Posted by Dave Dykema - email
SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP, OH (WTOL) - The first Fiat in almost 30 years was sold in the Toledo area Thursday night.
Yark Fiat on the Central Avenue strip is the only dealership in Northwest Ohio to sell Fiats. They have 16 Fiat 500s on the lot but it was one special delivery that stole the show Thursday.
Sue Parkins is a Perrysburg resident and a doctor for Chrysler. She bought the first Fiat at the dealership. Since Chrysler has been controlled by Fiat for about two years, she couldn't miss the chance to buy one since Fiat's offering employee pricing for Chrysler workers.
She helped unveil her brand new wheels by lifting off the cover. The showroom broke out in applause.
"I didn't even know what it was going to look like. I've seen these and I've seen pictures online but didn't get to touch it, didn't get to see it. And I'm thrilled!" Parkins said.
She actually bought the 120th Fiat that has been made for all of the United States. It has special markings to commemorate the moment.
The Fiat 500 is the only model available in the U.S. It's assembled in Mexico but the engines are made in Dundee, MI.
When asked if there was a concern that Toledoans might not want to buy an Italian car, Yark Fiat's Travis DuPont said, "You know there might be at first but Fiat is an Italian-inspired vehicle built for North America. They have made a lot of design changes. They've made the vehicle bigger, they've made the vehicle safer."
Parkins had a Fiat in the 1980s and thinks it will catch on. She even got emotional, sitting in it for the first time.
"I'm speechless. I'm really tickled. It has been such a long time and I've really, really looked forward to this. It will be fun! I'll look good too, won't I?" Parkins said.
The Fiat 500 gets 38 miles per gallon highway and sells for $15,000 - $20,000.
