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It's too bad. Here is the first page. The 2nd and 3rd are no longer available:Fiat's brand new experience
By GREG GARDNER Free Press Business Writer
December 27, 2010 06:13 AM
Laura Soave wasn't job-hunting when Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne called her about a year ago.
He had 30 minutes. Soave was visiting family and friends in Detroit. Something clicked between the two. Marchionne, whose ricocheting travel schedule leaves little room for idle chit-chat, extended the interview for an extra three hours.
"We disagreed on a few things," Soave said. "Probably not anything I want to elaborate on, but he appreciated the passion and experience I had in blending European culture with American consumers."
Soave told him about her childhood summers with family near Rome. The daughter of immigrant parents, she speaks fluent Italian. She even had uncles and cousins who worked at Fiat's Cassino factory in Piedimonte San Germano.
In March, Chrysler hired her to lead Fiat's return to North America. Her mission: Build a small dealer network and position the Fiat 500 "Cinquecento" minicar as the next new thing for a generation often more captivated by smartphones than cars.
Soave, 38, started at Ford in about 1997 where she "answered all those 1-800-I-hate-my-car-and-my-dealer calls," later migrating into dealer support and higher-level marketing assignments, including the launch of the 2006 Mercury Mariner hybrid.
Then Volkswagen hired her just as it moved its U.S. headquarters from Auburn Hills to Herndon, Va. Among her first tasks was promoting a life-size pink Malibu Barbie New Beetle convertible for the doll's 50th birthday party.
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(Image: RASHAUN RUCKER/DFP)Another article. This time it's complete:Reintroducing Fiat to the U.S.
By GREG GARDNER Free Press Business Writer
December 26, 2010 11:13 AM
For Laura Soave and 135 carefully selected Fiat dealers, this is showtime.
The first Fiat 500s -- Cinquecentos to Europhiles -- will begin rolling into dealerships early next year. By March, those dealers will open about 160 new or remodeled showrooms. Some own more than one.
"You used to have to be pretty wealthy to appreciate an Italian automobile such as a Ferrari or Maserati," said Soave, head of the Fiat brand for North America. "Now we can bring that experience into another category."
Soave, who grew up in Sterling Heights, is determined to revive Fiat in the U.S. after a 27-year absence. Many baby boomers who once owned Fiats hold mixed memories. Once derided as an acronym for "Fix-It-Again-Tony," Fiat is Chrysler's best hope to compete in a U.S. subcompact and minicar market that is expected to double by 2014.
In an effort to build excitement, the cars were used as a canvas for artists at the Art Basel show in Miami Beach earlier this month.
"For anyone under 30, we have a clean slate," said Soave, citing market research. "They have no idea what Fiat is."
Pricing starts at $15,500.
Strongest markets are expected along the East Coast, California and Texas. Another encouraging statistic: There are an estimated 27 million Italian-Americans in the U.S.
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