NF500 / 500 Sales

Those clever bods with calculators (or crystal balls, or both) who predict future used car prices for the motor trade have altered and improved their estimations on the value of the Fiat 500 in three years.

The predicted residual values on some 500 models have increased from 42 per cent to 46 per cent of original list price. That equates to a positive adjustment of more than £350 on the car’s value on a typical three year/30,000 mile contract. For buyers funding the car through contract hire or personal contract purchase (PCP) that should reduce rentals by more than £20 per month.

As is often the case in the motor trade, the entry level model, the Fiat 500 1.2 Pop is rated as having the best residual value at 47 per cent after three years.

The residual value guides have reacted positively to the success of the 500 and have increased their used predictions accordingly. This is good news for those who have already bought one and it should help reduce monthly costs,

says Adam Pumfrey, fleet and remarketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK.

The 500 has also generated a great deal of interest from small and medium sized companies for test drives as it offers drivers a high profile company car that is low on fuel use and CO2 emissions.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has reaffirmed the company’s desire to launch the Fiat 500 brand in the United States. However, and in contradiction to quotes from the Fiat CEO published by Forbes only a matter of weeks ago, Marchionne stated his desire to introduce a second Fiat 500 production site in the USA.

The full quote, taken on the sidelines of a foreign policy forum in Venice, reads

We are examining ways and means to manufacture the cars in the United States, I don’t want to bring it over made. I want to manufacture [in the North American free-trade area]

You have to feel a little pity for any American eagerly awaiting the Fiat 500, the situation gets more confusing with every turn.

According to a report by AM-online, Fiat in the UK will have 12 specialist Abarth dealerships in the UK by July 2008, of a total of 14 planned outlets for the Fiat family’s sporting brand.

Apparently some Abarth dealerships will have their own stand alone sites alongside or near to current Fiat franchises, while others will have an Abarth zone integrated into their current showroom space.

In the AM-online article they also reveal it will cost existing Fiat dealers anything from £40-£80,000 to become an Abarth franchise, which that investment potentially being repaid within a year.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has once again stressed his desire to relaunch the Fiat brand, and the Cinquecento in particular, in the USA; if only they could find a way to sell it.

Apparently Fiat are seriously considering following in the footsteps of Smart by teaming up with a dealer network with a strong US base to distribute the 500 in America. This would ideally lead to an established and trusted brand stateside offering a foot in the door for Fiat, who haven’t had their own dealer presence there for 25 years.

In an article published on Just-Auto.com, Marchionne is quoted as saying

I am convinced that the full range of the Cinquecento would be a huge smash in the US if we do it right…. I think the full Cinquecento product range is a brand within a brand and can probably carry the market - we’re looking real hard at this now.

Fiat representatives have been quoted in the past as wanting to emulate the success of the MINI Cooper stateside, however MINI had the distinct advantage of a ready and willing BMW dealer network who put not an inconsiderable investment into making the brand a success, with the aid of some very clever marketing. It will be interesting to see how Fiat can make waves to the same degree without a strong parent company to piggy back on.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has been quoted by Forbes as confirming orders for the new Fiat 500 have exceeded 204,000 vehicles. He also is quoted as saying there are no plans to further increase production beyond the current 190,000 vehicles per year output, or to introduce a second production site.

As an aside, Mr Marchionne also reaffirmed that the convertible Fiat 500 is heading for production in 2009.

There’s been a few posts about this on the new Fiat 500 forums here at NF500, so we thought we’d give one of Fiat’s latest Italian initiatives a little more coverage here too.

The Fiat 500 Pop Up Store is a temporary store devoted entirely to the new Fiat 500, is open now and will remain so until July 31st 2008. So if you’re in the area, you might want to pop buy and check out the Fiat 500 goodies on display.

Apparently the Pop Up store has set its intentions on being much more than a simple car showroom, and will offer free wi-fi to visitors, as well as numerous special events related in some way or another to the Fiat 500, some directly, and some artistically “inspired by” the Fiat 500.

If you reach Milan before August you’ll find the store Located in De Tocqueville No 11.

In January Fiat UK Managing Director Andrew Humberstone made a pledge that he would be taking a hands on approach to bringing up the standard and reputation of the UK Fiat dealership network. Well, if a survey of around 32,000 UK motorists recently published by magazine Auto Express is anything to go by, he’s going to have his work cut out.

The Driver Power Dealer Survey canvassed the car buying public’s opinions on a range of criterea to paint a balanced picture of people’s overall dealership experience, and Fiat came a lowly 29 out of 30 overall.

This probably comes as perplexing, and certainly challenging news for new Fiat Group UK Sales Director Andrew Sproston, who took up his new position at the company this past Monday.

The broken down results show Fiat dealers as coming in the following positions:

• 20th for Value for money
• 29th for Standard of Workmanship
• 30th for Technical knowledge
• 30th for helpfulness and attitude
• 29th for Communication
• 30th Cleanliness and Atmosphere

It appears to us at NF500 that only the 20th place for “Value for money” saved Fiat’s dealerships from receiving the wooden spoon in this particular survey.

The Fiat 500, as the European wide “500% Fiat” marketing campaign reminds us all, is indented to be the embodiment of a completely fresh and revitalised Fiat. If these results really are anything to go by, along with some recent worrying reports from Fiat 500 owners and would-be owners on the new Fiat 500 forums, Fiat could do with taking a serious look at the dealership network and find out what they can do to improve their reputation “on the street”. If customers are being treated well by dealerships, word gets around, no matter how slick and polished your promotional work may be.

Credit to James on the forums for pointing this one out to us.