Can you imagine having what’s pictured above in your neighbourhood to drive by everyday! Great news! You will!
You already know by now that since Fiat saved Chrysler from certain death, they’ve confirmed that the two Italian brands once sold here will be making their return as early as next year with the small but mighty Fiat 500 being the first model available for sale.
It was originally thought that the 500 would be sold here as a Chrysler with Chrysler badges, but Fiat must’ve realize how embarrassing that would be for everyone, so they then announced that the 500 will indeed be sold with Fiat badges.
But now they’ve taken it even further by promising that Fiat and Alfa Romeo will have their own dealerships. That’s right, you won’t need to bring a barf bag with you to test drive a Fiat or Alfa Romeo because there will be no Chryslers in sight! Well, that’s not entirely true. While Fiat & Alfa will get their own dealerships, they may be on the same site as Chrysler dealers, or they may even share the same building as Chrysler dealerships.
Right now the CEO of Fiat, Sergrio Marchionne, is planning 200 Fiat/Alfa Romeo dealerships across North America. As you’d imagine, that isn’t going to be cheap. Each brand new dealership is expected to cost $1 million. Then there’s the marketing which will cost an estimated $100 million. Oh well, you gotta pay to play. And it sounds like Sergio Marchionne definitely wants to play in our market.
[The Detroit Bureau]