NF500 / launch event

Regional paper the Bucks Free Press are another publication with an easy to enter online competition to win tickets (they’re giving away 20 pairs) the Fiat 500 launch event at the London Eye, where you’ll be able to see the Fiat 500 take to the skies in the London Eye, and listen to singer songwriter Mike put on a performance for the assembled celebrities and fellow competition winners.

Want to enter? Here’s the link.

We mentioned previously how Fiat are teaming up with Virgin Radio to drum up publicity for the new 500 prior to the January 21st London Eye launch event. The Virgin Radio website has been updated with competitions to win a Fiat 500 (but you have to listen to the Breakfast Show to do so) or as an alternative some cash prized which Fiat have put up for grabs. Full details on the Virgin Radio website.

Now the fun of Christmas and New Year is over, Fiat UK are doing their best to alleviate that down-in-the-dumps feeling by starting the hype for a whole new celebration.

The Fiat 500 is due to be launched officially 500 hours into 2008, at eight o’clock on the 21st of January, riding high in one of the capsules at the London Eye.

As part of the London Eye event, Fiat are also staging a celebrity and showbiz ticketed event, which will feature live bands and “fantastic light show”. Sure, it may struggle to live up to the 2008 New Year event at the same location, but it sounds fun all the same!.

Fiat UK Marketing Director, Elena Bernardelli, is quoted in an official Fiat press release as saying;

It will be a great event, and we at FIAT are committed to making the country smile for the night.

Fiat have also launched a new website for the UK to coincide with the launch, which includes the oppurtunity to win tickets to the launch event in London. The style of marketing appears to be taking a leaf from other recent car launches aimed at the younger end of the car buying market, such as the new MINI, Volvo C30 or Vauxhall Corsa. That is to say, it’s a bit irreverent.

If you’re unable to make it to London for the UK launch event, have no fear, for the launch is being broadcast at just about every Fiat dealership in the land, as well as reportedly on TV channel Five, ahead of motoring show Fifth Gear.

This 3D panorama of the new Fiat 500 launch event in Milan, taken in July 2007 was brought to our attention recently and we thought it was well worth sharing with you on NF500.

You need the QuickTime plugin to view and move around the images, but it’s well worth the effort if you don’t already have this, and be sure to click on the “Open Fullscreen” option below the image to get the full effect.

We will be live on the scene at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt on September 11th 2007, where the new Fiat 500 will make its first public appearance since the official launch event held in Italy earlier this year.

We will be uploading photographs as soon as possible via Flickr, they will show up in the Flash presentation below. We will also report on any new Fiat 500 news and gossip we pick up at the show.

The dust has barely settled in Turin following the launch event for the new Fiat 500, but the Fiat Group have every right to be partying once more as it reports revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 grew 11.5% and net profit rose by 90%. These figures are driven by strong operational performances in all its major industrial businesses including smart use of shared technology in it’s automotive division to drive down production costs.

For the second quarter, Fiat Group’s revenues increased to €15.18bn (US$20.97bn) from €13.61bn a year earlier. Quarterly net income surged to €627m from €330m in the corresponding quarter in 2006. Trading profit for the quarter totalled €946m, up by 43.6% from €659m in Q2 2006.

The automaker also reported net debt dropped below €1bn ($1.38bn) to €873m ($1.2bn) for a decrease of €404m ($558m), despite payment of more than €500m ($691m) in dividends and share buybacks.

The Automobiles business, which accounts for some 80 per cent of the group earnings, posted revenues of €6.8bn, an increase of 12.1% from €6.05bn a year earlier, as global sales volume grew 12.2% to 578,700 units. Segment trading profit for the quarter increased by 119% to €193m.

The OEM states that sales volume in Western Europe increased by 3.8% to 360,600 units. Due to the success of the Punto, Panda and Bravo hatchbacks and its Ducato and Scudo vans – deliveries remained at high levels in nearly all countries. The OEM’s market share reached 31.5% in Italy and 8.2% in Western Europe. In key markets outside Western Europe, penetration improved in Brazil but fell slightly in Poland.

Iveco generated quarterly sales of about €2.86bn, which represented growth of 25.2% over the €2.28bn of a year earlier. Segment trading profits for the second quarter increased by 37.42% to €224m.

Revenue at the CNH business unit increased by 16.3% to €3.3bn during the second quarter, due in particular to an increase in volume of combines and higher horsepower agricultural tractors. Segment trading profit for the quarter also increased by 27.5% to €348m.

Second quarter revenues in the Components and Production Systems business totalled €3.5bn, a 7.2% increase over the second quarter of 2006. Sales increased by 15.8% at FPT Powertrain Technologies and by 11.2% at Magneti Marelli, while they were down by 31.2% at Teksid mainly due to disposals (Meridian Technologies in 1st quarter 2007) and by 11.3% at Comau, due to the overall weakness in its trading environment. Second quarter trading profits at the Components and Production Systems business increased by 41% to €146m.

During the 1 January-30 June period, Fiat Group’s sales revenue increased by 10.3% to €28.9bn. The group’s trading profit for the first half of fiscal 2007-08 totalled €1.54bn, an increase of 57% over the year earlier period. Net profits for the period increased by 108% to €1bn.

The Italian conglomerate states that its first half results are fully in line with its 2007 targets and provide a solid base to pursue the growth and margin expansion path set out in the 2007-2010 industrial plan.

For the full year 2007, Fiat group aims to earn a trading profit of about €2.7bn with net income expected to be between €1.6bn and €1.8bn. The group says it will continue to implement its strategy of targeted alliances in order to optimise capital commitments and reduce risks.

The Fiat Group returned to profitability only as recently as 2005, thanks to a strategy of targeted alliances and focus on the core business.

Fiat will no doubt be hoping the new Fiat 500, which shares components and it’s production plant with the Panda and forthcoming Ford Ka, will help boost the company image, and profit margins further going forward into 2008.