[HoosierRon]

NEW FIAT FLAGSHIP STORE OPENS WITH CELEBRATION PARTY

Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd has just opened a stylish new Flagship Store in London’s West End, and is marking the occasion with a design exhibition and celebrity party.

The showroom, located in the heart of the capital at Wigmore Street, London W1, features a cutting-edge interior of chrome and glass which provides a superb backdrop to the range of Fiat cars on display.

The company took the car world by storm in January when it launched the iconic new Fiat 500 by ‘flying’ it in one of the capsules on the London Eye. Now Fiat is establishing its new Flagship Store as a ‘cool’ place for car buyers and Fiat enthusiasts, as well as marketing it as a venue for corporate meetings, fashion shows, art and design exhibitions, and as a lavish set for film makers.

Broadcast giant CNN has already booked the Fiat Flagship Store for a high level seminar for the automotive world’s leading marketers and media opinion-formers.

Coinciding with a glittering celebrity party kicked off by the Italian Ambassador Giancarlo Aragona, the opening night exhibition, called Fiat Workpop 500, featured the work of 22 young designers who are competing to design an accessory for the Fiat 500 that will be chosen to go into production, and become available for general sale.

Top international designer Ron Arad, Head of the Design Products Department at the Royal College of Art, and chairman of leading Italian homeware group Guzzini, is heading the competition’s panel of judges.

 

[HoosierRon]

Let's compare:

 

[BrickTamland]

Looks like Austin Powers' flat.

 

[drew630]

Yeah... Good job HoosierRon... great comparsion!!! Next, lets compare something like Qwest field (home to the Seahawks) to my highschool field back home. I wonder which will be better???

 

[nicolet]

Yeah... Good job HoosierRon... great comparsion!!! Next, lets compare something like Qwest field (home to the Seahawks) to my highschool field back home. I wonder which will be better???

I wonder if my dealer were to build a swanky type store like Fiat of London...

I wonder what that would do to the general overhead???

Increase it by 100000000%?????


A store like that might work in San Francisco, New York, Miami...maybe Atlanta or New Orleans...

It would fail in Fort Wayne, West Bend, Hannibal, Dubuque, Omaha, Muskegon, Winona, Paducah....


As your signature reads..."don't forget the little man"...

 

[chaseabryant]

Wow. This is really Gaudy and really interesting all at the same time. I have to say that several years down the road we can all probably look back and feel like it is extremely dated.

I would say that this will definately pull people in just to see the space though.

I don't like the shape, but I like the idea behind the "tailpipe" columns.

I can't imagine what it cost FIAT to build this space...

-Chase

 

[t-rex]

WAAAAAAY too fonky for my taste.

Even for Fiat.

But it's better than something that looks like an old TG&Y store...

 

[MonteCarloSS86]

Let's compare:

God, what a piece of junk that Cadillac is...

 

[powervette]

Let's compare:

And You think after seeing that trendy dealership that all European dealerships look like that, just like You think all Fiats are cool after You saw the first cool Fiat in years (500)?

 

[EldoFan]

Yeah....that's sure cool.....hey, tell whatever interior designer that my parents want all that shiny stuff back.....they just love preserving the 70's look of my house with the mirrored ceilings & entryway.....

 

[drew630]

And You think after seeing that trendy dealership that all European dealerships look like that, just like You think all Fiats are cool after You saw the first cool Fiat in years (500)?

Haha... owned. :clap:

 

[mgescuro]

A store like that might work in San Francisco, New York, Miami...maybe Atlanta or New Orleans...

You forgot Las Vegas.

The point is.... carmakers usually have some sort of flagship dealership as a showcase of their products.
American automakers simply don't have that type of dealership.
And for cars like Cadillac.... it has a negative effect.

 

[nicolet]

You forgot Las Vegas.



The point is.... carmakers usually have some sort of flagship dealership as a showcase of their products.
American automakers simply don't have that type of dealership.
And for cars like Cadillac.... it has a negative effect.

Mea Culpa...yes I fergat Vegaaas baby!


That being said, maybe in high sophisicated areas such as SF & alike high overhead sells...

50% of my dealer's Cadillac business is from 40-50-60-70 miles AWAY, "city folk" who come all the way out here namely because we are a rural country dealer...good service & good price, with an honest deal...

That, and we have beaten the metro dealers in Cadillac on CSI scores!:yup: