Fiat loves Chrysler dealers. Or at least they want to love those who can help set up shop for the Fiat brand in 165 markets.
On Monday, Chrysler Group LLC played host to 400 dealers who were on hand in Auburn Hills, Michigan, to find out what it will take to join the Fiat dealer network, getting more information about the Fiat brand and history, future product plans, competition, volume expectations and related matters.
Selected dealers will continue to sell Chrysler products, but they’ll also be given the opportunity to sell Fiats beginning with the subcompact Fiat 500 later this year.
Information Packet
Fiat 500, European Version
Dealers learned what Fiat needs in order to consider their shops and were given information packets to review. Those dealers interested in carrying Fiat will have until September 22, 2010, to present their information to Fiat North America. Selected dealers will be announced in October with the first models arriving in December.
“The Fiat brand offers our dealers the opportunity to be part of a unique experience,” said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America. “Our dealers will be able to interact with a group of individuals that are not part of their current customer base. These are individuals interested in Italian automotive design coupled with fuel efficient technology. Our dealers will be the key point of contact with our customers, and thereby, a crucial part of the success of the Fiat brand.”
North American Manufacturing
Despite its Italian pedigree, the Fiat 500 sold in the United States will have a distinct North American flavor to it. The car will be built in Toluca, Mexico, and the 1.4-liter engine is being built in the United States. That engine features MultiAir technology, something that will provide a 10 percent boost in power while offering a corresponding increase in fuel mileage and decrease in emissions.
Auto Trends will provide additional dealer information and a review of the Fiat 500 over the coming months.
The Ford Motor Company is in the midst of a seismic shift in the way that they do business. In 2008, as gas prices surged toward $4/gallon and beyond, the automaker announced its new commitment to bring as many as six European models to the North American market by the end of 2012.
Converting Trucks Plants To Compact Car Plants
To bring about that effort, Ford has been retooling plants in the US and Mexico, most recently transforming its Michigan Assembly Plant from one that once made pickup trucks to a plant supporting small car architecture.
Ford’s investment in the Wayne, MI plant will total $550 million and preserve as many as 3200 jobs. State and local tax grants and incentives are also paving the way for the transformation of the plant which once built beefy Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition sport/utility vehicles to an assembly line tasked with building the next generation Ford Focus. The Focus model will also include an all-electric model, a car powered only by a lithium-ion battery pack.
Three Truck Plants Being Converted
Ford says that three of its North American assembly plants that once produced trucks will now build its small cars (Cuautitlan Assembly in Mexico and Louisville Assembly in Kentucky are the other two).
The automaker is banking on consumer demand for these types of vehicles despite fuel prices currently hovering around the $2/gallon mark. Most analysts believe that gas prices will eventually rise, perhaps topping $4/gallon by the time the new Focus is ready.
The Ford Focus Battery Electric Vehicle
Ford had promised to roll out a pure electric vehicle for the passenger market after first announcing that its Transit Connect all purpose vehicle would introduce the technology beginning in 2010. The Focus BEV (battery electric vehicle) is designed to be plugged into any 110-volt home outlet, with many customers likely to work with their power companies to get a 220-volt connection via their garage. In addition, numerous cities and private businesses are working on establishing a grid system in their areas to support recharging away from home.
Besides the Transit Connect and the Focus BEV, Ford’s next generation hybrid vehicle is to arrive in 2012 and be joined by a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). Ford believes that its gamble to transform itself from a builder of primarily large trucks and sport/utility vehicles to a maker of compact, efficient cars will pay off, part of its own effort to remake its image in the domestic market to match pretty much what it sells on a global level, particularly from mid-size vehicles on down in size.
Step back in time with me when men’s hair was longer, pants wider, and shirts tighter. The year was 1976 and the Ford Fiesta (top photo) made its initial debut in Europe. Eventually, the car made its way to North America, but it never had quite the success it managed to achieve on the other side of the pond.
Later, Europe and North America shared Ford’s world car, the Escort, but the closest we’ve gone to having a car that both Europeans and North Americans loved was the Focus. Even now, the Focus sold in Canada and the United States isn’t the same one sold in Europe.
Last Friday, Ford announced that the all-new Fiesta (bottom photo), which will be hitting European streets in 2009, will begin production at the company’s Cuautitlán Assembly Plant in Mexico early the following year. Moreover, the subcompact sedan will be joined by a hatchback with both cars sold in the North American market.
At present, the Mexican plant produces F-Series pick up truck for the Mexican market, but will be converted into a plant that produces the Fiesta for the North American market (US, Canada). In addition, Ford has announced that the company’s Chihuahua Engine Plant, which already builds I-4 engines, will assemble diesel engines for light- and medium-duty trucks in a variety of global markets. Lastly, via a joint collaboration with Getrag (GFT), Ford will build a new transmission plant in Guanajuato to support a number of Ford products.
Ford’s total investment in Mexico will increase by $3 billion which includes investments being made by local suppliers, with as many as 4500 new Ford jobs coming to Mexico.
The Ford Verve concept which appeared at auto shows this year is the design for the next generation Fiesta.
Auto News | Matt Keegan, 31 Aug 10 | 
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Later, Europe and North America shared Ford’s world car, the Escort, but the closest we’ve gone to having a car that both Europeans and North Americans loved was the Focus. Even now, the Focus sold in Canada and the United States isn’t the same one sold in Europe.
At present, the Mexican plant produces 
