Fiat Wants To EXPORT 500 To CHINA
Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group, announced plans to bring the hecho en Mexico Fiat 500 to China. According to Gasgoo, Marchionne told reporters during the Detroit Auto Show that half of the 120,000 units built in the Toluca factory is destined for North America. The other half will be exported to China and Brazil.
Fiat “hopes that the 500 will help increase its Chinese sales.” Well, good luck.
As you can see from the Chinese Top Ten, there isn’t a huge market in China for Cinquecento-sized vehicles. The Chinese want a real car with a trunk. Sure, some compacts sell, but they have to be really cheap. With freight and a 25 percent customs duty, a Fiat 500 will be a hard sell.
Minis and Smarts are not flying off the lots in China, and they have BMW and Benz brand cachet.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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If MINIs and Smarts have BMW and Benz cache, doesn't Fiat have Ferrari/Maserati/Alfa/Lancia cache? Yeah, I know it's a stretch.
MINIs only have "BMW cachet" to those who pay for the upgraded S and JCW specials. For everyone else, they're just "cute."
What did Sparta export; 300??? Keep the sites set low. That's what the gunnery instructors also shout out so often. Unless an airburst is called for. For unhardened targets such as your municipality to maximize damage and casualties airbursts of approximately one-mile above the target for a one megaton fusion device is suggested with larger bursts calling for slightly higher elevations determined by prior tests and algorithms as to exact/suggested heights. Thus, you need stout ceiling and walls for your shelters. At least with airbursts with the fireball not touching the Earth's surface there is much less downwind radioactive fallout. During your next "duck and cover" drill (practice it yourself or with friends/family in public places for fun and excitement and to keep the local herd entertained/amused/guessing/pondering/etc.) consider the need for shelter from "death from above" when selecting your shelter spot to perhaps survive the initial blast then fleeing for your pre-selected location for long-term shelter, food and water storage and protection from the masses who have done little to nothing to assist their own survival when the Red Menace(tm) or whoever unleash a barrage of nukes upon the homeland.
Interesting that the Chinese government has put a tax premium on imported vehicles with a larger than 1.9 L engines, IIRC...so the Japanese and European and American companies have a cost incentive to either make vehicles in China as part of a JV, or import smaller vehicles, which the consumers don't want. Right out of the "How to build a domestic industry at the expense of your supposed business partners" textbook. Also, as always, Bertel-sama...thanks for the asian eye-candy.