J D Powers will love this one

[Pete Serotta]

Fiat Mulls Chrysler Stake (from WSJ)
Fiat is in talks with Chrysler over taking a stake in the U.S. car maker as part of a partnership that could allow Fiat to manufacture and sell cars in the U.S.


(Now can you spell Quality....?? Maybe we can add "Cherry" the chinese company that Chrysler was going to bring cars in to US for rebadge and sale).


They just must still think the consumer is clueless..... ;)

[Ahneida Ride]

It will definitely have firestone tires. ;)

[fourflys]

I would LOVE to have one of the new Fiat 500s! Do you guys ever watch Top Gear on BBC America? They had the 500 on there a while back, while it's no speed demon...it's not bad.

I think current Fiats are bit more reliable then back in the day...

[jbrainin]

Maybe they'll create something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/post/PLNK11B6T9RULR4AD !

[rwsaunders]

FIAT.......Fix It Again Tony.....

[David Kirk]

Frankly I'd take this over most of what they currently offer. Dodge Caliber? What the heck is that supposed to be?. I'll take the Fiat.

dave




http://www.kouki.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/fiat-500-abarth-oe/Fiat-Abarth-OE-01_800x512.jpg

[csm]

isn't there a connection between fiat and ferrari?

[gasman]

isn't there a connection between fiat and ferrari?

Maybe they are italians cars that start with "F" and require a lot of TLC to keep them on the road ?

[csm]

while that would be the obvious, I found this:

Enzo Ferrari sold the company's sports car division to the Fiat group in 1969 to ensure continued financial backing. Enzo Ferrari retained control of the racing division until his death in 1988 at the age of 90. Earlier that year he had overseen the launch of the Ferrari F40; the last new Ferrari to be launched before his death, and arguably one of the most famous supercars ever made.

Ferrari also has an internally managed merchandising line that licenses many products bearing the Ferrari brand, including eyewear, pens, pencils, electronic goods, perfume, clothing, high-tech bicycles, watches, cell phones, and even laptop computers.

[William]

Ferrari also has an internally managed merchandising line that licenses many products bearing the Ferrari brand, including eyewear, pens, pencils, electronic goods, perfume, clothing, high-tech bicycles, watches, cell phones, and even laptop computers.


http://www.likecool.com/Gear/Sport/Ferrari%20CX%2060%20Bicycle/Ferrari-CX-60-Bicycle.jpg

http://www.momist.com/blog/uploaded_images/Colnago-CF4-749429.jpg

http://www.geekologie.com/2007/10/24/ferrari-segway.jpg

http://www.bikeforest.com/FERRARIbike16.jpg

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/images/2007/09/28/blog10.jpg

http://milano.campusanuncios.com/picanuncio/venta/venta-748320635.JPG

http://thekneeslider.com/images/ebayf1chopper.jpg


OUCH!!

http://cache.jalopnik.com/cars/assets/resources/2006/12/Australia-Ferrari-360-Crash.jpg

[slowgoing]

The Fiat 2000 spider was pretty darn nice.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but that, uh, "thing" with the aerospoke wheels has to be one of the ugliest bicycles I've ever seen in my life!

BBD

[Birddog]

Ferrari may be cool . . . . . . but that, uh, "thing" with the aerospoke wheels has to be one of the ugliest bicycles I've ever seen in my life!

Hmmmmmmmmm, I am still considering the source.

Birddog

[sspielman]

The memory of Fiat that people in the US have was established at the same time that Chrysler was producing the Cordoba. Is there a significant difference that I am missing?

[acorn_user]

Fiats are excellent cars. They are, nowadays, nicely built, reliable city runabouts with charm and character. Lancias and Alfas are also cool. Fiat owns Ferrari, which in turn used to own Maserati before the ownership structure got shifted so that Maserati is now in with Alfa.

Fiat would love to be able to relaunch Alfa in the US, and this might be a way to do it.

Just remember that Euro/US markets want different things. Europeans tend to be less interested in the long term reliability afforded by some American cars, and more interested in smaller high tech cars with great mileage. Likewise, Americans seem to be less interested in the interiors of their cars, which is how come Corollas here look like early 90's Corollas in Europe and why our Saturn feels a bit odd coming from a Peugeot family.

I could go on and on, so I'll stop here :)

[ents]

http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2008/03/thumb1280x1280_2364177540_0e30819365_o.jpg

sorry for big!