7 posts tagged “fiat”

Surely this was meant to be Ferrari? 

 

The cars of 2015 - motoring - life-style | Stuff.co.nz
Luxury car buyers will continue their push into the big volume markets, with prestige brands including BMW, Fiat and even Aston Martin all looking at little cars with big price tags.

Does Fiat have a Crash Test Panda? I wonder why they used a 500 and not a Panda?

Via Cream_Tweets from TypePad

This AP article has a really good summary of Sergio Marchionne's rise to the top and how he turned around Fiat Auto. Recommended reading, I didn't realise he pushed the new Bravo, especially for Chrysler management...

Fiat CEO willing to take the wheel at Chrysler

While Marchionne inherited the Grande Punto and Panda — both small, hot-selling cars — he pushed for the redesign of the iconic 500 and the reintroduction of the Fiat Bravo, a car that proved Fiat could build a midsize sedan people would buy. In an example of flat management at work, Fiat came out with both cars in just 18 months.

Cross posted from TypePad

Autoblog.it have a tribute to the Fiat 128 celebrating it's launch, forty years ago, in May 1969:

Fiat 128: quarant'anni di trazione anteriore - English Translation

Nel lontano maggio del 1969 debuttò la Fiat 128, la prima vettura a trazione anteriore sviluppata dalla Casa torinese...

This outwardly mundane 3 box saloon was not the first front wheel drive car, by a long way, but was the first to combine all the attributes of a modern FWD car. Before you mention the Mini, I refer you to this L J K  Setright tribute to the Fiat 128. I found it several years ago, while writing an obituary, and he details the innovation and excellence of the 128 as only Setright can;

L J K Setright: Happy birthday to a remarkable, but long-forgotten Fiat

Giacosa saw a need to replace Flat's classic 1100, and decided that it should have front-wheel drive. Under him were three brilliant engineers: Montabone was good at everything, Cordiano likewise, but particularly good at suspension, while Lampredi was the greatest engine-designer of his times. The result promised to be extraordinary....

I owned a '79 128 Special, 1300 four door sedan, and did many happy kilometres in it. When I got mine, secondhand, it was a rather faded orange but I had it re-sprayed to it's original Tangerine glory. It might have been a fairly staid design but in that colour it certainly stood out!

By then the 128 was showing it's age in terms of design and interior styling, both little changed since launch, but the driving experience shamed many more modern cars. The modest tyres and power meant it was not fast in outright terms but wonderful steering, handling and the unbustable engine that revved willingly to the red line (I fitted a rev counter) made it quick. The 128 also donated it's mechanicals to one of my favourite '70's Fiats, the outstanding little X1/9.

There is another 128 connection in my life. A couple of years ago I got in touch with a former Primary School Teacher. A special science project - based on paper aircraft - he let me do as a ten year old was the inspiration for a rather odd, but successful, competition submission. It won me a trip to a conference in Las Vegas. He noticed from my blog that I like Fiats but was surprised, 30 years later, I still remembered his car at the time was, of course, a Fiat 128.

Sadly, like many 70's Fiats, it was ultimately corrosion that ended my 128 ownership. The mechanicals were fine but the tin worm eventually won. It's hard to lay the blame entirely with the Italians as Kiwi Fiats were assembled locally with minimal protection. That was not just a Fiat thing as many locally assembled rusty 70's Toyota, Nissan, Mazda proved. Although the Uno proved to be a worthy successor I was sad to lose the mighty 128.

You have to admire his nerve, taking on Chrysler while whipping Opel out of GM control is one heck of a task. Mind you, Fiat have benefited from GM troubles before, maybe they will again.

Fiat’s grand plans - www.economist.com

"...by the end of next week Fiat could have forged a huge shiny new car company for no outlay of cash or Mr Marchionne’s impressively ambitious plans could have come to nothing."

 (from TypePad)

It launched on April 1st but this deal is no April Fool. Andrew Simms European celebrate their arrival as a Fiat, Alfa Romeo dealer with this brilliant deal.

Alfa's lovely looking Coupe for the open road and a stylish Fiat Punto for around town. Both would fit well in the garage! Where to find Ninety Grand?

Buy an Alfa Romeo Brera, get a Fiat Punto free!

Some good news arrived today in the form of a letter from Andrew Simms European. From April 1st, no fool, they are filling the void left by the withdrawal of CCS by adding Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Citroën to the brands represented at their Newmarket premises. The showroom, parts and service facility will be on the corner of Broadway & St. Marks Rd, Newmarket, along with another North Shore Service facility.

Andrew Simms operate six Mitsubishi dealerships around New Zealand. However in the letter Andrew shared his background, which included working for Fiat & Citroën agents before Mitsubishi, and revealed he owns an Alfa Spider and 147 GTA race car.

This is great news for these brands, which are niche rather than the major players they are in Europe, and I wish Simms every success. I'll grab some photos of the new set-up sometime after the opening.