Fiat 500 Launch Looking Rocky As Lacks Of Dealers, Manual Transmissions Cause Problems

The launch of the 2012 Fiat 500 may present some problems for parent company Chrysler, as only 20 percent of Fiat franchises will be ready to go in time for the vehicle’s launch in late February.

In addition, the initial batch of cars will only have manual transmissions, even though Fiat expects most 500s to be ordered with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Those cars won’t arrive until March or April. Chrysler launched their first Fiat dealership this month in Los Angeles.

[Source: Autoweek]