The average American knows and remembers FIAT as un-reliable, rusty, cheap , poop heaps that are not suitable for American drivers or roads. This belief is perpetuated by may automotive journalist to this day. When FIAT initially anounced they were returning back to the American car market, there were no less than several stories each day in the media reminding the readers how rusty, un-reliable, cheap, poop heaps they are...
What is never mentioned in these articles is the fact the majority of cars in the FIAT price range from that era were just as rusty, un-reliable, cheap, poop heaps...
The perpetuation of this myth is what FIAT must over come if they hope to sell any cars in America.
Fact is, most car folks have no idea of what the engineering is under a FIAT, it is far better than most car folks ever know or realize. What most car folks perceive and judge past FIATs by are all the cheap plastic trim flying off, flimsily upholstery and other items that the majority of car folks perceive as quality.
One of the more brilliant features British Leyland cars had were the wood dash, good interior materials and generally nice feel of the passenger space.. In places where the owners usually never look, the realities are where the pennies were pinched until the SCREAMED..
Japanese cars from this era were equally cheap, but they were reliable enough (the hood could be welded shut,add fuel and drive it with tarry a worry about any of the mechanicals being a problem) during their initial few years of ownership to keep their owners happy. They drove like a shoe box with the wheels stapled on... it simply did not matter to the vast majority of their owners..
German cars became Detroit cars built and designed properly..But they were not completely problem free either... Remember the original VW Rabbit, Dasher and that entire line of problem VW cars?
Detroit sold small cars only out of market demand. The majority of them were awful, The Pinto, Vega, Maverick, Gremlin and more...