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This just in…
After 28 years, Fiat has returned to Kansas City. Fiat of Olathe just received its first new Fiat 500 car – a demonstrator – and hopes to complete its dramatic, new Fiat Studio and begin selling the new 500s in May.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, starting next week, locals can visit the dealership (Olathe Dodge / Chrysler) and test drive the car, says general manager Jeff Briggs.
"It’s a Sport model with a manual transmission and a sunroof and it’s grey," Briggs says. "And starting Monday it will be available for test driving during the weekdays. We’re not taking orders until May. They’ve only made 2,000 cars at this point and the vehicles are not available for sale yet."
That is, with the exception of the 10 area buyers (myself included) who signed up last fall to purchase a numbered, limited edition 500 called the Prima Edizione. Briggs expects those cars to be in and delivered in the next few weeks.
"There are seven buyers from Kansas City and three from Omaha," he says.
Look for Fiat of Olathe’s demonstrator car to make the weekend rounds at area malls and events in the coming weeks. Its Fiat Studio is expected to be completed and open in May.
The bottom line: With better mileage, more interior room, sexy Italian styling and a pricetag $4,000 lower than a less well-equiped Mini Cooper, look for the new 500s to be an ultra hot ticket.
Selling Cars In Olathe?
Selling cars in Olathe? Better learn to speak Spanish.
Ugly Ugly Ugly
What an ugly piece of rolling shit. Makes the smart car look decent by comparison.
F.I.A.T. Fix It AgainTony, and Again and Again
Better think twice pal. Fiat’s are Euro-junk, and as Yogi said, “You can look it up.” This is the Italian version of the Yugo, and while it may indeed be thousands less than a Mini, it doesn’t deserve to even be mentioned in the same automotive sentence. There’s not a drop of comparison in the two vehicles.
And having a Dodge dealer sell these cars further adds to the tacky overall package. A better choice would have been to sign up that pear-shaped, Jerry guy with continental siding as the dealer. He would do a far better job than some converted truck salesman trying to push these little tin roller skates from Milan.
You can make solid book that first year resale will be 50% of original price, and only drop further from that point. That includes your “exclusive” one of only seven in the world, limited edition, factory special, get ’em while they’re hot, soon-to-be-a-collector’s item!
Boys, boys, boys…
Your thinking caps, please. Lots of cars were junkers back in the 70s and early 80s. English cars like the Mini Cooper, for example. Probably most American made cars. Times have changed!
Yes, these cars were designed – and have won tons of acclaim for both engineering and design – in Italy. But the engines are made in the USA and the car is built in Mexico at the same facility where PT Cruisers were assembled. The automotive press nationwide has raved about the 500. And with its design, features, selling price and gas mileage of 39 mpg (with $4 gas on the horizon), the betting money is the demand is going to be through the roof.
Remember, it’s 2011 and as Automobile magazine writes in the current issue, Tony isn’t going to have to fix anything.
See you in Olathe…
That Continental Siding guy must have waded through
mountains of coke.
Hey rogger, I want the Continental Siding guy to say, “Call your mechanic, NOW”.
I have no idea if its a good car or not, but I love the Continental Siding guy. “Goddamnit, I’ve got guys off work, extra pieces of siding that don’t match we can stick on your house and we need the fuckin business!!”
CALL NOW!!!!!
Trade In Your Lincoln
Is this whats coming?…….This nation is to fat to drive those.
Hearne congrats.. you should wrap that bad boy with KCC vinyl…
Anybody remember “The Thing” that thing was a thing of beauty.
lol@chuck……I’d put a remmant on the back of my house hell yes…..”my guys need to work like they need blood”.
Fiat 500 requirements
Driver must have spiked hair.
Driver must be suffering from midlife crisis.
Driver must be divorced.
Driver must have previous DIU’S.
Driver must live in the past.
Driver must think a lot of himself.
Come to think of it it’s your kind’a car Hearne.
Fiat/Vinyl Siding….same, same.
“The bottom line: With better mileage, more interior room, sexy Italian styling and a pricetag $4,000 lower than a less well-equiped Mini Cooper, look for the new 500s to be an ultra hot ticket.”
Ultra hot ticket???? OMG!!! That’s your typical Dodge dealer (or continental siding) hype! Please run to Olathe and beg on your knees for your deposit back.!
Don’t you remember some other hot tickets from MoPar and the Chrysler corp? The Horizon, Plymouth Arrow, the Aries K car, LeBaron? All these world-changers have long since been crushed into convenient metal bricks and recycled into manhole covers, and that’s where the “hot ticket” Fiat will reside after it tries to enter the same market segment as the Mini and other quality cars with excellent factory backing and service.
This Dago turd will be a hot ticket for about a month or two at best; and then it will rocket to the depths of customer distain like the Renault LeCar and other ill-conceived Euro attempts to fool the US car buyer. I’m betting the Dodge store doesn’t even have a trained mechanic who can work on Fiats!
Wait til you have a problem, and they tell you old greasy Marvin, there in shop can’t figure out why your little 500 is backfiring, but he’s ordered a box of parts from Italy and they should arrive sometime after 2014! In the meantime, they’ll loan you a pre-owned Ford Tempo to use while they sort it out. After all, the Tempo and Fiat are quite similar in all aspects, with a slight edge to the Tempo.
Very funny! But this car is far from a living in the past machine. You can still get a New Beetle for that. This is the car your kids are going to be driving while you choke mutha earth half to death in your dated suv. Capiche?
Just saw OIL OVER 120.00 by June.
Ouch.
Is there an electric version?
It’s fascinating…
To see my automotive life played out for me here in the comments section. Greasy Marvin, the Ford Tempo, the ethnic slurs.
There’s only one word for it, spellbinding!
Funny you should ask. An all-electric version is due out in 2012
Everything is Fine
price of silver 2/21 $34 no worries cause there is no inflation
http://quotes.post1.org/historical-silver-price-chart/
I should put an order in for number 11 and 12
Jr.:
I’m pretty sure my current cell phone is bigger than that car in the picture.