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Welcome Fiat

Here's a Father's Day post, for all the car guys in B'game.  I like Rosalie O'Mahony's description of the B'game car dealers as "The Golden Geese" because of the tax revenues they contribute to our fair burg.  It's a good thing because it is derived from the long history of auto dealerships in B'game that goes back to the origins of horseless carriages.  One of the best auto journalists around is Dan Neil of the Wall Street Journal.  His column this weekend reminded me of the arrival of Fiat on Auto Row in B'game.

Fiat2

Dan Neil reviewed the new Fiat 500 Abarth.  The 500 is Fiat's re-entry vehicle to the U.S. relying on the premise that Americans are ready for a small, sporty, fuel-efficient Italian ride to compete with the Mini-Cooper.  Per Neil, "Abarth" is "Fiat's in-house speed shop, prepping rally cars and souping up the road cars."  When I see a 500 on the streets of B'game, I'll post the photo, but in the meantime, I am just enjoying the idea that this dealership is "open during construction."  My Italian relatives would say "well, of course it's open if your wallet is open.".  Welcome, Oca d"Oro.

UPDATE:  I've seen a surprising number of Fiat 500s on the streets of B'game, but it was easier to snap a photo of one on the dealer's lot.  Here it is

Fiat 500

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12 responses to “Welcome Fiat”

  1. Chris

    Congrats on the FIAT dealership. It’ll be interesting to watch them give the Mini a run for the money. Looking forward to the Grand Opening!

  2. alan

    What is going in across the street on the San Mateo side? That is a big lot that must have cost a pretty penny. Anyone know?

  3. pat giorni

    Are you asking about the enormous residential project at the corner of Peninsula /San Mateo Drive? Without investing a dime in staff time, Burlingame can evaluate the 1st Transit Orientated Development (so called by the SM Planning Commission which approved it) which has been cast as our future in the Downtown Specific Plan

  4. alan

    Thank you. I read in the Daily Post today that some woman from San Mateo was worried about the traffic from the new bayfront science buildings but it seems like she should be more worried about this development right in the neighborhoods. How many units will it be?

  5. pat giorni

    155 apartments. Read about it at:
    http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?NID=2215 The October 25, 2011 meeting

  6. alan

    Oh, great! Just what that part of town needs.

  7. Joanne Bennett

    Hi! I am one of those women from San Mateo that is concerned about the traffic from the new office development on Airport Blvd. There will be 2,000 plus employees working in those buildings and how many will need to go southbound on US101? Closest southbound ramps are at Poplar not Broadway. Seems Burlingame residents in the Lyon Hoag area should also be concerned because once Poplar becomes unbearable guess what? Our city wil be looking at southbound ramps at Peninsula again. All those cars coming off of Peninsula heading west will eventually cut through Burlingame neighborhoods.
    And yes I am concerned about the 155 apartments being built at the old Shen site and have attended meetings and study sessions for the last six years with all the different building projects brought forward. Unfortunately our City approved this project. We stressed the fact that it should remain Commercial!
    I keep tabs on what development goes on in both cities as one will affect the other in my end of town.

  8. fred

    Southbound off-ramp at Peninsula Avenue? Wait, that makes too much sense. A lot more sense than the current Poplar plan which will put a boatload of traffic on Humboldt into a neighborhoods in San Mateo and Burlingame and takes traffic off the frontage road Amphlett/Rollins.
    Southbound off-ramp at Peninsula will happen sooner or later because it is the best option.

  9. Joanne

    Yes, and Peninsula Ave on the Burlingame side will have to be widened or you will have bottleneck traffic and people cutting through Burlingame neighborhoods to avoid the traffic jam.

  10. fred

    Yes, the original plan that Burlingame turned down that would have been fully funded by CalTrans required the removal of two parking spaces. That was the deal killer, two spaces.

  11. JROC

    I just love the project. The design of the buildingds is beautiful and the reconfiguring of Airport away from the bay looks great. The project will bring much needed revenues to the City in the way of property taxes, sales taxes and TOT. The developers also agreed to fund shuttles and to contribute $1 million towards the Broadway overpass which brings me to my concern: traffic.
    They estimate 2,600 jobs and although they have many mitigating measures, most will drive to work. Those traveling northbound on 101 will have a relatively simple time via Anza. It is the southbound 101 traffic that will be tricky. Commuters will be faced with the choice of Broadway or Poplar/Peninsula. Some in the morning and some in the evening. Both options will create back ups at narrow portions of Airport and commuters will be scrambling to find alternatives. Our neighborhood streets will undoubtedly be impacted and the need for a more permanent solution will become evident before we talk about any further developement on the bayside. This will include the addition of on/off ramps at Peninsula where they should have always been. The proposed changes at Poplar will cause many cars to shift to Humboldt and with Burlingame Point and the condos at the Shen site, that traffic will spill onto neighborhood streets. The neighbors who screamed in opposition to the ramps will be begging for them. We missed the opportunity to do this right once before and we need to look to future developement when we make these tough choices.
    Ricardo Ortiz

  12. Joe

    Here’s the update with the photo of the Fiat 500 as promised.

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