Last week, we brought you the news that the iconic Lincoln Continental was more than likely living out the last of its golden years in a suburban Michigan facility before being ferried away to sedan heaven where it could be free to drive around with the Buick LeSabre.
It just so happens that there’s another ailing model that’s soon to be stricken from the production lines and, well, I feel like you should know.
This time, it’s not Ford planning a funeral, rather, Fiat Chrysler.
FCA has been riding the waves of the Jeep craze for the last several years, but it’s the automaker's small cars that are languishing, especially its Fiat brand. According to a recent report in USA Today, Fiat sales peaked in the U.S. in 2014, which was the last time gas was over $3 a gallon, and since then they’ve basically been in free fall – dipping 66 percent over the four years that followed.
It’s no surprise, then, that Fiat has confirmed it will be killing, for the North American market, the Fiat 500 and 500e, the smaller versions of its tiny coupe.
According to a statement made by the automaker, Fiat will continue to offer the Fiat 500X all-wheel-drive compact crossover in North America, along with the 500L wagon, and the Fiat 124 Spider roadster. According to the company, riding out the inventory should bring 500 and 500e enthusiasts into about 2020.
USA Today says that low gas prices and an SUV-hungry market aren’t the only things that have worked against the 500. It says the brand ranked second to last in shopping considerations for American buyers and part of it was due to poor dependability ratings and a lack of body style modifications, leaving the model “out of sight, out of mind.” Even massive dealer incentives and discounting wasn’t enough to move the needle.
They say these things come in threes. Which vehicle is next? You can bet when we find out, we’ll tell you.
