DETROIT - Chrysler Group dealers who initially get Fiat franchises will be expected to start with small showrooms -- 2,500-3,000 square feet -- enough to display three or four cars, reported Automotive News.
Such a small showroom will be sufficient to sell the Fiat 500 minicar, which will arrive in dealerships at the end of this year. Chrysler expects to initially name 165 dealers in 119 U.S. markets to sell the Fiat 500. The network could expand to about 200 locations as more products become available, according to Ralph Kisiel, Chrysler spokesman.
Chrysler unveiled its plans for the Fiat franchise to about 400 dealers this morning at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The dealers were chosen from markets around the country that Chrysler has identified with strong growth potential for small-car sales over the next five years.
“We have determined the areas of the country where they can succeed and grow,” Peter Grady, Chrysler's vice president for network development and fleet, said in a statement today.
Chrysler anticipates selling 50,000 Fiat 500s in the United States next year, and about 78,000 units by 2013 after additional models are added, according to one dealer who attended the meeting.
