He says that Fiats imported to the U.S. were plagued with reliability issues and that the company didn't support its dealers very well. However, there was something about the cars, with their European styling and sporty handling, that drove people to buy them despite the flaws.
"A lot of people don't like cars whose styling looks like it was squeezed out of a toothpaste tube," Mortensen says. "They want something different."
Fiat will re-enter the U.S. market with the 500 -- named Europe's Car of the Year in 2008 -- and plans to have it in Chrysler dealerships by Christmas 2010. The company is hoping the same combination of design and performance that seduced boomers way back when will attract U.S. buyers now.
Bert Cripe, president of Fiat Enthusiasts Northwest was a 23-year-old Navy electrician in 1973 when he bought his first Fiat -- a 124 Spider. The first thing that caught his eye was the "classic Italian" styling.
"It had those Romantic flares, a really good look to it," he says. "And the driving was 'con gusto,' with a lot of spirit. The Italians really like to drive their cars. Their cars drive well."
When Darsie Brown was a senior at Bellevue High School, her father -- an "Italian car nut" -- gave her strict orders not to buy a Fiat due to its unreliability.
Darsie Brown bought her second 124 Spider two years ago. (Scott McCredie)
"I was obsessed with 124 Spiders," Brown says. Now 37, she admits that she defied her father and bought one anyway. A few months later, it broke down and she had to sell it.
Three years ago, her father suffered a debilitating stroke and told her that one of the regrets of his life was not buying the Ferrari he had always wanted. She decided not to put off replacing the car she'd always loved, and the next year bought another 124 Spider.
"This car has soul," Brown says. "It has a real personality and it's all about fun."
What will it take for Fiat to reignite this level of passion in America? Owners say perhaps a little amnesia on the part of boomers who remember Fiat's previous issues, as well as a generous infusion of the celebrated spirit of the past into new models.
"I'm hoping that they still have the character -- the soul -- that sets them apart from other cars," Mortensen says. "The Italians have always been known for avant-garde engineering. If they can keep that up and provide good service, they will do just fine."
12 Comments
By eva on August 1, 2009 7:09 AM
I have one! Fiat 500.
I love my car. Bought it year ago.
By Carrie Rice on August 1, 2009 3:28 PM
I totally love my '69 SEAT 600D which I've had for a little over a year.
By Troy Watson on August 1, 2009 4:22 PM
I love my '78 Fiat Spider 124. Yea, it has its quirks, but it's a lot of fun and quite an eye catcher.
By Russ on August 1, 2009 5:56 PM
My first car was a '73 Fiat 124 Spider. I kept it 14 years and never once during that time thought about changing it. It was a lovely car to look at and sweet to drive. In '82 I bought an X1/9. It's fascinating that today these are still beautiful cars, loaded with Italian charm. The new 500 just has that Italian line and the quality is apparently quite good. I hope the US rediscovers the magic of Italian cars and buries the huge SUV forever.
By F Bloggs on August 1, 2009 6:05 PM
In a word, hideous. What is the fascination with vehicles that look like a squashed bubble?
"Fix It Again, Tony" will once again rear its ugly head. Count me out as a potential supporter of the car from the land of "all style and no substance".
By 67CamaroGuy on August 1, 2009 11:09 PM
"In a word, hideous. What is the fascination with vehicles that look like a squashed bubble?"
Some of the nicer Fiat's were designed by Pininfarina, the primary designer for many a great Ferrari. At least the Europeans still attempt to have some artistic styling in their vehicles. My wife's company car, a Chrysler Seabring, has been plagued with recall issues and is like driving a marshmallow...talk about no substance.
With the exception of some of the newer muscle car reinterpretations, all of the new American cars and the hideous Japanese hybrids are all you see out on the road. Sometimes I think that there must be a law against fuel efficient cars looking like anything other than a door stop.
The new Fiat 500 has won a TON of awards, including the World Car Design of the Year. I can't wait to see these on the road and I'd love to see a new Pininfarina designed 124 Spider.
