Alfa Romeo names Tacoma dealer as its sole Western Washington store

After a nearly two-decade absence from the U.S. market, Italian car maker Alfa Romeo Friday named 82 U.S. and four Canadian dealers to sell its cars in North America.

Among those 82 is Fiat of Tacoma, which sells cars made by Alfa's parent company, Fiat.

Fiat of Tacoma is one of two dealers designated to sell the upmarket brand in Washington. The other dealer is in Spokane.

Sales of Alfas will start slowly with limited availability of the company's sporty 4C model. The line will later be expanded to include sedans and perhaps an SUV.

Alfa exited the U.S. in 1995.

The brand gained perhaps its greatest public fame in the iconic 1967 movie The Graduate in which Dustin Hoffman drove a classic red Alfa Spider 1800.

According to industry sources, the initial 4C models offered for sale at U.S. dealers will be a limited edition priced at nearly $70,000.  More ordinary 4Cs will be priced beginning at $55,000.

The company's sedan, to be built in the same Belvidere, Ill. plant as its sister car, the Dodge Dart, will be less expensive.

Alfa will position itself against such imported brands as BMW, Audi, Volvo and Mercedes.

In addition to its namesake brand and Alfa Romeo, Fiat produces Maserati, Ferrari, Chrysler, Dodge, Lancia, Ram and Jeep brand vehicles.

The Fiat vehicles sold in the U.S. are built in a Chrysler plant in Mexico. Fiat reentered the U.S. in 2011 after a 27-year absence.

Phil Bivens, owner of Fiat of Tacoma and the new Alfa dealership at 3740 South Tacoma Way, also owns Tacoma Dodge Chrysler Jeep, Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Enumclaw, Tacoma Nissan and Auburn Chevrolet.

Alfa said it intends to eventually expand its U.S. dealer network to 300 stores.  The 82 dealerships announced Friday are spread among 33 states. Among the states that for now have no Alfa dealers are Washington neighbors Oregon and Idaho.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/06/13/3242156/alfa-romeo-names-tacoma-dealer.html#storylink=cpy

Godzilla Ad

FIATs new Godzilla ad has started running on TV screens nationwide. But thousands of those screens aren't in front of a sofa. They are mounted on gasoline pumps run by Outcast Media, which programs and handles advertising buys and placement on its network of some 21,000 gasoline pump TV screens in 135 DMAs.

 

In January, the company was acquired by Greensboro, N.C.-based fuel dispenser and integrated fueling company Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Gilbarco says the deal will take Outcast from its reported 36 million viewers per month to 100 million in two years, thanks to the 60,000 additional retail fueling stations and a piggyback on Gilbarco's own growth plans.

 

Nathan Gill, co-founder and CRO of Outcast Media, says Outcast is more an extension of traditional TV than a digital play with scale on par with prime-time show reaching consumers that have an automotive mindset. He says the appeal to automakers is that a gas-pump buy reaches (obviously) only drivers and, therefore, consumers who are driving age or older. And probably people driving to and from work. "They are driving 50% more than the general population and are 4.5% more likely to be looking for a new vehicle," he says. 

 

But it's also as expensive as TV, although it's treated as a video buy, per Gill. The benefit is the captive, hard-to-reach audience. "They are commuting, working longer hours, out and about and watching less TV; they are watching less traditional media. So they are hard to get in front of." 

Birmingham, Mich.-based Gas Station TV (GSTV), which reports 45 million viewers per month, ran its own Fiat campaign last December. Interpublic's UM handles media for Fiat. GSTV said the ads garnered 60% recall, with 45% of it unaided (per Lieberman, which it contracted for the study.) The difference with GSTV's campaign was that it was custom-made for the pump experience, as it featured a Fiat fan inside the screen gazing out and hoping for an encounter with one of the cars. 

 

“Brands now realize the importance of diversifying their media mix and exploring new avenues, including video at the pump, to reach their target audiences,” said Denise Smith, SVP, group media director at UM, in a statement about the campaign released around the time it launched. 

Gill says that in addition to running a Tier 1 national-campaign creative on Outcast, auto marketers like the network for lower-tier local market advertising with sales event messages, as well as messages about fuel efficiency -- a pitch that makes obvious sense. The other growth area is dealer parts and services. "Lots of OEMs want to make sure owners are using their service centers."

He says 75% of the Outcast Media drive-in audience is 18 to 49 years of age; 82% are employed; and half are college grads. The average household income is $83,000. "What you see there is a function of the fact that these people are driving to work every day."

Automatic Abarths and Turbo

If you're a fan of the design (and the performance numbers) of the Fiat 500 Abarth and its cabriolet version but not its manual transmission, you'll want to hear this. Fiat has announced that the 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio will be offered with an optional six-speed automatic transmission in addition to a slightly redesigned interior. The new models will appear at the New York auto show next week.

Fiat seems to have come to terms with North America's transmission preferences. It will be offering an Aisin AW6F25 six-speed automatic that has been reinforced with more clutch plates and given a stronger heat treatment for higher torque capability on the Abarth and Turbo models. The new transmission will offer a Sport mode, able to do fuel-cut upshifts, rev-matching downshifts, brake-assist downshifts, corner-gear hold and fast-off gear hold. We suspect the resulting sound might convince everyone within earshot that you're driving a six-speed manual, given the Abarth's warbly exhaust.

