It’s been quite some time since Fiat sold anything smaller than a truck in Australia and that’s hardly surprising since Fiat almost disappeared in a cloud of financial dust back in 2003.
So bad did their future look back then that General Motors paid a cool $2 billion to buy their way out of an agreement they had with Fiat dating back to 2000. Perhaps now GM might be wishing that they had a little more faith in Fiat because, after five straight years of financial losses, the company is about to post a substantial operating profit.
Not only is Fiat about to post a profit but financial analysts are suggesting that there are even better times ahead. And those good times are, in part, due to this car:
the Fiat Punto.
If you can cast your mind back to the 1950s you’ll see that there is a certain amount of history in that small car and it’s helping Fiat back onto the road to recovery.
It may be sometime before we see Fiat back in Australia but they will certainly add interest to the local motoring scene if they do return.