The upcoming nuptials: Fiat & Chrysler

It occurred to me the other day when they announced that Fiat was the key to saving Chrysler that many Americans may not know much about Fiat. One of my favorite cars was a yellow 1955 convertible Fiat 500 Topolino I owned just before meeting Kim. Sure, the breaks acted as a suggestion to the wheels to slow down if they wanted to rather than the disc brakes we enjoy today but the mileage was unbelievable and you could park it anywhere (a couple of times nose in!). The Fiat of old had a horrible reliability reputation and the joke was, Fiat stood for "Fix It Again Tony". But they have reinvented themselves and are renowned for making fabulous, small cars - something pretty foreign to the US. And their Car de Force in 2009 is a remake of that original Fiat 500. Check it out in the video below. On a recent trip back to Sydney, I was re-surprised by the number of Mini's, Smart cars, and plethora of other small models. The thing in Sydney when it comes to cars is, small trumps big because there is simply nowhere to park. No stores or restaurants offer parking. So it is all about on street parking. Pundits are saying that the upcoming marriage may once and for all deliver the US the small cars the country needs. We don't need any more SUV's and small cars rival the mileage of expensive hybrids that are out of reach for many folks. Change will take time. I do remember in my Fiat sitting next to the only Hummer in Sydney and thinking I was driving a motorized speed bump.