And, in the US market, both the gas-powered 500 and the 124 Spider (a Mazda Miata with a Fiat engine) were both discontinued two years ago, due to very low sales numbers. But, Stellantis is going to give it another try, with a new electric version of the 500.
These little electric buggies were previously sold in CA, but they are apparently now going to try to market them nationwide in The US. Meanwhile, most–if not all–of their Fiat dealerships closed their doors a while back, and I have to wonder how many businessmen are willing to try to sell Fiats… again.
Hmmm… An unreliable gas car becomes an EV. What could go wrong?
Seems obvious which member of Stellantis is in control. The Japanese? No The French? Non! The Americans? Unh-uh! The Brits? Just No. The Germans? Nein.
The Italians? Yeah, clearly the Italians are in charge.
Many years ago, my trusted foreign car mechanic complained non-stop about problems with electrical systems on Fiats, and how difficult they were to diagnose, He claimed that many of the wires in the wiring harness went from one insulation color to another, somewhere around the middle of the car, and that it took him an incredibly long time to diagnose wiring problems on those cars as a result. I can’t say with assurance that this was correct, but that was what he said, back in the '70s.
One way to look at the increased Stellantis stake from 50% to 75% is that GAC didn’t want 50% of the joint venture. When they decided they wanted less than 25%, it was time for Stellantis to move to an import model.
Were I looking for a new car, I’d give the electric 500 a chance anyway. I like the look of those gasoline 500’s , but, yes, realize, robustness, by reputation, appears to need some work. I wonder if an E-500 could be purchased with roll-up windows, no A/C, and a 90-s style, standard dashboard & gauges?
