Reviews of the Fiat 500 have been mixed, and it's too early to tell about sales.
Fiat Brand North America will open on 21 April the Fiat Gallery at 18 Wooster, a lounge in the Soho district of New York City. Visitors can experience the Fiat brand during the 11 days coinciding with the 2011 New York International Auto Show.
Fiat Gallery at 18 Wooster will open to the public at 8:30 p.m. April 21, and then daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except on Sundays when it will close at 8 p.m., through May 1.
Fiat Studio is the marketing name the Fiat brand has given to its U.S. dealerships, which begs the question why the Gallery isn’t called a studio?
The 4,500-square-foot gallery is said to combine design and interactive elements of a Fiat Studio with an art gallery and an intimate Italian lounge and cafe.
While artwork will adorn the walls, the real selling piece of this gallery will be the 2012 Fiat 500 Cabrio, the convertible version of the Fiat 500 that will be unveiled this Thursday at the New York International Auto show. Also on display and for sale will be Fiat 500 Lounge and Sport models, and a vintage Fiat 500.
The 2012 Fiat 500, which went on sale in March, marks the return of the Fiat brand to the United States after a 28-year absence. Visitors will be able to test drive one of three Fiat 500 models on the “ take no prisoners” streets of New York City.
For more information on events to be held at the Fiat Gallery at 18 Wooster, see the calendar of events at http://www.facebook.com/FiatUSA?sk=events.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
