As one who remembers when Fiat was active in North America, I'm glad to see the historic Italian automaker return as part of a deal to purchase 20% (with more to come) of Chrysler. Fiat manufactures an extraordinary number of models, some in collaboration with Opel, some with Citroen/Peugeot, plus quite a few designed for sale only in developing markets. Clearly not all are suited to the US and Canada but it's interesting to speculate on which will be manufactured in the disabled Chrysler factories. Of course we enthusiast types are all hoping the utterly charming and fun-to-drive Fiat 500 is on the list. MINI-sized and similarly retro, it would undoubtedly be a hit. On the other hand, in North America the 500 is likely to be a niche-market car and would therefore be preceded by a potential volume seller.

The most likely launch candidate in my view is the Fiat Bravo, long a successful mainstream product in Europe. It's a compact hatchback, conceptually similar to the Volkswagen Golf, the European Ford Focus, the Opel Astra and various Japanese hatches that are gaining in popularity here. As you can see from the above photo the Bravo is an attractive, contemporary package with a distinctive Italian flair. Three 1.4 liter gasoline engines are offered in Europe, ranging from 89 hp to 148 hp, along with seven diesels. Not all of these powerplants would be available in North America although it would be nice if at least one of the diesels was added to the mix.

For a look at Fiat's entire lineup, be sure to check my friend Aaron Gold's special photo feature in About Cars.