Daily Archives: November 4, 2009

Open Your Eyes Chrysler Fiat.

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Quick, close your eyes. Conjure up an image of a Chrysler car. Got it? Now, next to it, plop down a Fiat. (Is it red?) Okay using your brain processor, morph the two cars together. Not a bad car.

Wipe that image clean and think of a typical GM car. Put an Opel next to it. (Is the Opel lime green?) Okay morph the two together. A little funkier, but probably no worse than a Hyundai. (Did you know Hyundai sales are up 49%?)

This simple  exercise demostrates what is happening in the auto world today. GM decided to keep Opel and Chrysler is hoping its takeover by Fiat will create some compelling new cars designs. These aren’t marriages of geography or global penetration, they’re about big cars vs. little cars. These big car-little car discussions should have been taking place 5 years ago.

The combination of Chrysler and Fiat has great design and engineering upside. Fuel efficient, sporty, Italian-influenced designs make a nice brand bed for the combined company to lie in. Build the new brand around these qualities (think baby Sebring rag top not Town and Country) and you begin to see some serious light. Meep meep. Open your eyes now. Peace!fiat-linea-titel