1970 Fiat 500l Coupe on 2040-cars

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FCA may sell off Magneti Marelli

FCA is reportedly just days away from filing the official prospectus for the Ferrari initial public offering, and it could put the Italian sportscar maker's value at $11 billion. Although, Sergio Marchionne always seems to have another iron in the fire, and his next big deal could shed the automotive giant's Magneti Marelli parts business to the tune of $3.3 billion. According to Reuters citing anonymous insider sources, at least two private equity firms are considering joint submitting bids with firms already in the industry. This deal has reportedly been in the works for at least the last few weeks. According to Reuters, FCA already rejected a roughly $2.7-billion offer in June. Marchionne apparently wants at least the equivalent of $3.3 billion for the company. Publicly, FCA isn't talking, though. Company spokesperson Gualberto Ranieri told Reuters and reiterated to Autoblog simply that Magneti Marelli wasn't for sale. However, a move to get rid of the parts company has been discussed in the past. In 2013, the business was rumored to be part of a purported arrangement to sell Alfa Romeo to Audi. While there's no final decision yet, according to Reuters, if the Magneti Marelli sale does move forward the decision would likely come sometime after the Ferrari IPO. The company would likely be split up among the various divisions. "Everyone will take a fair share of it," one of the anonymous sources to Reuters. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Jeff Kowalsky / Bloomberg via Getty Images Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us magneti marelli

All 2018 Fiat 500s will get turbocharged engines

For 2018, every basic Fiat 500 is getting a healthy horsepower increase thanks to a standard turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder making 135 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. That's a big increase over the current model's naturally aspirated 1.4-liter engine that makes just 101 horsepower and 97 pound-feet of torque. The newly available turbo engine can also be fitted to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Fiat 500 fans may also find the new turbo engine's specifications familiar, and that's because they're identical to the old Fiat 500 Turbo that was introduced a few years ago. That car was introduced as a sort of happy medium between the standard 500 and the Abarth. The Turbo disappeared for a little while, but will be resurrected as 2018's entry model. Fiat also says the new turbocharged 500 Pop and Lounge (the basic models) get sportier suspension and brakes than the old one, again similar to the discontinued 500 Turbo. The exterior also becomes more aggressive on both trim levels looking a bit like a toned-down Abarth. And if you've picked up on the theme here, the exterior looks much like the old 500 Turbo's. Mind you, we're not complaining about Fiat bringing back the Turbo as the entry-level 500. It brings the car closer in parity to the base Mini Cooper, effectively matching it for power, and coming up just 10 pound-feet of torque short in the twist department. And while we didn't find the old 500 Turbo to be nearly as fun as the Abarth, the extra power did make for a better basic Fiat – and so should the 2018s. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Fiat 500: Chicago 2018 View 12 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Fiat 500 View 14 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Chicago Auto Show Fiat Convertible Hatchback Economy Cars Performance turbo 2018 Chicago Auto Show fiat 500 turbo

Junkyard Gem: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport

Fiat left the United States after selling its last Stradas, 124 Sport Spiders and X1/9s as 1982 models, taking Lancia with it. Malcolm Bricklin continued importing the 124 Sport Spider and X1/9 (with Pininfarina and Bertone badging) for a few more years, but it just wasn't the same for American fans of the venerable Italian manufacturer. Fast-forward to Chrysler's Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 and Fiat's investment in the company and it wasn't long before the announcement came that Fiat was returning to our shores. The first Fabbrica Italiana Automobil di Torino product to hit our streets as part of that deal was the 500, which debuted as a 2012 model. That's serious automotive history, which is what this series is all about, so I have documented this first-year 500 in a Denver car graveyard. I've written about many, many discarded Fiats over the years, including some respectably old cars, but the Nuova Cinquecento never sold very well here, and the surviving examples tend to be too valuable to end up in a Ewe Pullet. That car was built from 1957 through 1975 and was a huge success in Europe, with nearly 4 million units sold, and its name reminded Europeans of its just-as-beloved 500 Topolino predecessor. A retro-styled modern 500 made a great deal of sense, and Polish-built 500s hit European showrooms beginning in 2007. While the 500 name didn't conjure up happy childhood memories with American car shoppers, so what? The car looked adorable and those old enough to have unpleasant memories of the temperamental Fiats of the 1970s probably weren't going to care what old Fiat model it looked like. I am old enough to remember those 1970s Fiats (my parents bought a pair of new Fiat 128s when I was in the first grade), but I was excited about Fiat's return in 2011 and reviewed a 500 Sport in April of that year. It wasn't a great fit with the tastes of mainstream American vehicle shoppers, sadly, and it got the axe here after 2019. A new electron-fueled 500e should be available any minute now, so the American Fiat 500 story is nowhere near finished. This car has the Sport trim level, so its MSRP was $17,500 (about $23,959 in 2024 dollars). It has the optional six-speed automatic transmission, which added $1,000 to the price ($1,369 after inflation). The engine is a 1.4-liter MultiAir straight-four rated at 101 horsepower and 98 pound-feet. Members of this engine family have powered everything from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta to the Jeep Renegade.