Confirmed: Fiat 500 in Some Chrysler Dealers This Time Next Year
November 04, 2009
At a giant confab Wednesday to unveil its 5-year business plan, Chrysler Group LLC ended months of speculation by detailing how the Fiat 500 subcompact will be initially sold in the U.S.
The 500 - a runaway hit in Europe for Fiat S.p.A., Chrysler's new managing partner and 20-percent owner - will be sold, as a Fiat, in Chrysler dealerships starting late next year. Fiat will sell a North American version of the Fiat 500 Cabrio beginning in 2011 and the Fiat 500 Abarth in 2012.
But perhaps not all Chrysler dealerships. Sales of the 2-door 500 will be sold "mainly" at dealers in metro markets and who carry all Chrysler brands, said Peter Grady, Chrysler's vice president, network development and fleet.
Fiat had said some time ago that the 500 would not be badged as a Chrysler.
Fiat will sell a North American version of the Fiat 500 Cabrio beginning in 2011 and the Fiat 500 Abarth in 2012.
Grady also said dealers selling the 500 will have dedicated sales areas and specially trained salespeople to handle the 500. With the Ram now being transformed into a standalone brand, dealers retailing all four Chrysler brands in order to qualify to sell the Fiat 500 will be selling the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram brands as well as the 500.
Fiat will build the 500 at a Chrysler plant in Mexico at a rate of about 100,000 a year. Fiat-Chrysler Sergio Marchionne said some of the Fiat 500s built in Mexico may be sold in Latin America under a free trade agreement between the two regions.
Posted by Michelle Krebs at 1:08 PM under Business , Chrysler , News | Comments (1) | digg this | Seed Newsvine
If it's not too late, the Fiats could be badged as Plymouths and sold through the dealers that still have that brand in their signage.
Posted by: fulcrumb | November 04, 2009 at 2:44 PM