(June 5, 2012) AUSTIN, Texas — Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne on Monday (June 4) personally congratulated Fiat of Austin for becoming the first Fiat studio in the country to sell more than 100 Fiat 500s in any given month. Fiat of Austin, located in the state’s capital city, sold 110 Fiat 500s in April, setting a sales record for Fiat studios in the U.S.

Marchionne celebrated the milestone with dealer principals Nyle Maxwell and Lisa Copeland, and the Fiat of Austin sales team.

Copeland and her sales team almost hit this important milestone a month earlier, falling shy by just a few units. Determined to hit the mark in April, Copeland snapped up every Fiat 500 she could find, buying them from other dealerships around the state and the country.

What triggered today’s visit in Austin from the company’s CEO was a bet.

Sergio Marchionne, right, and Tim Kuniskis, head of Fiat North America, congratulate dealer principal Lisa Copeland for setting a sales record for Fiat studios in the U.S.
 
Tim Kuniskis, Head of Fiat Brand North America, bet Copeland that if she could hit the century mark in sales he would find a way to introduce her to the celebrity of her choice. Kuniskis had no idea how he would ever pay this bet off, but given the studio’s low inventory level in the wake of strong sales, he wasn’t really that concerned. For Kuniskis, it seemed more like a fun conversation, than a real bet.

When Copeland and her team not only hit the mark, but exceeded it by 10 units, it was time for Kuniskis to pay up. Much to his surprise, Copeland didn’t want a Hollywood type. She wanted to meet Marchionne.

“No one was more surprised at her choice than I was,” Marchionne said. “But this is one promise I was happy to keep, even if someone else made it for me.”

Marchionne told Copeland that she was “the only true celebrity here today.”

“Lisa is also an incredible salesperson herself, an excellent manager and a dynamic leader, and what she and her team have achieved here at the Fiat of Austin store is unprecedented,” Marchionne said. “I know the passion and the personal involvement all of you feel every day in what you do. The team has a passion to succeed, and there’s no question that Lisa helps inspire the enthusiasm they bring to representing Fiat.”

On April 30, to celebrate their success, Copeland and her team, as well as a few straggling customers, celebrated their retail victory with champagne and hamburgers until the wee-hours of the morning.

Copeland and her team demonstrated that even in Texas, the land of pickups and SUVs, the Fiat 500 can perform better than in any other state. Copeland and her team hold a second sales record as well. Fiat of Austin has sold more Fiat 500s by Gucci than any other Fiat studio.