1963 Fiat 1200 Spider on 2040-cars

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The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 — and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.

Fiat 500 gets unique leather trim for charity auction

It may or may not be to everyone's liking, but the Fiat 500 definitely has a style all its own. This particular example, however, takes it even further. What you're looking at is the very first example of the freshly facelifted 500 to roll off the assembly line. But it's not just the serial number that makes it special. The convertible model is painted in Bossa Nova white with a red roof and the 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a modest 69 horsepower. What sets it apart, though, is the unique treatment applied by Stefano Conticelli. The Umbrian master craftsman has hand-applied honey-gold leather trim, but not inside where you'd expect it: the exterior has been decked out in the buttery-soft hides, including the wheel arches, along the quarter panel, on a stripe running down the flank nose, and around the head- and taillights. The leather trim is outlined with a blue stripe reminiscent of Riva yachts. The wing mirrors, meanwhile, have been done up in mahogany wood, and a picnic basket is affixed to the tailgate. The result, even more than a standard Cinquecento, may not be everyone's cup of espresso, but it's certainly unique – and from the photos, at least, looks rather finely crafted. The one-of-a-kind retro city car will be auctioned off in Monte Carlo at the I Defend Gala to raise funds for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Europe organization. Related Video: A Fiat showcar for auction, for a noble cause The New 500 will be a leading light in Montecarlo at "I Defend Gala 2015", the first edition of the charity gala supporting the "Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Europe" Foundation, which champions human rights. On 16 July, in Montecarlo, in the spectacular setting of the Riva Tunnel, the "I Defend Gala 2015" will take place: an evening devoted to defending the universal values of basic human rights, in aid of "Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Europe". The organization's central priorities are focused on the power of the individual to generate change, and involve supporting defenders of human rights via strategic partnerships. FCA has long been committed to various urgent issues such as sustainable mobility and education, both of which it supports through numerous projects. At "I Defend Gala 2015" it will participate with its New 500: a global icon sold in over 100 countries, a perfect emblem for the worldwide corporate charisma of FCA, based on the harmonious collaboration and different nations and cultures.

Sergio Marchionne, the man who saved Fiat and Chrysler, dies at 66

MILAN — Sergio Marchionne, one of the auto industry's most demanding and tenacious chief executives, who rescued Fiat and Chrysler, two of its most storied brand, has died after complications from recent surgery. He was 66. The gruff chief executive spent 14 years at the wheel of Fiat Chrysler, the group he built. He was replaced as boss last weekend after his condition worsened. In Italy, where his turnaround of Fiat earned him legendary status, he was treated like a rock star. The former philosophy student and accountant almost never wore a tie and preferred casual sweaters, half-joking that it saved him time on dressing. A heavy smoker until giving up the habit a year ago, he was known for working extraordinarily long hours before falling ill. He demanded others keep a similarly grueling schedule, earning him a reputation from friends and foes alike for being stubborn and arrogant. "I feel like I live in a tunnel. He is not just demanding; he wants all your life devoted to him," said one banker who worked with Marchionne on various deals in recent years. Some could not keep up with his round-the-clock approach. Another banker who worked with Marchionne said he would receive emails from him at all hours, even in the middle of the night. In his last public appearance on June 26, wearing his signature sweater, Marchionne appeared fatigued and out of breath as he presented a Jeep Wrangler to Italy's paramilitary police, the Carabinieri, at a ceremony in Rome. Days later, he went to Switzerland to undergo what Fiat Chrysler (FCA) described as a shoulder operation. FCA has not said what happened after he left the operating theater, but according to media reports in Italy, the surgery was for an invasive sarcoma he had known about for some time but had not revealed to his boss, FCA Chairman John Elkann. The reports say he underwent a risky surgery in Switzerland but developed a cerebral embolism on the operating table that left him in a coma. In an emergency board meeting at the weekend, FCA chose the head of its Jeep division, Mike Manley, as his successor. On Wednesday, Elkann announced that the longtime CEO had passed away, saying: "Sergio Marchionne, man and friend, is gone." Marchionne has done what many thought impossible, most notably his huge gamble just over a decade ago when he set in motion the marriage between the then-ailing Fiat with bankrupt U.S. rival Chrysler. It is now the world's seventh-largest carmaker and is debt-free.