By exfiatowner on August 2, 2009 1:19 AM
I owned a 73 124 sport coupe. bought it new. it lived up to it's name: Fine Italian Auto Trouble, Fix It Again, Tony, Fine Italian Auto Trash, etc. It was a blast to drive. Went like a scalded dog. Really wanted to go about 85mph. Everything just settled in at that speed.
It had a really zippy twin-cam engine, but the valves required adjustment quite often (like every 2-3 maintenance intervals) and the procedure to adjust them was designed to enrich the dealer. The engine had to be stone cold. You had to take the valve cover off, then measure the clearance between the valve pusher and the camshaft, then use a special tool to depress the valve, remove a shim, measure the thickness of the shim and calculate the thickness of a replacement shim to restore the valve/camshaft gap to within spec. The shims were only sold to dealers by the set. Dealers traded them within their set. The local dealer, Metro Imports, would let you work on your own car outside, then they'd trade shims with you for some nominal charge. What a total PITA.
My 124 went thru a couple of differentials, a clutch or two (one when I had jury duty and was commuting across 520), and several exhaust manifold gaskets. oh yeah! I had to hotwire the electric fuel pump to the tailights. Fortunately, the headlights were interlocked with the ignition, so you just drove with the headlights on all the time. Fooled my mechanic good once.
I replaced it with a Honda Accord and never looked back.
In 2002, I had a Fiat Justy as a rental car in Europe. It ran fine, and had sufficient zip; handled well. But I still wonder if it was as tempermental as my old 124SC?
By Dan on August 3, 2009 7:58 AM
Count me IN! I'll be getting the Abarth!
By jac fournier on August 3, 2009 7:47 PM
respond to exfiatowner:
I possess a fiat spider on 1981 for 15 years and with a regular maintenance I am 160000 milles!. As much as my neighbour with his honda
I believe that the problem is behind the steering wheel !
By J.J. Hemingway on August 4, 2009 8:42 AM
Bought a new Fiat 131(a 2-door coupe)in 1977, and it was nothing but trouble. The fan that stayed on after the engine shut off--it stayed on all night the first night I brought the car home, and that was the tip of the iceberg. The A/C leaked and ruined the carpets, and the oil filter was open and exposed, a rock came up and knicked it, the oil apparently drained out, and with just 7500 miles on it, the engine seized and Fiat said they weren't going to fix it---NOT a factory defect. In 1978 there was a complete plate underneath the engine, so that couldn't happen. I spent $1200 to get the engine rebuilt and the same thing happened around 3 years later...I parked the car and never drove it again. FIAT---Foolish Idiotic Automotive Transportation. I remember the reason I chose the Fiat over a Toyota at the time--there was a $400 factory rebate from Fiat--which of course would be used on repairs. If I had to do over again, I would have bought the Toyota Celica liftback and probably would be driving that car today....vs a poorly made Fiat. Not one of the best cars that I owned...YIKES---here's comes Fiat!!!
By Dan on August 4, 2009 10:43 AM
Yes, yes, Fiat's in the 70s were bad, but so were 90% cars on the road. Remember Audi in the 80's? horribly un-reliable and a joke. Now, they're one of the world's premier brands. Don't dismiss the 500 or the new Fiats out of hand without doing a little research. They are fantastic cars that have a great reputation.
By Araknid78 on August 21, 2009 11:01 AM
Sergio Marchione has done a masterful job improving build quality, introducing relevant models to their line-up and beefed up the dealer network worldwide (a key to their problems here). The Fiat of today is nothing at all like the company that left our shores in 1982. Those that know have seen fit to bestow the company with a pile of awards and accolades in the past few years.
I love my beautifully restored 1978 124 Spider. It has given me almost a decade of very trouble free cruising. But, it will be on the market the day the local Chrysler dealer will accept my deposit for a new 500. I can’t wait to experience first hand what Fiat has become. I only hope that American car buyers will give the company a chance to prove how different they really are.