Fiat and Alfa Romeo: Video Update !!!

February 24, 3:25 PMPhiladelphia Autos ExaminerTodd Agostini

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Philadelphia Autos Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

 Oringinal Article published 02/20/2009

With most of the press being hogged by GM due to their bombshell this week, it seems that there have been some busy elves at Chrysler. Chrysler has been doing some very serious strategizing with the folks at Italy’s Fiat S.p.A. So serious that a person familiar with the matter was quoted in Automotive News Europe “We are working on a plan to begin shipping the Fiat 500 minicar and the Alfa Romeo 940 [entry premium car] to the U.S. in about a year”. A Year! That’s no time really.

It looks as if they will bring a small amount over initially while they retool a Chrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico that currently builds the PT Cruiser will make the Fiat. The Alfa 940 will be built somewhere in the United States. It looks as if this whole compact Euro-hatch thing is really happening. Here we go.

Alfa Romeo had an American distribution run here before. The cars had some problems and just didn’t make it with the U.S. consumer. You can still see some Alpha product around, mostly the convertible. Alfa Romeo has quite an extensive product lineup as you can see on their company website. They are a euro-lux company with a very Italian design, but will they be a hit in South Philly?

Fiat it seems will be coming here as a “Mini Cooper-Smart-Innocent” styled car. Not so much Italian luxury like Alfa, more “euro-quality-green-but still styled” looking car. But will they be a hit in Philly?

I must admit this news is very exciting to a guy like me. It will be very interesting to see if this whole Fiat/Chrysler marriage is successful. It will be even more exciting to see these interesting badges on the roads. It seems only logical for Chrysler to take these already designed cars and make them in their factories. Chrysler can’t make a car that their market wants anymore so if the Mini, Smart, and Rabbit are doing well then wait till they get a load of this.

I also must admit that I actually like the look of both of these cars. I haven’t seen them in person but I’m only afraid of one thing. Do these cars photograph better than they look and feel in real life. The whole, “You looked better online” spiel. I am also hoping that there is some nice quality in these cars fit and finish. If they don’t it will somewhat kill the Urban Myth that a car has to be foreign to have quality.

I see this as the big sleeper story right now in the Auto Industry. I must commend Chrysler for developing their next step instead of developing their retreat. I have never been a fan of many Chrysler products except for the CJ7 Jeeps of the 80’s but I am really pulling for them here. While I do support American artists, locally owned businesses over corporate, locally grown food and the like; I also support people who are great at what they do no matter where they are from. Let’s face it, we would rather wear a suit designed by Armani than Sears. Women would rather carry a European designed purse over a plastic Walmart bag. And that is what Detroit turned into. Stale, soulless, cars for the sake of cars.

So now the fun begins. Will the Alfa Romeo 940 suddenly be the eco-stylish way to arrive? Time will tell. Fortunately it just won’t take too much time to find out. I just hope the car gives me even more Italian pride.