1967 Fiat 500 500f on 2040-cars

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The Dodge Neon is coming back... to Mexico

It's been a long time since we've seen a new Dodge Neon putt-putting around. But soon it will be back, and in North America, too, if you want to get technical about it. But this time, the Neon will be limited exclusively to Mexico. According to Ward's Auto, FCA is planning to import the Fiat Tipo to Mexico, but rebadged under the Dodge brand and with the Neon nameplate on the trunk... even if it doesn't have those signature round headlights, or a three-speed automatic transmission. Never heard of the Fiat Tipo? It debuted almost a year ago as the Aegea Project, and went into production shortly thereafter – similarly called the Egea in Turkey where it's made, but the Tipo in other European markets. It's a budget-oriented, C-segment compact with a range of four-cylinder engines, and though designed from the get-go as a four-door sedan, it rolled into Geneva last month in hatchback and wagon forms as well. The Tipo is built at the Tofas plant in Bursa, Turkey, alongside the Fiat Doblo – which is also shipped over to North America, rebadged as the Ram ProMaster City. In the Mexican market, FCA also sells the Fiat Siena sedan as the Dodge Vision, the Mitsubishi Mirage rebadged as the Dodge Attitude, and the Fiat Strada as the Ram 700 – all nameplates exclusive to our neighbors to the south. Whatever its origin, it'll be interesting to see a Neon again the next time we venture South of the Border – particularly considering that the Neon was arguably the last time that Chrysler had a competitive compact on its hands. The Caliber that followed never gained the same kind of traction, so to speak, and FCA recently ceased production (for the time being at least) of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 to focus on larger trucks crossovers – the likes of which the Caliber tried to emulate (in style, if not in substance).

Junkyard Gem: 1974 Fiat X1/9

There was a time when the Fiat X1/9 was a fairly common sight on California roads, alongside Triumph Spitfires, MGBs, and other cheap European sports cars. The little two-seater got good fuel economy, could find parking spots on crowded city streets, and had Italian good looks. The X1/9 wasn't so robust, though, and most of them were gone by the dawn of the 1990s. This rusty, battered survivor managed to avoid the fate of most of its brethren until age 42, but now its time has come. Judging from the sun-bleached paint and rust inside the air cleaner, though, this car hadn't been a runner for quite a while, perhaps decades. My guess is that it sat in a Northern California back yard for many years, awaiting a restoration that never came. I have put in some time daily-driving an X1/9, back in the middle 1980s, and I recall it being very enjoyable to drive in the city and on twisty mountain roads. It was much less enjoyable on freeway onramps, thanks to the Fiat 128-sourced 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine behind the seats (the X1/9 got a 1.5-liter engine later on). In 1974, this car was rated at 66.5 horsepower. Yes, Fiat claimed the half-horse, just as British Leyland did with the 62.5 hp MGB later in the 1970s. This one is nowhere near worth restoring, though some of its pieces will find new life in nicer X1/9s (or 128s). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Pretty much the same thing as a Lamborghini Countach!

Marchionne urges industry consolidation, again

Sergio Marchionne isn't just an instigator of mergers – he's also a staunch advocate for their need in the industry. And he seems convinced another big one will happen in the next few years. "I am absolutely certain that before 2018 there will be a merger," said Marchionne. "It's my personal opinion, based on a gut feeling." Though the terms "absolutely certain" and "gut feeling" would seem to convey vastly different degrees of certainty, his chief's statement would seem to suggest some inside knowledge of an impending deal. Marchionne, of course, brokered the consolidation of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire over which he now presides, and has been actively seeking another merger to help reduce redundancy and overhead between major automakers in the industry. With which automaker he might be seeking such a merger, however, remains a big question. He was recently reported to have approached Mary Barra regarding a potential merger with General Motors, but was said to have been rebuffed. The Italian-Canadian executive may not be alone in his advocacy for industry consolidation, though. Opel chief Karl-Thomas Neumann said that "In principle, Marchionne is right – the auto industry develops the same things ten times over." Bringing major automakers together would ostensibly reduce that redundancy. Marchionne had been linked to a potential takeover of Opel when GM was shedding brands post-bankruptcy, but in the end the Detroit giant opted to keep its European division in-house.