2014 Fiat 500 Pop on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1985 Bertone X1/9

Sales of the Fiat X1/9 began in the United States in 1974, and the price tag was very reasonable for a mid-engined Italian two-seater. For a time, these cars were common sights on American streets, at least in non-rusty areas. Then Americans became disillusioned with the Fiat brand, and the company folded its tent and departed the continent after 1982, not returning until 2010. Automotive dealmaker Malcolm Bricklin saw an opportunity at that point, and his company began bringing in 124 Sport Spiders badged as Pininfarinas and X1/9s badged as Bertones. Here's an '85 Bertone in a California wrecking yard. Fiat had hired Bertone to design the X1/9 in the first place, so the badging change wasn't so jarring to those Americans familiar with the car's history. Bricklin introduced Subaru cars to the United States in the late 1960s, started his own car company in the middle 1970s, then went on to bring a Yugoslavian-built Fiat 127 variant to these shores, via the same company that was already bringing in the X1/9. Power came from what amounted to a Fiat 128 engine/transaxle assembly, mounted just behind the rear window. In 1985, the Bertone X1/9 had 75 horsepower and weighed just over a ton. This car still has the allegedly valuable hardtop. I'm pretty sure that every American X1/9 owner has several of these stashed away by now. Optimistically, Bertone used a six-digit odometer in this car. 188,285 miles would have been pretty respectable in a 1985 Corolla, never mind a Fiat known for shaky electrical systems and poor build quality. I still see quite a few X1/9s in the big self-service wrecking yards, and even more 124 Sport Spiders. The seat upholstery is very stylish. I checked this car's VIN on the California smog-check database, which shows that it last passed the emissions test in 2009. Perhaps something broke soon after that and the car awaited repairs that never came. It has both a trunk and a frunk. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Just a thing for a nice leisurely drive on a salt flat.

Fiat opens up vintage-style 1957 Edition to 500 Cabrio

If you liked the 1957 edition 500 that Fiat introduced over a year ago but really wanted the open-air flexibility of the 500C, we've got good news for you: The Italian automaker has extended the vintage-look edition to the convertible model. Celebrating "the spirit of the original 1957 Nuova 500," the 1957 Edition adopts a vintage look with retro 16-inch wheels with a wide chrome lip and body-colored hub along with throwback Fiat logos front and rear and a sport-tuned suspension. It's also got an ivory interior, brown leather seats with ivory stitching, grey door panels and more. And of course the convertible version comes with a canvas roof panel to let in the air and sunshine. The 1957 Edition will be offered in white, light green or baby blue. Pricing for the US starts at $24,700, representing a $1,900 premium over the Lounge trim on which it's based. FIAT INTRODUCES NEW FIAT 500 1957 EDITION CABRIO - FIAT brand builds on the success of the Fiat 500 1957 Edition with the addition of a cabrio version - 2015 Fiat 500c 1957 Edition offers vintage Italian styling with open-air driving excitement, starting at $24,700 U.S. MSRP - Limited-production model builds on the Fiat 500's storied past with unique exterior and interior design elements - Novel exterior appearance, three classic exterior colors, 1957-era body-color wheel design and vintage "FIAT" emblems pay homage to the historic Fiat Nuova 500 April 13, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Just in time for the spring and summer top-down driving season, the FIAT brand today introduced the new Fiat 500 1957 Edition Cabrio. The FIAT brand continues to celebrate the storied past of the historic Nuova 500 with the addition of a cabrio version of the popular Fiat 500 1957 Edition, which was introduced in 2014. The Fiat 500c 1957 Edition features a premium dual-layer power-operated cloth top – a contemporary solution to the famous canvas roof on the original Cinquecento – designed to deliver all-season driving pleasure with the top up or down. "We continue to expand the FIAT lineup," said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America. "The Fiat 500 1957 Edition celebrates the spirit of the original 1957 Nuova 500, and with the arrival of a cabrio version, we are adding open-air fun to the iconic Italian-designed Fiat 500 1957 Edition." Pricing for the well-equipped limited-production model starts at $24,700 U.S. MSRP, just $1,900 more than a base Fiat 500c Lounge.

Ford CEO told Trump 1 million jobs at stake because of fuel economy regs

Bloomberg is reporting that Mark Fields, Ford's CEO, pushed President Donald Trump for market-driven national fuel economy standards, and that up to a million jobs could be at stake if those national regulations didn't take consumer expectations into account. Fields was reporting on his conversation with Trump in remarks made at the National Automobile Dealers Association in New Orleans, Bloomberg reports. The report also states that he and fellow CEOs Mary Barra of GM and Sergio Marchionne of FCA aren't seeking to eliminate fuel economy standards altogether, but rather to make them more flexible. Bloomberg reports that Fields didn't cite the studies he was referring to in support of his job loss figures, so we can't independently verify Fields' math at this time. But his push to stop selling cars consumers don't want – that is to say, more hybrids and EVs than consumer demand supports right now – is clear. We've already reported on that. To level an educated guess at what will happen next, Trump seems likely to reduce the stringent 2025 fuel economy targets, perhaps freezing them at current levels. The automakers are already invested in producing vehicles that meet current standards, and they also have to think about foreign markets like Europe that aren't likely to relax standards below current levels. If you consider economies of scale, automakers are likely to ask for federal standards that match global standards for their largest markets as closely as possible. We'll see if Trump buys Fields' math, but Ford isn't hedging its bets. Backing out of the Mexican assembly plant cost the company $200 million – not a huge sum compared to the total value of Ford, a massive company which had its second best year ever, but still an important gesture to Trump about Ford's priorities. Related Video: News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Fiat Ford GM Sergio Marchionne Mary Barra Mark Fields