Fix It Again Tony's Revenge

It's been quite a while since the last new Fiat graced the shores of the United States. In fact, Fiat last sold cars in the U.S. in 1983, but pulled out of the country after a string of quality problems that gave it the nickname "Fix it Again Tony." On one model, warranty repair costs wiped out any profits in the U.S.

Here's to hoping that in the 27 years since Fiat last fled out shores, presumable with a mob torch wielding villagers in hot pursuit, that Fiat has learned a thing or two about what Americans expect from our cars. Reliability, because we drive A LOT!

Reliability is the main reason for Fiat's previous departure. The fact that Fiats were notoriously unreliable. We can deal with quirky cars, that is why you still see so many old VW Bugs rolling around. That is why you still see the occasional explosion prone Pinto or even old Mopars rolling around. We can deal with quirky, just fine. We work hard for our money and we like what style we can afford, but style isn't everything. In the end we want a good, solid car. It doesn't really matter how good the car looks if you find yourself sitting in it on the side of the road not moving. The coolest car on the back of a flatbed tow truck is the same as a shitty car that broke down. We have a very different driving style here than in Europe, we need cars that are in it for the long haul.

That being said, the tiny Fiat 500 that is being offered looks like a pretty good car. All of the options that one expects on a modern car are present. The styling is retro-riffic and I, for one, am hoping that we will get the Abarth edition at some point in the near future. If you don't know what that means, Google it. You will be a better person for having done so.

If you are dead set on getting a brand spanking new Fiat 500, here is a link that you will love. It lets you customize your Fiat with everything that you could possible want.Post your custom designed picture here and win the grand prize of....nothing but my deep appreciation for participating!

http://www.fiatusa.com/en/build_your_own.html