Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Fiats revving up; Jeeps in trouble

Fiat is coming to America. Chrysler recently merged with the Italian car maker. What that means is that fewer traditional Chrysler products will be made while more Fiats will line American car dealerships in the near future. I have mixed emotions about that, leaving aside the whole American-made vs. foreign-made debate.

My first car was a Fiat Spider (like the one pictured above). It was the coolest car that I have ever owned. But I do admit, it fell short of being reliable. Still, a green European two-seater at age 18 isn't a bad ride. It was used and cost me $2,500 in 1979.

Now I own a Jeep. But rumor has it that many Jeep models (which are Chrysler products) will be discontinued. That, of course, will make it harder to get parts for certain models in the future. And forget about resale value.

So while I would appreciate giving a Fiat a spin again one day, I want to keep my Jeep for as long as possible for a variety of reasons. Just not sure how long that will be as Fiats roll onto American shores.

1 comment:

  1. I drive an 11 year old Jeep. I thought about turning it in during the cash for clunkers deal, but held off.

    I plan to drive that sucker until the wheels fall off, so I don't care much about trade in value.

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