111 Built Last Week!

[Vlad92]

Production numbers from last week (1/24 to 1/29):  525

Year to date total:  1,427

 

[sjmst]

So our PE s must be built!

[Giallo Edizione]

<So our PE s must be built! >

Somebody show me if I am wrong, but I never read anything in an authoritative article that stated that the Prima Edizione would be the first 500 _built_, only that 500 FIATs would be built for US market spec'd as PE's. And nothing stated they would come down the assembly line in sequence and all at once. So assuming 1,400 cars are actually already completed, maybe the PE's are already built, maybe only some are already built,  but then again maybe not.

[sketch]

That's kind of the point.  Prima Edizione = First Edition.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/12/first-u-s-market-fiat-500-prima-edizione-reserved-for-fiat-fans/

If that's not definitive enough, I mean, I don't know what to say.  The idea is that it's the first 500 to get to market.  And, well, I'm sure you've seen the seats and the unibody by now...

[jvsgabriel]

Yes hopefully all our cars are done by now, and are ready to be shipped up to us.  With that many cars completed, it's just a matter of time (which is always is, isn't it?), and a matter of having a Fiat Studio ready in our immediate area, before we get the "the call".  Then I guess we can hopefully have some sort of test drive on a model car and see if we really like it.  Cause to date, I have had ZERO contact with any dealer here in San Diego.  And all those 500's were buzzing around town just two weeks ago.  

Joel

[sjmst]

I can see where the Prima Ediziones are the ones first sold, not necessarily first built. The test cars for the dealers may be first built, for example. But the first cars to hit the streets being owned and driven by actual customers will be the Primas. Thus they are still first sold but maybe not first built.

[jvsgabriel]

You may be right with that.  But hopefully some of those cars will be the first batch of PE's.  I mean how many actual dealers are up and running and can do test drives?  Perhaps only 20 dealers/Studios out of the possible 130 they want by the end of the year are up and running now, that would be 26 test cars per studio.  Even with a hypothetical 65 dealers up and ready (half of the 130), that would be 8 test cars per dealer.  I am looking on the bright side and thinking that at least some of these cars are the PE's and say most are the test cars for the dealers up and ready.  

[sketch]

That's my logic. Even at two per dealer for all 130 dealers, that still leaves almost 200 more demos and preproduction models for testing and such before we get to the 1,000 PEs.

[Mike S]

Chris has just added some video from last months presentation to the press.

In the first video with Laura speaking at the 8 min 30 second mark she says the first ordered cars will be delivered to us this month.

Even if the studios are not ready, the staff have been training. May as well let them practice with eager enthusiasts. We will forgive them if they screw up and probably correct them with more accurate information.

[sjmst]

sketch wrote

That's my logic. Even at two per dealer for all 130 dealers, that still leaves almost 200 more demos and preproduction models for testing and such before we get to the 1,000 PEs.

Year to date total:  1,427
 
2 demos per dealer - 260

That leaves 1,167 cars.

Take 1000 out for all PE's and we still have over 150 left over for misc cars.

Seems our cars might be built!

[Jim McKenzie]

are there 1000 PE's?   Had thought only 500 500's :)

If 1000 they missed a good marketing concept...

[sjmst]

Jim McKenzie wrote

are there 1000 PE's?   Had thought only 500 500's :)

If 1000 they missed a good marketing concept...

500 USA
500 Canada

[MrJones]

Are these cars being sold anywhere else in North America? Don't they sell a version in Mexico too?  Also, is this plant producing cars for Brazil? I thought I read somewhere that Brazil was going to be a big market for the 500.

[sjmst]

MrJones wrote

Are these cars being sold anywhere else in North America? Don't they sell a version in Mexico too?  Also, is this plant producing cars for Brazil? I thought I read somewhere that Brazil was going to be a big market for the 500.

Maybe!  In any case, they can turn out several hundred a week, so if our cars are not built yet they may be in a week or two.

[Giallo Edizione]

sketch wrote

That's kind of the point.  Prima Edizione = First Edition.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/12/first-u-s-market-fiat-500-prima-edizione-reserved-for-fiat-fans/

If that's not definitive enough, I mean, I don't know what to say.  The idea is that it's the first 500 to get to market.  And, well, I'm sure you've seen the seats and the unibody by now...

Read that press release again. No where in the press release does it say they are the first 500 to get to market. Here is what it says:

"These long-time enthusiasts of the Fiat brand and vehicles, some for almost 27 years, were given the first opportunity to place reservations and select their vehicle build number for the unique Fiat Cinquecento 'Prima Edizione' (First Edition) model. A total of 500 of these collector-edition Fiat 500 models will be sold in the United States."



First opportunity to place an order on an exclusive collector-edition run of 500 PE's does not equate to the first 500 cars to go to market. No where that I can find in any authoritative literature is there a clear indication of when in the production run these PE's will be produced. If there is, somebody should post it.

[sjmst]

TopoRosso wrote

sketch wrote

That's kind of the point.  Prima Edizione = First Edition.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/12/first-u-s-market-fiat-500-prima-edizione-reserved-for-fiat-fans/

If that's not definitive enough, I mean, I don't know what to say.  The idea is that it's the first 500 to get to market.  And, well, I'm sure you've seen the seats and the unibody by now...

Read that press release again. No where in the press release does it say they are the first 500 to get to market. Here is what it says:

"These long-time enthusiasts of the Fiat brand and vehicles, some for almost 27 years, were given the first opportunity to place reservations and select their vehicle build number for the unique Fiat Cinquecento 'Prima Edizione' (First Edition) model. A total of 500 of these collector-edition Fiat 500 models will be sold in the United States."



First opportunity to place an order on an exclusive collector-edition run of 500 PE's does not equate to the first 500 cars to go to market. No where that I can find in any authoritative literature is there a clear indication of when in the production run these PE's will be produced. If there is, somebody should post it.

I agree with the cute pup.

[sketch]

Okay, but considering that they've built nearly 1500 of them, that it's called the First Edition, and that the Prima remains to this day the only way to preorder a Cinquecento, I think our chances are pretty good.

Not that it matters.  They'll deliver it when they deliver it.  You're still gonna get your car.

[Giallo Edizione]

sketch wrote

Okay, but considering that they've built nearly 1500 of them, that it's called the First Edition, and that the Prima remains to this day the only way to preorder a Cinquecento, I think our chances are pretty good.

Not that it matters.  They'll deliver it when they deliver it.  You're still gonna get your car.

Can't disagree with that entirely.

A little longer wait not so bad-the snow here is almost higher than the 500.

[MrJones]

I found this interesting statement in an article about the Austin Fiat dealership:

"Fiat of Austin will accept delivery of 60 to 70 Fiats in the next two weeks, and about 20 have already been sold, Copeland said."

http://www.statesman.com/business/area-employers/pieces-in-place-for-march-1-opening-of-1232161.html

[Mike S]

Smart dealer. He responded to one of the comments (fix it again) with a sales pitch and an invitation for a test drive.

Class.