In a piece of copy published by that infamous New York paper, the story reads that the new 500 "...essentially matched the sales of its chief competition, the Mini Cooper..."
A couple of things, briefly:
1) MINI, not Mini
2) The 500 actually sold MORE than the Cooper if you discount the 600 or so Countryman pseudo sport-utility vehicles.
Some may say that this means that Fiat is ahead of the game but there's one thing that has to be considered. Is this merely a fashion trend?
If you haven't noticed, Fiat has been cozying up the 500 to just about anything related to fashion. Its dealerships are known as "studios" and it will be debuting the Fiat 500 Gucci Edition at New York's Fashion Week.
This could be a genius marketing move or a total fail because in fashion what's here today is gone tomorrow. In other words, the 500 flame could be extinguished in one fell swoop.
What say you, Spies? Has Fiat hit the nail on the head with the 500 and it's off to a great start, or is it merely a trend that will pass by as the next year or two go by?
Fiat, the Italian auto company, is getting a rare second chance to make a good first impression among American car buyers. And unlike the disastrous end to its first go-round decades ago, the carmaker has already managed to create a buzz...
...The company’s new “500” hatchback is being welcomed, in the words of one analyst, as a “fashion statement” among many new car buyers. Last month, the teeny car, whose trim lines include “Pop” and “Lounge,” essentially matched the sales of its chief competition, the Mini Cooper...
[Source: The New York Times]
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