FIAT Brand North America and Vans Expand Partnership

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

• FIAT Brand North America and Vans to partner at the 2014 Vans World Cup of Surfing on Sunset Beach, Hawaii
• Now through Dec. 6, consumer who guesses the exact number of Vans shoes inside a Fiat 500L will receive a Mark Richards custom shaped surfboard, in addition to Vans for one year (12 pairs of shoes)
• Special Fiat 500L Vans design concept car to make appearance at LA Auto Show

FIAT Brand North America and Vans are expanding their partnership this year to include activities during the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing in Hawaii and the Los Angeles Auto Show this November.

Now through Nov. 23 at the Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu, Vans will fill a Fiat 500L with its shoes and offer beachgoers, as well as global webcast viewers, the opportunity to guess how many pairs are inside the vehicle. The Fiat 500L will then move to the beach during the Vans World Cup of Surfing on Sunset Beach on Nov. 24 where it will remain until Dec. 6. The winner will receive a Mark Richards custom shaped surfboard, as well as Vans for one year (12 pairs of shoes). Mark Richards won the first contest at Sunset Beach 40 years ago.

"We are truly excited to expand our partnership with Vans in various events across the country," said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand North America, Chrysler Group LLC. "Similarly to Vans, our customers celebrate fun, personality and doing what they love. The FIAT brand enables self-expression, and we look forward to discovering new ways to further collaborate with Vans."

In addition, the Fiat 500L Vans design concept car that debuted during this summer's 2014 Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach will appear on the floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show from Nov. 19 through Nov. 30. The Fiat 500L Vans design concept car echoes Vans' original high-top shoe, the Sk8-Hi, including vintage palm-patterned canvas, Vans logo stickers on the instrument panel and Vans Waffle Sole on the pedals and in storage bins. On the exterior, the roof displays the iconic Vans Checkerboard pattern, while the step pad, cladding and grille texture are accented with the Waffle Sole design. Other unique features include a two-tone body color paint scheme, 18-inch matte black wheels and a roof rack with a basket and a double-decker surfboard carrier.

The FIAT brand first partnered with Vans in July 2013 during the Vans US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach and continued the alliance during the 2014 event. 

About Vans
Vans®, a VF Corporation VFC brand, is the original action sports footwear and apparel brand. Vans collections include authentic footwear, apparel, accessories and snowboard boots that are sold globally in more than 170 countries through a network of subsidiaries, distributors and international offices. VF Outdoor, Inc. owns and operates more than 415 stores of the Vans brand in the United States and internationally, each offering a range of Vans footwear and apparel while communicating the brand's rich heritage. The Vans brand promotes the action sports lifestyle, youth culture and creative self-expression through the support of musicians, artists and athletes on boards and bikes all over the globe and through progressive events such as the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing®, the Vans Downtown Showdown, the Vans Pool Party, the Vans Warped Tour® and surfing's most prestigious contest, the Vans US Open of Surfing.

Vans, "Off the Wall" Since '66
www.vans.com
facebook.com/vans
twitter.com/vans_66 

About FIAT Brand
The FIAT brand stands for discovery through passionate self-expression. It encourages people to be in charge of their lives, live confidently and celebrate the smallest of things with infectious excitement. That philosophy is embodied by the North American introduction of the iconic Fiat 500 or Cinquecento – a small car that lives big. Italian at heart and rooted in a rich heritage, the 500 is synonymous with modern, simple design blending form, function and a pride of ownership that is genuine.

Reminiscent of the original 1957 Cinquecento, the Fiat 500 and Fiat 500c (Cabrio) build on the vehicle's global popularity. Since its launch in 2007, more than 1,000,000 Fiat 500 vehicles have been sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In addition to success on the sales front, the Fiat 500 has earned more than 80 international awards.

In North America, the FIAT brand portfolio continues to expand with the introduction of the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth