Fiat Passes on Milano Auto Show

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

If you were hoping to celebrate an early Christmas in Milan with Signore Marchionne next year, you’re out of luck: Fiat has declined an invitation to show at the 2014 Milano Auto Show in light of the weakened local market.

The Italian half of the Italo-American mashup stated that the shows in Paris, Frankfurt and Geneva are enough for all automakers to show off their latest and greatest to the masses and the press alike, and that current economic conditions may not be able to support another auto show, especially one in a market that took only 1.3 million cars out of the showroom in 2013 after a peak of 2.5 million units sold back in 2007.

In response, Chairman Alfredo Cazzola of Promotor, the production company responsible for organizing next year’s show, had this to say to the Italian daily La Repubblica:

Fiat’s business is to build cars, not to organize shows.

Cazzola also said that Fiat would change its mind once they’ve seen what his Promotor has in store for Milan. Previously, Promotor were responsible for the Bologna Auto Show until its reorganization as the Milano Auto Show, where 133 exhibitors displayed their wares in 2012. In contrast, this year’s show in Frankfort held 1,000 under their tent.

As for 2013, the 38th iteration of the Bologna Auto Show was cancelled due to a lack of exhibitors.

TTAC Staff
TTAC Staff

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  • Mjz Mjz on Nov 18, 2013

    That FIAT pick-up looks like it was overtaken by the B.O.R.G. Resistance is futile.

  • Vipul Singh Vipul Singh on Nov 18, 2013

    Is that an A178 based trucklet in the main pic? Or is it based on the all new Palio? Marcelo: any clue?

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    • Marcelo de Vasconcellos Marcelo de Vasconcellos on Nov 18, 2013

      @Vipul Singh Hi Vipul, I guess your friend could not get a leather knob 'cause that was not an original opton in Brazil. Leather seats could be had, but usually it was done by a third party (independent shop) in or out of the dealership. The Palio has sold a lot, so mechanical parts should not be a problem for many years. Finishing parts may vary as there were more common and less common versions. But if you do chose o do it like that, I imagine it would not be impossible.

  • Ajla Ajla on Nov 18, 2013

    I want to lick that truck.

  • Tim_Turbo Tim_Turbo on Nov 19, 2013

    Gee is that the new Subaru Baja?

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