"Adding an optional automatic transmission makes the Abarth and Abarth Cabrio accessible to an entirely new group of customers who want to enjoy the thrilling driving experience of the Fiat 500 Abarth with the convenience of an automatic gearbox,” said Jason Stoicevich, head of FIAT North America.

Don't worry: The manual five-speed transmission is staying in our favorite Abarth and Turbo 500 models. Both are powered by a 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine, with the Abarth making a stout 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The midrange Turbo model produces 135 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque, still plenty to get the small hatch seriously moving.



The additional transmission isn't the only thing Fiat is offering in the 2015 500 models: All 500 variants will receive a new 7-inch high-definition TFT (Thin Film Transistor) cluster display. The display will show the gas mileage, rang, and distance traveled in addition to speed and fuel level. The new screen will also display radio station and telephone information, and it will work with Rear Park Assist if the 500 is optioned with that system. .

Fiat tweaked the center console, introducing a new cupholder design and a more conveniently located USB port integrated with the radio. The 500 also will receive a number of new paint colors for 2015, including Giallo Moderna Perla (modern pearl yellow), Laser Blu (bright metallic blue) and Billet Argento (billet silver).

Mazda Teams With Fiat: New Miata to Spawn Alfa Romeo Roadster

The two latest automakers to climb into bed together are Mazda and Fiat and their love child promises to be one impressive performance machine.

Having signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding, the Japanese and Italian automakers have agreed to examine the development and manufacturing of a roadster model for the Alfa Romeo brand based on Mazda’s upcoming next-generation MX-5 Miata platform.
Distinguishing the two machines won’t just be the unique styling but, but also engines unique to each brand.
According to a joint release, production of both vehicles would occur at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant starting in 2015.
“Establishing technology and product development alliances is one of Mazda’s corporate objectives and this announcement with Fiat is an important first step in that direction. It is especially exciting to be collaborating with such a prestigious marque as Alfa Romeo on a new roadster based on the next-generation MX-5, which is such an iconic vehicle for Mazda and recognized as the best-selling roadster of all time,” said Takashi Yamanouchi, Mazda’s Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, President and CEO.
The partnership will also allow Mazda to take advantage of economies of scale, helping reduce its costs in building the Miata.
“This agreement clearly demonstrates our commitment to Alfa Romeo and the determination to grow it into a truly global brand. By partnering with Mazda, we will be co-operating with the recognized leader in compact rear-drive vehicle architectures in order to deliver an exciting and stylish roadster in the Alfa Romeo tradition. We are appreciative of this collaboration with Mazda and look forward to maintaining a fruitful and continuous relationship.” said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.
With the new Miata-based roadster, Alfa Romeo will have another exciting new product to offer when it returns to the North American market

Alfa Romeo 4C Running Ahead of Schedule, Will Bow Next Summer

Development towards the production model Alfa Romeo 4C appears to be ahead of schedule, as the Italian automaker plans on unveiling the model next summer.

This will be months ahead of the originally rumored 2014 Detroit Auto Show debut date, and will mark the beginning of Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. market. The Giulia sedan is also on schedule and it appears that the model will be built in North America and possibly Europe. Both vehicles will be reintroducing the Alfa Romeo brand to Americans, so it’ll be important that both are as presentable as possible.
Regardless, it appears that Chrysler-Fiat will invest plenty of time and effort into the Alfa Romeo brand. Recently, Japanese automaker Mazda and Fiat signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to develop and manufacture an Alfa Romeo roadster based on the next-generation MX-5

Ferrari to build new engines for Fiat

Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari has signed EUR50m agreement with Fiat to develop and build new engines for its top models including Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Lancia.

As per the agreement, Ferrari will produce two new engines including bi-turbo V6 engine which will generate 450hp, as well as, a V8 powertrain, which can generate an output of nearly 500hp.
According to ansa.it, the production of the new engines is expected to begin in 2014.
Initially, the new engines will power the production version of the Maserati Kubang SUV concept and then follows subsequently.
Fiat's move tends to reduce the production of engines by its family manufacturers, thus cutting the production costs and the new engines are expected to deliver enhanced fuel economy and reduce emission, while offering high performance.

FIAT OF TACOMA HAS ABARTHS IN!!!!

       FIAT 500 ABARTH

               HAS ARRIVED!!

COME DOWN TO THE TACOMA STUDIO TO TEST DRIVE AND ORDER YOURS TODAY!

"IT HITS THESE SHORES WITH AN ATTITUDE PROPELLED BY A RACING HISTORY THAT RIVALS THE MOST LEGENDARY OF MARQUES.  IT MAKES PASSIONATE STATEMENTS SITCHED IN LEATHER AND PROJECTS DETAILS TAILORED STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF PURE PERFORMANCE.  ON RACETRACKS. ON HIGHWAYS.  AND NOW, ON CONTINENTS.  CODED FROM A VISION, IT LANDS WITH EVERYTHING THAT THE ABARTH BADGE HAS COME TO REPRESENT.  BEHOLD THE SCORPION.  THIS IS THE FIAT 500 ABARTH.

 

Turbocharged, twin intercooled, and MultiAir equipped 1.4L 16v engine delivers 160 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque.  All backed by a manual five-speed transmission with 3.35 final-drive ratio for quick acceleration.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIAT 500 ABARTH CALL A SPECIALIST AT FIAT OF TACOMA TODAY.  

253-830-5700

           
                  FOUR CYLINDERS.  MASSIVE HEART.