You make great points. I
You make great points. I actually really like the Fiat 500 and think it is a design masterpiece that took the best cues from the original Cinque Cente and modernized it. I feel, unlike the Mini, it is purer and truer to its original form. I drove the Sports version and it was a fun car. I didn't also drive the Dodge Dart 1.4 and that is a fun happy revving engine. The 2L was a little anemic. I think Fiat has recovered quite well and isn't bleeding it IP away to the Germans anymore :)
When you write about a car being the closest thing to a body, yesterday was the Bikini 70th Birthday I believe. The inventor was French and he was tired of working on cars. I wonder if he felt a women's body was closer to perfection. I sure feel it is.
You're right about the Jaguar and Alfa Romeo connection. Both were race cars before they became production factories. I think Tata is doing a great job and I went to MDI's headquarter in the South of France to test a few air compressed prototypes. I thought they had a solid idea.
In the end, at some point a group of rich car enthusiasts could buy these unique car companies and return them to their former glory. In Jaguar's case, it sounds like Tata did it. Now if only it could happen to Alfa Romeo. And I would still love to see an electric 4C :)