Abarth 500 – first Fiat to the US

The Abarth 500 will be the first Fiat going to America

Fiat will be taking the 500 to the US for 2011, and the first model to hit US shores will be the Abarth, including the Abarth 500 Convertible.

We’ve been reporting on and off all this year about Fiat’s plans for introducing their range in to the US now they’re calling the shots at Chrysler. It seemed most likely that they would take the 500 as soon as possible, perhaps even manufacturing it in Mexico. And we were nearly right. It appears as if the Abarth Fiat 500 is going to be the first Fiat to hit.

Ward’s Auto are reporting that Chrysler dealers have been told to expect the 500 in 2011 and that the first wave will all be Abarths. Which in some ways is a good way to go for Fiat. It’s going to be the US car buyer with distinctly European leanings in car tsates that are going to jump in and buy first, and what better way to tempt them than with the pocket-rocket that is the Abarth?

Fiat are reckoning on selling 25,000 Abarth 500s in the US a year, which may be a bit optimistic. But it seems certain that once the US car buyers get used to seeing the Abarth blowing a lazy V8 away they’ll probably wake up to the joy that can be small car motoring. It’s also likely that the Abarth 500 Convertible will be available by 2011, so the lucky Yanks could get that as well.

It’d probably be worthwhile extending the run of Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari. That’d really blow ’em away.