Seattle dealers, updates? (minor update)

[ciddyguy]

Hey this is for Bert or anyone else in the Seattle/Tacoma area who might have some additional info.

I know Bert, you had Rairdon at your Fiat club recently even though you had asked AutoNation and Bob Bivens but only Rairdon showed up.

Still no info nor direct links to the store or anyone who might (other than the group itself) and no updates on the websites.

Do you have ANY clue as to the time line for them to open, if any?

I know I could just call or email but feel I might be getting the run around and to be quite frank, haven't gotten around to actually giving it a try so thought I'd ask here if anyone knows

I know Fiat of Kirkland is the location for the Rairdon group, but what I want to know now is timeline on any or all three of the local dealers as I know March 1 is when some of the dealers will be officially opening, if not a bit sooner.

Thanks!

It appears that Bob Bivens, who owns several dealerships in the Seattle/Tacoma area, including the newly redone Tacoma Dodge has Fiat of Seattle. I found a reference to this at the bottom of their website, there at the very bottom is a scrolling section and within the very dark gray text that you can barely discern from the black background is lighter gray text in a bit larger size and they list the dealers and Fiat of Seattle is at the end of the list.

So it looks like this, so far:

Bob Bivens has Fiat of Seattle, location, not disclosed and no updates other than their PDF document from Oct of last year indicating they were one of the chosen to have a dealer and a website referencing them through car dealers.org or some such, which links to a page about them in article form but nothing else and thus, looked a little closer and found the reference at the very bottom of Tacoma Dodge's website.
the Rairdon Group has Fiat of Kirkland, perhaps an offshoot of their Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealer in Kirkland
Autonation of Seattle? Don't know, will have to root around their website some more to see any hidden references to Fiat and/or dealership.

[Salvatore Giuliano]

A quick update for ciddyguy and everyone else interested in the topic.
Fiat 500 will be sold in only 4 locations.Fiat of Kirkland(Rairdon) Fiat of Tacoma(Bivens)Fiat of Vancouver(Hannah) but the bulk of the metropolitan area will be served by FIAT OF SEATTLE (AutoNation)at 13733 Aurora ave N.
AutoNation is entering the game fashionably late but,given the $ it has behind,I suspect is the one able to purchase a larger # from the manufacture hence make it 2k/3k cheeper for the consumers willing to wait out until mid summer.Plus they are putting togheter a slick studio with an Italian-born crew only.Fun guys and girls to deal with and extremely educated on the subject since they've been driving Fiat/Alfa Romeo products all their life,I suppose.

[ciddyguy]

Salvatore Giuliano wrote

A quick update for ciddyguy and everyone else interested in the topic.
Fiat 500 will be sold in only 4 locations.Fiat of Kirkland(Rairdon) Fiat of Tacoma(Bivens)Fiat of Vancouver(Hannah) but the bulk of the metropolitan area will be served by FIAT OF SEATTLE (AutoNation)at 13733 Aurora ave N.
AutoNation is entering the game fashionably late but,given the $ it has behind,I suspect is the one able to purchase a larger # from the manufacture hence make it 2k/3k cheeper for the consumers willing to wait out until mid summer.Plus they are putting togheter a slick studio with an Italian-born crew only.Fun guys and girls to deal with and extremely educated on the subject since they've been driving Fiat/Alfa Romeo products all their life,I suppose.

Interesting, they were listed, but aren't now via Fiat's own new updated website as of yesterday (Saturday) and no mention of Fiat on their websites either so I figured they dropped out.

That being said, they may or may not be able to sell them as much as 2-3K cheaper as the profit margins are not huge on these cars to begin with.

And also, Fiat is expecting around 40K for ALL of N. America to be sold between now and mid summer of 2012 when the new version debuts, both here and in Europe.

[ciddyguy]

ciddyguy wrote

Hey this is for Bert or anyone else in the Seattle/Tacoma area who might have some additional info.

I know Bert, you had Rairdon at your Fiat club recently even though you had asked AutoNation and Bob Bivens but only Rairdon showed up.

Still no info nor direct links to the store or anyone who might (other than the group itself) and no updates on the websites.

Do you have ANY clue as to the time line for them to open, if any?

I know I could just call or email but feel I might be getting the run around and to be quite frank, haven't gotten around to actually giving it a try so thought I'd ask here if anyone knows

I know Fiat of Kirkland is the location for the Rairdon group, but what I want to know now is timeline on any or all three of the local dealers as I know March 1 is when some of the dealers will be officially opening, if not a bit sooner.

Thanks!

