Grand Opening - FIAT of San Francisco

October 16, 2013 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  Approximately 300 people attended yesterday the grand opening of FIAT of San Francisco, the first FIAT studio located in The City by the Bay.
 
Treated with some of the best Italian wines, food and espressos, visitors had a chance to explore the all-new four-door Fiat 500L, the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth, the fully-electric Fiat 500e and the classic Fiat 500. Different personalities, including Mr. Mauro Battocchi, Consul of Italy in San Francisco, attended the grand opening.
 
“This was a great opportunity to connect first-hand with potential customers and fans and to share with them in a relaxed and personal atmosphere all the things that our brand and vehicles have to offer,” said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand for North America, Chrysler Group LLC.
 
California accounts for more than 20 percent of FIAT brand sales, and there are now six FIAT studios in the Bay Area. FIAT of San Francisco is the first to open for business within the city itself. The studio is located at 1595 Van Ness Ave. on the edge of San Francisco’s famed Pacific Heights neighborhood.
 
Scott Ginsburg and Gregory Minor, the dealership principals, also have owned San Francisco Ferrari Maserati in nearby Mill Valley, Calif., since 2009.

“This is a prime location, and we have a prime brand in our hands,” said Minor. “This grand opening was part of our plan to generate awareness and to make sure that everyone in the area knows that a new FIAT studio is open for business.”
 
With FIAT of San Francisco now open, the FIAT brand now has 210 studios in the United States. The FIAT brand launched the Fiat 500 in the U.S. in early 2011 and began selling the larger Fiat 500L in June and the all-electric Fiat 500e in the state of California in July.