When will "the call" come?

[Fiat500USA]

I received this comment on my blog. I didn't post it because it had an email attached to it:

Hey Chris, I have purchased a Prima Edizione from a fiat dealer in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Not sure if its worth posting on your site, but I was told that my car is expected to ship Feb 3rd, with an ETA approx 2 weeks later.

I'll contact him and see how he found out. I'll let you know what I find.

[prima 109]

Thanks Chris!  We're all curious on that one.

Craig

[sjmst]

Fiat500USA wrote

I received this comment on my blog. I didn't post it because it had an email attached to it:

Hey Chris, I have purchased a Prima Edizione from a fiat dealer in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Not sure if its worth posting on your site, but I was told that my car is expected to ship Feb 3rd, with an ETA approx 2 weeks later.

I'll contact him and see how he found out. I'll let you know what I find.

That IS interesting...and encouraging.

[5hundy]

It was my dealer that emailed me the info about Feb 3rd.  I'll take it with a grain of salt but it's better than nothing.  

I'm kinda surprised no pics have leaked out of Toluca...

[Fiat500USA]

5hundy wrote

It was my dealer that emailed me the info about Feb 3rd.  I'll take it with a grain of salt but it's better than nothing.  

I'm kinda surprised no pics have leaked out of Toluca...

Thanks 5hundy for sharing this.  I know, I've been checking Toluca also.  

[jvsgabriel]

Well finally had some time to say that I had my call that I was waiting for...the color change from White to Gray is official.  It only took them 27 or so days to do it, but it is official car #366 is Gray.  And now I can see that they are pressing some sheet metal into some Fiat 500's now.  

I know there are also a lot of new articles about the car now...apparently the weekend that I left San Diego, was the weekend that Fiats were roaming around Downtown.  I think it was the Motor Trend article which has all sorts of Downtown San Diego pictures.  Darn it!  I knew that I should have said no to that trip.  

Now if they can send out more pictures of the car's production that would be great.  I had made a request that Fiat have some kind of car tracking information.  You know like FedEx and UPS, so you know where in the production line your car is.  I also noted that my friend who is a MINI driver, got to log onto a website to see what was happening with his car.  And his car was made in Oxford, England.  I would think that a couple of years later, and being much closer than England, that Fiat would be able to do this for us.  We will be the people to make or break their re-entering the US market.  

Still hoping that Fiat has under promised and over produced more things about the 500.  Only time will tell.  But love that they have officially given out the specs for the car.  Finally more information about it, it's so exciting.  My very first new car, ever!  Can't wait to just sit and inhale that new car smell.  

Joel  

[sjmst]

Wow, that's great. I have a feeling the Russo is more orangey, which is a bad thing. Kind of wish I went with gray or white. Too late now I guess.

[jvsgabriel]

Just give it a try, by the looks of the email they are just stamping out the steel.  I think if your number is high enough say closer to 500 you might have a chance to get it changed?  I know that i read someone wanted to change their color, but I think they had a really low number, say below 50 or something.  If nothing else you can ask them more questions, which I know they won't have the answer to.  But I love hearing them say that they have to "escalate" it up to the factory for more information.  

Joel

[sjmst]

jvsgabriel wrote

Just give it a try, by the looks of the email they are just stamping out the steel.  I think if your number is high enough say closer to 500 you might have a chance to get it changed?  I know that i read someone wanted to change their color, but I think they had a really low number, say below 50 or something.  If nothing else you can ask them more questions, which I know they won't have the answer to.  But I love hearing them say that they have to "escalate" it up to the factory for more information.  

Joel

 "If nothing else you can ask them more questions, which I know they won't have the answer to..."

LOL. Right. Well, the thing is I can't tell WHAT the red really looks like, so I am stuck..

