Fiat 500 on 2040-cars

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Neiman Marcus adds $65,000 Fiat 600 Jolly look-alike to Fantasy Gifts collection

Neiman Marcus recently released its Fantasy Gifts collection - a part of its Christmas catalog - that includes his and hers Island Cars featuring bespoke touches by Lilly Pulitzer. The vehicles are customized versions of the Island Car built by Island Car Limited in West Palm Beach, FL. The compact beach machines are manufactured to look like the Fiat 600 Jollys that were made in 1959 and from 1961 to 1964. The new ones cost $65,000 each. Neiman Marcus' Island Cars comes with signature Lilly Pulitzer prints, towels, tote bags, swim trucks for him, as well as a caftan (a long, loose dress) for her. Other than these extras, the beach-oriented cars share a lot of the same components as the ones built by Island Car Limited. The vehicles are built off a composite construction and compared to an original Jolly are lower, wider, and have more storage space. The Island Cars are powered by the company's own electric motors and lightweight batteries. Island Car Limited doesn't say what kind of range or batteries the compacts have, so we're assuming the vehicles are Neighborhood Electric Vehicles. While $65,000 is a lot of money for an electric vehicle that doesn't have doors, Hagerty values the average price of a 1964 600 Jolly at $44,400. Looking for something more powerful from the Neiman Marcus catalogue? There's always the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport. Related Video: News Source: Neiman MarcusImage Credit: Neiman Marcus Celebrities Design/Style Green Fiat Coupe Electric Special and Limited Editions neiman marcus neiman marcus christmas book

Fiat 500 Cattiva coming in Q4, priced from $18,350*

When it comes to the 2013 Fiat 500 Cattiva, we already knew that the show car would make it into production, we just didn't know when... until now. Fiat has announced that the "naughty" 500 Cattiva will be unveiled at the Concorso Italiano in Monterey, CA, and it will go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year, with models based on either the 500 Sport or 500 Turbo. Pricing will start at $18,350 for the Sport Cattiva - *not including $800 for destination - with the Turbo commanding an extra $2,000.
Looking almost identical to the concept car we saw earlier in the year at the Detroit Auto Show, the Fiat 500 Cattiva will have a custom look with its blacked-out headlights and taillights, 16-inch wheels and gloss black-painted roof and liftgate spoiler. The Cattiva also features a matte black instrument panel, black and gray seats (cloth is standard, leather is optional) and a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel. Scroll down for Fiat's official press release on this car, and stay tuned for live coverage of the car's unveiling this Friday.

FCA chairman confirms Marchionne email to Barra

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne is apparently backing up his talk about the need for consolidation in the auto industry with quite a bit of action. One recent report claimed that he even emailed General Motors CEO Mary Barra to make a deal. FCA chairman John Elkann has now confirmed that the correspondence actually happened, and that it wasn't a one-off occurrence. "It was not the only email, it was not the only conversation," Elkann (pictured above with Marchionne) said, according to Reuters. He is a member of the Agnelli family that has a controlling stake in FCA's stock and is supporting the idea of a merger. The automaker is willing to "act with determination if there are the prerequisites to do something that makes sense," Elkann said. Marchionne has been pushing for industry consolidation for months. While GM has been the main target of late, Ford was also rumored as a partner under consideration. In the past, there have also been reports of FCA negotiating with Volkswagen Group and PSA Peugeot Citroen for mergers, as well. According to Reuters, part of the reason for all of this effort might be as a way for Marchionne to ensure his legacy, though he's denied that. He's reportedly considering retiring after 2018. In his opinion, consolidation is needed because automakers are investing too much money to achieve the same goals. The situation would be better after mergers, and he predicts something to happen before 2018. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Massimo Pinca / AP Photo Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Sergio Marchionne FCA merger John Elkann