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As Seattle Fiat dealership of Rairdon Auto Group has previously reported, Rairdon Seattle Fiat dealers will begin selling Fiat cars by December. After a 30-year absence, Seattle Fiat dealerships will only be able to offer one model, the Fiat 500.

Chrysler hopes to sell 50,000 of the stylish, bulb-shaped 500s the first year they arrive. Eventually four versions will be offered, a standard 500, a cloth-top convertible, a high performance version with up to 185 horsepower, and in 2012, an electric version.

Dealers have been asked to build separate showrooms and have separate sales and service staffs for the cars, in order to help create a distinctive European aura for the 500.

Dealers were happy for a chance to sell a competitive small car, because they have had little to offer in the segment.

“There’s no doubt about it. It’s a home run,” said Alan Helfman vice president of River Oaks Chrysler Jeep in Houston. “It’s not going to make it from day one, but it will be a good seller, and it’s a market I don’t play in right now.”

Helfman, whose dealership is near Rice University, said the car will appeal to younger people who care about the environment and fuel economy.

Pricing for the 500 wasn’t announced, but it’s expected to be around $15,000. Sales of minicars make up only about 5 percent of U.S. car sales, but the 500 can draw in customers and lend its European sophistication to Chrysler’s entire lineup.

“Our dealers will be able to interact with a group of individuals that are not part of their current customer base,” said Laura Soave, a former Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG executive who is now head of the Fiat brand in North America.

Rairdon’s WA Fiat dealerships are excited to make new changes to our current Seattle Chrysler dealerships. The sale of the Fiat can not come soon enough. A European flare at Seattle Fiat dealers will add a nice touch. If you have questions about Fiat in America, please call a WA Fiat dealer at 877-337-2123.