Fiat 500, no threat at all

Discussion in 'Mid-Ohio Motoring' started by rigidjunkie, Jan 22, 2011.

Tags:
  1. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

    Mar 30, 2009
    25,144
    10,052
    113
    Writer
    Short North
    Ratings:
    +10,069 / 0 / -0
    Where to 50,000 Sales projected sales figure came from

    Sergio Marchionne, CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler Group, said that while he's pleased with the re-launch of the Fiat brand in North America last year, he was "incredibly naive" to think he'd sell 50,000 of the tiny cars in the U.S. in 2011.

    The company sold only 19,769 Fiat 500's in the U.S. last year. But Marchionne said the huge miss of the sales target was not a problem.

    He said he chose the original sales target hoping to beat the 45,644 cars sold of the popular Mini Cooper, sold in 2010.

    "It was a number that we said would be in excess of what Mini was selling in the United States. It was that simple," he said about the target.

    Plans to introduce other cars to the line by 2013 and to expand the dealer network remain on track, he said.

    "Let's be honest, we sold 2,009,000 cars in 2011," he said about Chrysler Group's global sales. In the grand scheme of things, he said the missed sales target for the Fiat 500 "is a rounding error."

    "We set ourselves up for a fall," he said about the miss. "The future of Fiat is exactly the same as when we launched it."

    He said the 2012 target for the 500 is between 25,000 and 35,000 in the United States and another 5,000 in Canada. Overall, the target for Chrysler Group's global sales is 2.4 million.
     
  2. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2009
    5,146
    1,302
    113
    Winston-Salem, NC
    Ratings:
    +1,302 / 0 / -0
    #202 minimark, Jan 10, 2012
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2012
    You miss your goal by more than 50% and it's merely "A rounding error"? He should run for Congress.....
     
  3. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,713
    7,659
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,913 / 1 / -0
    I'll bet all those new US Fiat dealers are thrilled with the new leaders speech.....:D
     
  4. Johngo

    Johngo New Member
    Supporting Member

    May 18, 2010
    1,671
    200
    0
    Art Director
    Sugar Hill, GA
    Ratings:
    +200 / 0 / -0
    And we wonder why the American manufacturers fail... Miss your sales goals by more than 50%? No biggie... It cannot possibly be because they design crap. Rounding error... WTF?
     
  5. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2009
    5,146
    1,302
    113
    Winston-Salem, NC
    Ratings:
    +1,302 / 0 / -0
    Is Sergio American?

    One would hope that they do much better at how many wheels they get bolted on correctly..... :eek:
     
  6. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 6, 2009
    7,422
    1,685
    113
    Ratings:
    +1,685 / 0 / -0
    I would still like to see that little car make a go of it. Get a few of these Urban Assault Vehicles (SUV) off the road.

    Jim
     
  7. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
    Supporting Member

    May 4, 2009
    8,767
    2,547
    113
    Bend, OR USA
    Ratings:
    +2,678 / 1 / -0
    How many MINI's were sold in their first year?
     
  8. rigidjunkie

    rigidjunkie New Member

    Dec 23, 2009
    757
    136
    0
    Membership Manager
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +136 / 0 / -0
    I look forward to sitting in one next week in Detroit. The more I see them on the road the more I like them, BUT my memory of the inside still makes me scratch my head when I see them. If the inside looks better I will tone down my dislike of them.

    All that said I want to know what other Fiat's are going to come to America. Their cars are all very intriguing in that they should be priced around Chevy money but they all have that odd Italian flair where they look different and will probably fall apart but for some reason you are drawn to them.

    Lastly France please follow Fiat and send some cars to the US. Renaut I am talking to you!!!!!!!!
     
