speculari

Fiat, Chrysler: So Much for Melting Ice Cubes

Sergio has not yet expended a single lira on this deal!

Some Thoughts on the Chrysler Bankruptcy and Supreme Court Stay

428344, Fiat + Chrysler is even sillier - in the past, I've compared them to two drowning swimmers reaching for a life preserver... and the name emblazoned on that rescue device is "TITANIC".

Update on Fiat's Short Base After Supreme Court Decision

That bucket of warm spit is beginning to look a bit stale and cold.

Can Fiat Pull It Off?

All of this drama might make a great story for an epic Italian opera but, alas, Donizetti is dead, and I believe this "deal" is deader than the proverbial doornail. Fiat + Chrysler + Opel = 1 full Pitcher of Warm Spit.

Chrysler's 'Dissident' Non-TARP Creditors Have a Point

The air is redolent with the stink of rotting fish!

Auto Industry: Fiat as the Engine for Change

Edward,
I must confess that you had me worried for a moment or so at the beginning of this article - but, I believe that your conclusions are spot on (as if anyone can truly discern where this will end up).
Where the actual "rubber meets the road" properties of these various companies will be in a couple of years is a major concern as well - Opel has over the years, enjoyed a strong reputation for quality; whereas, Fiat has not. I can't speak to the other "marques" noted above on these points but, as a supposed major player in this exercise Fiat may be sorely wanting in this specific area and one wonders how the Obama "Auto Task Force" evaluated this particular issue, if at all.

What Could Fiat Be Thinking?

Lucia fra poco tere va!

Chrysler: Making Bankruptcy Sound Good

VROOM! VROOM!




fizzle!

Fiat Credit Rating Downgraded on Weak Liquidity

Again... not worth a pitcher of warm spit!

Fiat and Chrysler?

Who is kidding who?

Would Partnership Be a Bailout for Chrysler or a Bonus for Fiat

Diane,
For 0.00277% ? I don't think so. The "deal" is not worth a pitcher of warm spit. Neither Fiat nor Chrysler are viable companies by any stretch of the imagination. Moreover, the concept that Fiat has the ability to "save" Chrysler is mildly amusing - well... maybe just amusing.

Who Wants to Buy an Ailing Car Company?

captmike is correct in many, many ways. A number of years ago, the Ford Escort was among the first cars designated as a "World Class "car. Yeah, that's right, Ford, and even the U.S. Gov't. was promoting the fact that the car was comprised of many different (but, top quality) components from several countries. At that time, Canada, England, Germany, France, Italy, & Brazil, were all producing parts and components (including engine blocks) that were assembled in the U.S.!
For at least the last 30 years, we have had the "global" circumstance as it relates to auto production. The players & countries may have changed a bit as far as certain of the components go - but, go and take a very close look at your own Ford, Chevy or, Chrysler. Open the hood or the driver door & then look closely at the manufacturing "nameplate" or, country of origin "stamps" . You will, very likely, find that your auto was assembled in Windsor, Ontario or, that the master cylinder may have been made in Taiwan or, that an engine block or header may be stamped "Germany" or, a fuel systems component may be from Brasil or, China or, England. Yes, we still make & assemble many, many good parts, components, & assembled automobiles in the United States of America but, please, do not "pee on your shoes and imagine that it is raining".

Fiat's Product Line-up: U.S. Entry Strategy

And Stan, if you think that my experience with my Fiat 124 coupe was simply an aberration... I have another story to tell you.... regarding a Fiat Strada (or Ritmo)! But, I'll save that one for another time... !

Fiat's Product Line-up: U.S. Entry Strategy

This was also the year in which I discovered WD40! One evening, during a fierce rainstorm, I had left my place of work & attempted to start the Fiat 124 - to no avail! I went back into the building ( I was on the corporate staff of a major player in automotive replacement parts) and headed back to the "test" facility where they had a dynamometer & other "goodies". There, I found a technician & explained my little problem with the Fiat. He grabbed a can of this "stuff" & said "let's go". We opened the hood of the car, he pulled off the air cleaner & sent a great "blast" of this stuff into the carb & said "try it now!" It fired up immediately! So, that evening ... I found a new friend, sprayed WD40 over every wire & connection, and vowed to unload this delightful but, terribly flawed automobile.
So Stan, no more of this "little bit of maintenance" crap, please!

Fiat's Product Line-up: U.S. Entry Strategy

When I purchased a 124 Sport coupe, I was not looking for a domestic sedan - and, I did enjoy driving it! The 5 speed gearbox, the arms extended with hands on "10 & 2" o'clock on the wheel, "setting up" the car on the "line" coming into a curve, downshifts, upshifts ... Ahhh! Bella! Bellisimo!.... La Fortuna del Destino!!! Visions of... Ascari, Nuvolari, Fangio! The great Marques... Ferrari, Alfa-Romeo, Lancia, Abarth! And then.... I made the grave error of putting on my ... right hand turn signal...and, the engine... stopped running... at 55 MPH! Well, what the hell, said I... must be some minor anomaly, Next was the factor of "moisture"... & it's definitive impact on the ignition system and any "wiring" in the car(perhaps "wiring" is a mis-nomer, I believe the auto was actually made with strands of pasta covering all electrical wires ... in some demented attempt to bring ... nouvelle cuisine to Italian car design!). In any event, "moisture" could (and did) take any number of "forms" such as, pudldles, rain... or, simply passing under a cloud... any of these symptoms of the mere presence of the dreaded... H2O, would stop the 124 dead in it's tracks. Keeping the front end aligned and balancing the tires with those great looking "mag" wheels was another losing proposition. On one great occasion, I left the car for the entire day with a highly regarded "shop" that dealt with Mercedes, BMW, Alfa, Fiat & were reknowned for their expertise - it was after 5 PM when I arrived there to see what they had determined... the shop was effectively "closed" at this hour... and as I entered the garage area, there ... surrounding my 124 sport coupe, it's hood agape... were 4 or 5 white coated technicians, one of whom held a "wiring diagram"... all were simply shaking their heads in disbelief. The guy with the "diagram" in hand turned to me & said... we've replaced the turn signal "cluster" 3 times... and , it's still not right & this diagram is not worth crap!
I took the car home that evening, pulled into the driveway.... my parking lights were still on, my foot was still down on the brake pedal and, ... I turned the ignition to OFF... the car's engine ... continued to run.....I started to laugh... held my foot where it was on the brake pedal for about another 30 or 40 seconds ... and then released it... and, the engine stopped!


On Feb 08 01:44 AM Stan Buie wrote:

> I own a 1970 Fiat 124 Coupe, a 1968 850 Coupe, and a 1963 Fiat 600...all
> are distinctive, very fun to drive, and look very nice even 40 years
> after they were built. Those bad memories are held by those that
> did not understand the cars took a bit of maintenance and care to
> keep them operating reliably. They were sporting, niche cars, the
> kind of person who expected to get a Ford or Chevy sedan when they
> bought one were ignorant.