It appears that Bob Bivens, who owns several dealerships in the Seattle/Tacoma area, including the newly redone Tacoma Dodge has Fiat of Seattle. I found a reference to this at the bottom of their website, there at the very bottom is a scrolling section and within the very dark gray text that you can barely discern from the black background is lighter gray text in a bit larger size and they list the dealers and Fiat of Seattle is at the end of the list.

So it looks like this, so far:

Bob Bivens has Fiat of Seattle, location, not disclosed and no updates other than their PDF document from Oct of last year indicating they were one of the chosen to have a dealer and a website referencing them through car dealers.org or some such, which links to a page about them in article form but nothing else and thus, looked a little closer and found the reference at the very bottom of Tacoma Dodge's website.
the Rairdon Group has Fiat of Kirkland, perhaps an offshoot of their Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealer in Kirkland
Autonation of Seattle? Don't know, will have to root around their website some more to see any hidden references to Fiat and/or dealership.

To further bump this thread up, I thought I would update further.

Fiat of Kirkland is open for business, but working out of their Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership as their studio is under construction in a building they own at the back corner of the property, opening date, not disclosed as of yet. When I was there for the first time in I think late February for my first test drive, Erin Alexander thought they might have the studio open by May, when I was there 3 weeks ago, they didn't look to be close to opening then so who knows when it'll actually open.

Fiat of Tacoma (not the former Fiat of Seattle) has a new studio also under construction and is owned by Bivens, who owns Tacoma Dodge, Chrysler Jeep in Tacoma's S. Tacoma Way area. The new studio is being fashioned just north of the existing Chryco dealership in across the street from S. 38th S on S. Tacoma Way in what used to be Evergreen Tire, opening, don't know but by summer at the latest, don't know if they are selling Fiats at the Chryco dealer for now or not.

And from a recent reply/update, AutoNation (Fiat of Seattle) is fashionably late to the game and it appears they WILL be up and running by late summer/early fall at the latest after all.

Along with the Fiat dealer in Vancouver, it looks like 4 dealerships in Washington state after all.

[salvatore giuliano]

It is official.By June you'll be able to put your name on a waiting list at Fiat of Seattle 13733 Aurora ave N .
for 1000 refoundable US dollars.By July you'll be able to own one.Pop,Sport,Lounge you name it.Good chance
you'll find a few cabrio as well.For you Ferrari fans the "tributo" is available by fall.They promise a price well below the one any competitors can offer you.We'll see.

[salvatore giuliano]

It is official.By June you'll be able to put your name on a waiting list at Fiat of Seattle 13733 Aurora ave N .
for 1000 refoundable US dollars.By July you'll be able to own one.Pop,Sport,Lounge you name it.Good chance
you'll find a few cabrio as well.For you Ferrari fans the "tributo" is available by fall.They promise a price well below the one any competitors can offer you.We'll see.

[ciddyguy]

salvatore giuliano wrote

It is official.By June you'll be able to put your name on a waiting list at Fiat of Seattle 13733 Aurora ave N .
for 1000 refoundable US dollars.By July you'll be able to own one.Pop,Sport,Lounge you name it.Good chance
you'll find a few cabrio as well.For you Ferrari fans the "tributo" is available by fall.They promise a price well below the one any competitors can offer you.We'll see.

Yep as of last weekend I spotted a red Fiat 500 out by the street at the AutoNation dealership as I drove south on Aurora from shopping at Costco up in the Shoreline area, I think it's their demo too.

[brian]

They're not listed on the fiat site, only fiat of kirkland appears to have any cars.  Seems to be taking a while up here.  You can go to Portland and buy one though, they have a dealership that is actuallly open.

[DennisLee]

I live in southern Oregon and I got my Sport at Tonkin Fiat in Portland. GREAT PEOPLE!!!!!

Ask for Ryan Hurlbert.

Dennis

[Brian]

I sent Portland an email, but haven't heard anything back yet.  There are all sorts of tax issues when buying down in portland if you are a WA resident.  It seems that the seattle dealers will be open in July at earliest is my current guess.  Tacoma says july on their site, Kirkland has no idea - I have asked several times and I suspect July.  There was going to be on off of Aura, but it seems to have disappeared and is no longer on the fiat main page.  Seems like portland is the way to go at the moment.  Anyone else hear anything different?

[Brian]

ok, heard from portland.  Apparently the blue me or whatever it is is now standard on the Pops.  Keep that in mind if you buy one.  If it's not on there, it's an older pop.  They mostly have automatics down there.  When a manual comes in, they are out the door.  He did say the convertible is bad ass to drive though