Fiat Chrysler Has A Summer Hit With The New Fiat 124 Spider Roadster (Gallery)

on June 18, 2016 at 4:31 pm

Fifty years ago the iconic Fiat 124 two-seater convertible — set sales records in America and amazingly 8,000 of the original 171,000 sold are still registered and on the roads today.

Based on advance road tests of the all new 2017 Fiat 124, this car could well repeat its chart topping cult status here in the US, which would be a big boost to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

The new Fiat 124 — a fitting tribute one of the sexiest cars to come out of Italy’s renowned Pininfarina design studio – is a rough and ready performer on an adapted Mazda MX-5 platform, tuned to Fiat specs, with an energetic Italian built standard 160 horsepower 4 cylinder engine.

The new 124 is a classic roadster with mid-century retro appeal attracting Boomers, Gen-X and Millennial buyers looking for driving fun at a modest $25,000 to $30,000 price range.

For FCA … the timing of the introduction is strategic, as the Fiat 124 is a halo vehicle sure to generate a lot of showroom traffic going into the summer selling months which will benefit both struggling Fiat only and combined FCA dealerships.