June 4, 2012 4:47 PM


Everything’s bigger in Texas! So they say. There are, I’m sure, plenty of doubters out there, but Lisa Copeland isn’t one of them. And she has the numbers to prove it.

As General Manager of Fiat of Austin, Lisa and her team have knocked several big ones out of the park this year. The dealership holds the sales record for most Fiat 500 sales in one month (110 units April); for being a major catalyst in selling out every last Fiat Gucci model, and for being the #1 Fiat dealer in both North America and Canada. They’re checking right now on whether or not they can add “the world” to that last impressive accomplishment. Pretty amazing when you consider the dealership first opened its doors in 2011, and with just 6,000 square feet, it is one of the smallest Fiat studios anywhere.

For all their hard work and success, the Fiat of Austin team got to share their pride with someone very special Monday when Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne stopped by the Studio to thank Lisa and her team for their passion and enthusiasm. Truth be told, Tim Kuniskis, Head of the Fiat Brand, honored a bet the two had about being able to hit the century sales mark. Lisa won with a choice of meeting any celebrity she wanted and, without question, Sergio Marchionne was the celebrity at the top of her list.

So, what’s next for the fast-moving Fiat of Austin team? Another record-breaking month would certainly be at the top of the list, but Lisa Copland is also looking forward to another major milestone … the promise from Sergio Marchionne of a one-of-a-kind hot pink Fiat Abarth.