global thinking

Have you seen the new 2012 Fiat 500 yet?  This car began sales in America just a few months ago, as a result of the Fiat takeover of the Chrysler Corporation.  The dealership, for which I am employed, applied for, and was awarded, a Fiat franchise.  It is a stand-alone dealership next door to our Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership, so my position does not include sales of these cars, but I am around them everyday.

Reaction has been mixed.

Larger than a Smart Car and only very slightly smaller than a Mini Cooper, many scoff at the Fiat (Fix It Again, Tony) as a "throw-away" car.  Others view it as being a "too-small tin can".  Still, others turn up their nose at just another foreign car in America.  (But, does a true "American" car really exist today?)

Those with a positive reaction are the sizable area Italian-American community, the "green" environmentally conscious, the trendy, and miscellaneous others, like my wife, who think the car is "cute".

Until recently, my only knowledge of a Fiat 500 was from the Disney Pixar movie, Cars.  Luigi, owner of Luigi's Casa Della Tires, is a 1959 Fiat 500.  I had never actually seen an original Fiat 500 (built between the years 1957-1975) until recently, when an area Fiat enthusiast loaned the dealership his 1970 Fiat 500.  They are smaller than they look.  Very small... even smaller than the current models.  But, it will get you between two points.

Americans tend to tie the image of their ride to their personality.  I can't count the number of too-cool-for-a-minivan parents I have talked with at work... even though the minivan is, hands-down, the best family mover ever built (unless you need a heavier towing vehicle).  But how many SUV drivers actually need the off-road and/or towing capacity of a true SUV vs. those who just drive them because they look good?  And, the pickup truck is a similar animal.  How many "truck-guys" really need a truck vs. the number who just drive them to make themselves look more "manly"?

Americans... we are what we drive? 

I'm not putting down anyone's ride, but when you think about it, aren't some of the vehicles on our American streets pretty indulgent?  A good example is this $118,000.00 2010 Saleen Challenger (700 HP) we (not me) just sold at our dealership.  700 HP?  Really?  Why?

I have not traveled overseas much, but I think many in other parts of the world view transportation much more practically than we Americans.  I work with a Fiat enthusiast who moved to America from Italy about ten years ago.  He loves the Fiat 500 because of it's practicality.  He tells stories of whole families packing in a Fiat 500 to motor around Italy.  During my brief travel to China, it seemed that the Chinese people also view transportation very practically... not much about image.  It was nothing to see an entire family piled on a motorcycle or a moped... it was just about getting from point A to B.  I'm not saying it does not exist, but it didn't appear that there was a lot of vehicle "image" on the streets of China.

Now, I'm not putting America down, and I'm not saying I wouldn't mind tooling around in a nice "manly" 4x4 pickup truck.  But, I'm really practical enough in the way I view vehicles to think I feel pretty comfortable with some global thinking when it comes to vehicles.

Would I drive a Fiat?  Sure, why not? 

It's not really practical for my family size, but I like the overall practicality.  Money aside, I'd probably rather drive the Fiat than the 700 HP Saleen.

But would I look "manly" enough in the Fiat? 

Hmmm... I drive a rusting 2001 Chevy Lumina now...

Yeah, I'd be OK!