Exactly ten years ago today, the family of an Techzle reader found the Fiat 500 in the United States. He explored Route 66 there, in preparation for the American adventure. Now, ten years later, that turned out to be a good move.
For the return of Fiat to the United States, we have to go back a bit further than the quoted article that was published today at Techzle exactly ten years ago. In 2009 Chrysler was on the verge of collapse, partly due to the economic crisis, and came to the aid of Fiat. It took a 20 percent stake in the American manufacturer. The beginning of what would later develop into the merger of the two companies. In 2010, Fiat reaped the first clear fruits of their newfound influence in the US. It went to test the 500 intended for the American market. The market introduction followed a year later.
With the return of the Fiat 500, which was produced for the US in Mexico, Fiat regained a foothold in the US and Canada. The little Italian seemed about the opposite of what Americans would like to buy, but especially in big cities, the stylish retro little one proved quite popular. It was a car the Americans recognized for its clear nod to the original 500, economical, easy to park, and simply charming.
In order not to try too much luck, Fiat immediately spooned the Panda 100HP well-known 105 hp 1.4 MultiAir into the 500, which we had to miss here. So no two-pitters for the American 500, that would probably have gone a bit too far for the Americans. That wasn’t the only difference; the basis of the 500 was further developed for the American market. For example, there was a different rear axle under the 500 for slightly better handling and the American 500 got a larger petrol tank. Even though it’s a car that works best in the city, we all know that Americans can easily drive hundreds of miles to visit relatives. Nice if you are not standing at the pump all the time.
Electric 500
The Americans even got a real first with the 500. Fiat developed an electrically powered variant of the 500 that would be sold there, but not here in Europe. The 500E (with the E from Elettra) entered the US market in 2013. With a range of 134 kilometers (EPA), it was not immediately a miracle in terms of range, but certainly for that time fine for urban use. Ultimately, it would take until the arrival of the brand-new Fiat 500E before an electric 500 was also launched on the market here in Europe via official channels.
Sales numbers
The American introduction of the Fiat 500 was certainly not an empty exercise. In the first year, Fiat immediately sold just under 20,000. A year later, in 2012, the counter even reached more than 43,000. After that it slowly collapsed and last year the counter stopped at just above 3,000 pieces. The total is just under 200,000 copies. Not bad at all, although the late CEO Sergio Marchionne once said about the 500 that the brand only lost on it in America. The slow start of distribution via dealer networks in particular played tricks on the US, according to him.
Yet Fiat put itself on the map and the 500 is still an established name in the US. In addition to the 500, Abarth 500, 500X and 500L, Fiat also sells the 124 Spider. In large part thanks to the path the 500 paved in the US. The current 500 is still delivered from stock in the US, but it will stop after that. It is not yet known whether the new 500 will also be available in the US.