Re: italian-cars-digest V7 #43 Fiat's exit...

[Peter Krause <pkrause@domain.elided>]

James-
I was working for a Fiat dealer in Durham, NC in the fall of 1982. It
had been announced that spring that Fiat was going to withdraw from the
US market. This, of course, was on the heels of Lancia's withdrawal the
year before. The story on the Beta Zagatos that were left over from 1981
model year were subsequently retitled 1982 cars! I sold the last 1982
Spider 2000 in the fall of 1982 as we were soon expecting the 1983
Pinifarina Spider (courtesy of IAI, or Malcolm Bricklin). We got a red
'83 and a black '83, I sold them both for close to $15,000 (the red car
lives a quarter mile away from me with the 2nd owner) and we continued
as a Fiat parts and service center for several years after...

-Peter Krause