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Maserati to base upcoming junior Quattroporte on next Chrysler 300?
Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Chrysler, Maserati, Rumormill, Luxury 
1989 Chrysler TC by Maserati
As excitement and anticipation mount for the arrival of a new "entry-level" sedan from Maserati, so do the rumors. The new model, expected to slot in below the current Quattroporte, has been the subject of much conjecture and speculation, but the latest hits a little closer to home.
According to reports, the junior QP could share its underpinnings with the next Chrysler 300C. This in contrast with previous reports that the Trident marque was looking to develop a new platform for the model, a move that would be decidedly more expensive for a Fiat/Chrysler empire already spread too thin. (Closer collaboration is expected between the Chrysler and Lancia divisions, which could also lead to a next-gen 300-based successor to the discontinued Lancia Thesis.)
As sources point out, this wouldn't be the first time that Maserati and Chrysler have gotten into bed with each other. Close ties between onetime Chrysler chief Lee Iacocca and Alejandro de Tomaso (of the eponymous sportscar company that once owned Maserati) led to the disastrous badge-whoring exercise known as the Chrysler TC by Maserati (pictured above). If the latest reports come to fruition, we'd certainly hope the outcome would be in a different league altogether.
[Source: autoblog.it via PistonHeads]Maserati to base upcoming junior Quattroporte on next Chrysler 300? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Cities under consideration for Fiat 500 sales outlets listed?
Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Hatchback, Chrysler, Fiat 
Fiat 500 receives a model introduction - click above for high-res image gallery
We've been anxiously awaiting the availability of Fiat's 500 bubble bauble in the States for so long that we're beginning to feel like we're waiting for Godot and that the four-wheeled confection will never actually arrive at all.
But there appears to be hope on the horizon.
Earlier this week, Chrysler hosted hundreds of potential dealers at its Auburn Hills, MI headquarters as it is working to pull together a network, and it's understood that the automaker wants to sell 50,000 units per year through 165 dealers. While we think the Cinquecento is small and cuddly enough to pop out of a few strategically placed vending machines, Fiat will definitely need a cohesive countrywide network to sell its planned full lineup of vehicles. So where are they thinking about planting their flags? Fan site 500Freaks.com thinks they know, as they indicate they've gotten hold of a Chrysler-provided list of the best minicar markets in America.
Predictably, certain states like California and New York have an abundance of cities listed, while some states only have one, and others aren't represented at all. Click on the link below to see if your city of choice is on Chrysler's preliminary list. Appreciate the lead, Mike G!
[Source: 500Freaks]
Cities under consideration for Fiat 500 sales outlets listed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Report: Fiat wants to sell 50,000 500s in the U.S. through 165 dealers
Filed under: Car Buying, LA Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Chrysler, Fiat  Fiat 500 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Chrysler is set to debut its American-spec Fiat 500 at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show with the first examples being sold near the end of 2010. During the 2011 calendar year, Chrysler hopes to sell 50,000 of the Mini Cooper fighters, including the 500 Cabrio, which goes on sale sometime in 2011.
Built in Toluca, Mexico, the 500 will be sold through a network of 165 dealers across the United States, mostly in cities that have the largest small car markets. Will Chrysler be able to move 50,000 of the new Fiats? That's mildly ambitious, since the Mini brand only moves about 50,000 Coopers annually. Still, consider our fingers crossed.
[Source: Associated Press via Google]Report: Fiat wants to sell 50,000 500s in the U.S. through 165 dealers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Report: 400 Chrysler dealers meeting in Detroit to hear Fiat pitch
Filed under: Chrysler, Fiat 
Two automaker bankruptcies and a massive downturn in sales have conspired to wipe out hundreds of auto dealerships, and Chrysler retailers have been especially hard hit, as the stores who haven't been forced to close are faced with an aging product lineup and very little foot traffic.
That isn't stopping 400 of Team Pentastar's best remaining dealers from looking into expanding their empires with a Fiat dealership. The Detroit News reports dealers flying into Detroit Sunday morning to watch a sales pitch by Fiat executives with the goal of getting 200 of those dealers to start a stand-alone Fiat store. The dealers will see future Fiat products, as well as speeches from Laura Soave, who heads branding for Fiat in North America, and Chrysler fleet and network boss Peter Grady.
Dealers are waiting on franchise agreement and financial obligation details before committing to Fiat, but interest in one of the 200 retail outlets isn't enough to get approved. Fiat will award franchises based on their current sales performance, but those dealers must also have a stand-alone store with dedicated staffing and an established marketing plan. Those dealers will have only the Fiat 500 to sell for a good long while, but Fiat and Alfa Romeo plan to sell an array of sedans, hatchbacks, crossovers and even a roadster by 2012 - supposedly. Dealers have until September 22 to apply for a dealership, after which Fiat will award the dealerships in October.
[Source: Detroit News | Image: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images]
Report: 400 Chrysler dealers meeting in Detroit to hear Fiat pitch originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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200 Chrysler dealerships to sell Alfa Romeo by late 2012
Filed under: Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Fiat  Alfa Romeo Spyder concept by Pininfarina - Click above for high-res image gallery
Fiat is a few months away from awarding 200 Fiat-branded retail outlets to select Chrysler dealers. The first vehicle those new stores will sell will be the Fiat 500, and there won't be any Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep-branded models in sight. But that doesn't mean Fiat will have those dealerships to themselves for very long.
According to Automotive News, company CEO Sergio Marchionne announced at an event in Toledo, Ohio that those Fiat stores will also sell Alfa Romeo vehicles by late 2012. Marchionne has already announced that the first Alfa to hit North American shores will be the Giulia sedan and wagon, followed at some point by a midsize SUV, a subcompact, a hatchback and even a roadster. That's a lot of Alfa, and the Italian automaker will need all of those models to be at least moderately successful if it has any shot at reaching its lofty goal of 500,000 Alfa Romeo sales by 2014.
Before we get to 2012 and the return of Alfa Romeo on our shores, we need to get a clearer picture of what Fiat's plans are for the U.S. AN reports that the Fiat forecast will clear up soon, as the Turin, Italy-based automaker plans to educate Chrysler dealers during an August 30th briefing.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]200 Chrysler dealerships to sell Alfa Romeo by late 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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