My Fiat 500 story. Keeping you occupied as you wait...

[fredfrey]

During a past trip to Holland I found and purchased an old ceased up Alfa Romeo 1600cc engine complete with a set of weber carbs for 25 euro! I picked it up from the seller at his farm home in the beautiful Dutch countryside. Between the two of us  we managed to stuff it into the back of the New Fiat 500 I had rented. Finally this new Fiat 500 had a rear engine!  While we were pushing and lifting it into the rear of the car, my dog, who made the trip with me, was in the front yard barking like crazy. We had to to put down the motor and see what was wrong. When the farmer and I and went around to the front of the house we discovered Nico (the dog) had one of his rooster cornered and was having fun pulling out feathers like one of his stuffed toys! After rescuing the rooster Nico spotted a horse stable across the street and decided chasing horses would be fun! Fortunately he ran out of energy and did not get kicked. We then managed to get the motor secured in the back with Nico secured to a door, watching.

I drove around Holland for several days with Nico and  a vintage Alfa engine in the back of the fantastic 500. With a trip to Rotterdam and a visit to a shipper I sent the engine home to New York.  So, if you are wondering if  your groceries or a four cylinder engine and a dog will fit in the back of your new 500….  yes no problem, just no roosters.

[RacerRon]

Great story and pics. Thanks.

[fredfrey]

Another story....

In the summer of 2008 I went to visit a Dutch Fiat showroom with hopes of seeing an Abarth 500 in person. In Holland (and most of Europe) not every Fiat dealer is able to stock the Abarth, they are limited to only two dealers and within those dealers the Abarth editions are very limited.  The dealer that stocks the Abarth must be proven to be the best of the Fiat dealers before they are given the opportunity. The dealer in the town of Apeldoorn was fantastic. I walked around in a daze and pestered the sales people endlessly.   I noted outside they had a demo car parked and it just happened to be an Abarth!  How could I go about getting a ride in that?  As I walked up to the salesman again I felt I was really pushing my luck.. but I asked if he could take me out for a ride in the Abarth as this American may never again see one, let alone be driven in one. He smiled and went over to his desk to get the keys and we walked outside to the waiting car. He put the keys in my hands and said "Go, have fun."   His English was very clear, so without hesitation I hopped in and looked for the dealers exit. Fortunately (not knowing the area and my GPS was in the rental) I did get lost. 30 minutes later I found the dealership and turned in the keys.  Wow, was all I could say.   And to think the USA version of the Abarth will have much more power!

[RacerRon]

That was great that you got to drive an Abarth. A year seems like a long time to wait for one in the U.S. I hope all the current Fiat dealers will be able to sell the Abarth 500, and that they make enough of them. There seems to be a lot of interest in the Abarth here.

[Mike S]

Great stories. I wish you had been here a bit sooner (or Florida dealers had been more active)(or I had gotten off my butt and did a bit more checking prices).

You are correct that the Ft Lauderdale dealer is charging $595 more than the Sarasota dealer as a dealer fee.
I'm going to call them and see if I can't change dealers.

Are some of the Dutch police driving Abarths again?

[fredfrey]

Yes, be carful of the Florida Fiat dealers. Jim ARRIGO of Sawgrass and Palm Beach is charging a $600 mystery fee. The Miami location is totally confused. The west coast seems to be the best option. Both Ft Meyers location and Sarasota are not charging any fees on top of MSRP. Also, FT Meyers offered to trailer the car to my home in Key Largo 200 miles away for free!  Look into that option.

[Fiat500USA]

Great stories and pics! Thanks for posting them. I slacked off and read them while I should be working on this site! LOL

[txdesign]

Fantastic story, love the pic with Nico sticking his head out the window. Dogs love that.
For me it will be a choice between the Abarth or the Gen 3 Cooper S.

[Tuschay425]

I've been in contact with Maurizio from FIAT of Fort Myers and he won't be charging any fee and is being very proactive trying to find my car. If you're in Florida, particularly SWFL, then I would strongly recommend their dealership.

[sjmst]

Thanks, Fred..I want an Abarth!

[fredfrey]

You're welcome. The Abarth is AMAZING! I'll on the list (and waiting again) when the Abarth  is announced.