  9. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 29, 2009
    12,713
    7,659
    113
    Ex-Owner (Retired) of a custom metal fab company.
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +7,913 / 1 / -0
    All of them......:D
     
  10. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

    Mar 30, 2009
    25,144
    10,052
    113
    Writer
    Short North
    Ratings:
    +10,069 / 0 / -0

    Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4
    Year US Deliveries Change from previous year Launch to date
    2002 24,590 n/a 24,590
    2003 36,010 46.4% 60,600
    2004 36,032 0.1% 96,632
    2005 40,820 13.0% 137,452
    2006 39,171 -4.0% 176,623
    2007 42,045 7.3% 218,668
    2008 54,077 28.6% 272,745
    2009 45,225 -16.4% 317,970
    2010 45,644 0.9% 363,614
    2011 57,511 26.0% 421,125
     
  11. jiminni

    jiminni Well-Known Member

    May 7, 2009
    1,592
    262
    83
    Ca.
    Ratings:
    +262 / 0 / -0
    France did send some cars here last year.........they sold 9 Bugatti Veyrons in the USA last year............

    :lol:



    Hmmm........wonder how many Fiat 500's that would be? :crazy:
     
  12. rigidjunkie

    rigidjunkie New Member

    Dec 23, 2009
    757
    136
    0
    Membership Manager
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +136 / 0 / -0
    9 at $1.5 million each gives you $13.5 million vs. 20,000 at $20,000 each for $400 million. 500 for the win!!! Or to answer your question 675 500's could have been purchased instead of the 9 Verons, so even if those buyers had been tempted away from their Verons Fiat would have still not sold half as many 500's as they wanted to :)
     
  13. Norm03s

    Norm03s New Member

    May 5, 2009
    4,936
    534
    0
    Working at being retired.
    Somewhere in Sykesville. Md.
    Ratings:
    +534 / 0 / -0
    But wiil they send, the new Peugeot 208 GTi
     
  14. Johngo

    Johngo New Member
    Supporting Member

    May 18, 2010
    1,671
    200
    0
    Art Director
    Sugar Hill, GA
    Ratings:
    +200 / 0 / -0
    So FIAT, in their infinite wisdom, thought they could double the numbers of MINI in their first year? That is pretty laughable seeing as they are not nearly as well made, not nearly as sporty or good looking, and, as I am sure time will prove, not nearly as reliable.

    JLo may be hot, but nobody is THAT hot... :biggrin5:
     
  15. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
    Supporting Member

    May 4, 2009
    8,767
    2,547
    113
    Bend, OR USA
    Ratings:
    +2,678 / 1 / -0
    :prrr:
     
  16. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
    Supporting Member

    May 4, 2009
    8,767
    2,547
    113
    Bend, OR USA
    Ratings:
    +2,678 / 1 / -0
    But looking at it another way, they sold enough to get really close to the initial sales of the MINI. That's not to bad considering the car.
     
  17. minimark

    minimark Well-Known Member

    Jun 24, 2009
    5,146
    1,302
    113
    Winston-Salem, NC
    Ratings:
    +1,302 / 0 / -0
    #217 minimark, Jan 10, 2012
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2012
    OK now divide how many Fiat dealers there were into total sales and how many Mini dealers there were the first year into their sales?

    I know there was only one BMW dealership that could sell Mini Coopers in NC, SC and VA combined the first year...

    It would also be interesting to see what each spent in advertising the first year, to get a advertising cost per unit sold figure?
     
  18. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 6, 2009
    7,422
    1,685
    113
    Ratings:
    +1,685 / 0 / -0
    I see something funny here. This thread is MINI owners finding nothing good about Fiat and there is another thread where MINI owners are blasting MINI's as being not worth the price. Go figure. :lol:

    Jim
     
  19. Johngo

    Johngo New Member
    Supporting Member

    May 18, 2010
    1,671
    200
    0
    Art Director
    Sugar Hill, GA
    Ratings:
    +200 / 0 / -0
    Shush, Jim! :biggrin5:
     
  20. rigidjunkie

    rigidjunkie New Member

    Dec 23, 2009
    757
    136
    0
    Membership Manager
    Columbus, Ohio
    Ratings:
    +136 / 0 / -0
    This is why I want the French to bring some stuff here. If they sold this here for under 17K I would buy one:

    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page