The Hiroshima-built 2017 Fiat 124 Spider is finally here. Not a moment too soon for dealers.
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Fifty years after it was first introduced as a model, and almost 32 years since it was last sold in America, the new Fiat Spider has finally arrived. Unlike the first Miatas that arrived, they are not all red. The 2017 model year cars will soon be on sale at the 206 Fiat dealerships in the country. They have come at the last possible moment to help these dealers stay in business.
Sales have been slow. Automotive News reported in March that only two-thirds of Fiat dealers sell more than three vehicles per week and says only about half make any profit. The new 2017 Fiat 124 Spiders just arriving may be happy news for the fans and potential buyers, but dealerships are jumping for joy.
It is no secret that the new 124 Spider is a Miata restyled by Fiat and fitted with a smaller, turbocharged engine designed by Fiat. Many love the look, and it does bring back memories for fans. Fiat is also pricing the 124 Spider very similarly to the Miata. There is no imaginary markup for the model. That should help sales. (More on page 2)
Fiat dealers are being offered the option of syncing up their back-offices with the RAM Chrysler Dodge dealers they are usually attached to in order to save money. Customers won’t notice or care, but that, coupled with the new model to sell, may well save the brand in America.
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