[jvsgabriel]

From what I remember from the San Diego car show, the cars were really nice.  But of course I did mention that they lights there were like flood lights and they were pretty darn bright.  The brightness really made the cars glow, especially the red one that was there.  I do remember seeing something on Youtube.com yesterday.  It was the official Motor Trend report on the 500 and I think that they car they tested was red.  Perhaps you can take a look as see if that red suits you.  I think that it would be a more accurate representation of the red than any picture from a car show with artificial lights.  The only time we would see it that way would be in a garage or under some lights at nighttime, right?  But still pushing for you to give them a call, this might be your lucky day?

Joel

[sketch]

I wonder if they'll deliver the lower-numbered cars first... I kinda hope so! >:)

I'm a bit worried about the headroom under the sunroof—I'm 6'2", after all—but I really, really, really want one.  I saw somewhere that the headroom is 39" without and 37.6" with?

To test, I sat in the back seat of my Prius, which is rated at 37.1" headroom.  It was... tight.  That half inch should go far, I think... I hope, anyway.

The seat is height-adjustable, at least.  I'm very glad for that.  I wonder which seat position they use to measure headroom?

[sjmst]

sketch wrote

I wonder if they'll deliver the lower-numbered cars first... I kinda hope so! >:)

I'm 499  

[Gavin]

I don't think they will go by number...more likely by area...if you have an open dealer nearby you will get yourS sooner...

Just my guess...but they will send the "home deliveries" last...at least that is how I would do it...hoping to save a bit by maybe having a nearby shop open and not having to home delivery too many

Gavin

[jvsgabriel]

Just wondering, has anyone seen a list of what comes with our PE, either as a package or additional items?  I was just looking at all the pictures and happen to see a similar list of what the Canadian 500 PE's will have but nothing about our US PE's.  It would be nice to have something somewhat official from Fiat about what is standard with our PE's.  Something more up to date then the original post from when we put our $500 deposit.  Just wondering.  Still patiently waiting for "the call".  

Anyone else here in San Diego?  And do you know where the dealership will be?  I'm guessing the new Midway Jeep, Chrysler in Mission Valley, but who knows?  About to make a trip up to LA this weekend to see the Official LA one.  Thanks in advance.

Joel

[Bert]

An email was sent out several weeks ago to PE buyers that listed the car's features.

[jvsgabriel]

Thanks Bert. Are you referring to the one in November?  I think that one is pretty vague, when compared to the Canadian PE and Canadian PE Speciale lists.  I was looking more for a list like the one they sent out about the Canadian PE Speciale, which is a bit more specific.  There was a comment which said that ours would be closer to the PE Speciale.  

Joel

[Bert]

I didn't see the Canadian one, so I don't know what it contained.

Can you 'point' me to it, I'd like to see what it listed.

Thanks

[Giallo Edizione]

<

 "If nothing else you can ask them more questions, which I know they won't have the answer to..."

LOL. Right. Well, the thing is I can't tell WHAT the red really looks like, so I am stuck..



If you can stand to watch the movie "Letters from Juliette" long enough, you will see a red one that they drive around in Italy. ( I am pretty sure that was the flick)

Or put another way, if you  have a S.O. of the female persuasion, you can score some serious points suggesting you both watch that movie together, while all along all you care about is watching for the car.

[Giallo Edizione]

Bert wrote

I didn't see the Canadian one, so I don't know what it contained.

Can you 'point' me to it, I'd like to see what it listed.

Thanks

Here, from Chris's site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/fiat500usa.com/Fiat500PrimaEdizione#

[jvsgabriel]

The Canadian listing for the PE Speciale is in the blogspot site, just look for the PE listing on the left hand side and then click it.  It will have the recent pictures of the sheet metal magically transforming into Fiat 500s and also the picture of our seats.  It will also have the red bordered email that you are probably talking about. A few other pictures and you will see the listing for all the standard PE for Canada and then the Speciale one as well.  

Hope this helps.  I would like to know what features ours will come with.  I don't think we have a similar listing for the US PE's do you?  

Joel