Later today I will be flying off to Italy to drive yet another new car on the way to South Africa. I am never a relaxed traveller, but this time round, more than possibly ever before, I am incredibly anxious. You see, this will be my first Fiat trip since I wrote a rather scathing couple of lines about the brand a few years ago. Now I fear I may not be allowed to return.
Perhaps I will get an espresso lined with Polonium-210. Or maybe I’ll be given some cement shoes to try out at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea…
Usually, I would not be so bothered, because dying as a result of revenge would at least be an interesting way to go – something my boy could use to impress his mates one day. Plus, it would make the headlines…
But this time it’s different. I really want to come back. The reason is simple – on the 17th of July, I will be doing something that is likely to remain the highlight of my career, even if I happened to bump into Monica Bellucci’s pneumatic bosom at the Fiat 500 event, and she was taken with me… Twice.
I can’t yet tell you what I’ll be doing on the 17th, but because I really, really want to come back, I’m going to break my run of moaning blogs and write something positive about Fiat. Or perhaps just because I’m really impressed with them at the moment…
In my “Minority View” article I essentially said Fiat could get itself out of the awful mess it was in by not making such rubbish cars. To which Fiat promptly responded by launching the utterly pointless Croma, a car that even I could tell them would be impossible to sell. Oh dear, I thought, the end is nigh…
But then Mister Marchionne (CEO) really rolled up his sleeves and got to work, with help from Luca di Montezemolo (Chairman). Marchionne, by the way, is a trained accountant, but also a real car nut – a really rare combination in the current automotive world, and one that I believe is ideal for turning struggling car companies around.
Marchionne severed ties with the sinking ship that is General Motors. A massive marketing campaign helped the pretty Grande Punto become a European top seller. And the dreadful Stilo has made way for the gorgeous Bravo. To my great joy, one of my favourite brands, Lancia, has also made a strong recovery. Of course, they made a couple of bloopers along the way too – the Spider and Brera being the most obvious – and personally, most disappointing. However, it can be safely said that the turn-around has mostly been product driven, which has sort of proved my original point to be correct…
In South Africa, of course, the group has not made the same strides, but the problem here is now related to cost, and not product. Fiat South Africa simply doesn’t have the export credits necessary to price its products competitively. How can you price an imported small car competitively if the Government insists on taking more than 30 per cent in tax, on each car, for itself… But generally, and globally speaking, Fiat is showing signs of returning to its former glory days, which is what we all want to see.
On that point I would like to address the common misconception that CAR’s editorial staffers are anti-Fiat/Alfa. This could not be further from the truth – a number of them have owned or collected both marques at some point. Peter Palm, for example, had so many a few years ago that he didn’t know where to park them! The most memorable of his cars was a little blue 850 Special that literally went up in flames as he was driving down the highway…
And yet, even experiencing “charming events” such as turning into a fireball on the way to work, is not enough to change the fact that there is still something romantic/nostalgic about owning a car from the Agnelli empire, whether it is a Fiat, Alfa Romeo or a Lancia. We need characterful cars such as these to brighten up the automotive world.
This is why I’m so excited about the Fiat 500. I know the cynical will point to it being a marketing ploy, especially because it will not be a car for masses (as the old one was), but a premium product.
It will be priced between the Panda and the Grande Punto. But what were you expecting Fiat to do? Price it low and cannibalise Panda sales? As it stands I think it will take sales away from both the other models anyway. At least Fiat is giving buyers the choice. Plus, it is quite clear that nobody wants to buy an expensive big Fiat. This company’s expertise is in small cars, a talent that it has rediscovered. So perhaps the world will buy a reasonably expensive, small Fiat.
Other exciting news is that the 500 will herald the return to glory for the illustrious Abarth nametag, which will no longer just be a hollow badge, as it has been recently, but an indication of proper performance potential once again. The 500 Abarth will be powered by a 1,4-litre turbocharged engine. It will be a flyer.
But I don’t care about all this. My hero, Jean Alesi, learned to drive in a Fiat 500. So on the strength of that association alone, I want one. Oh, and so did Michael Schumacher. Now I guess you’ll want one too…
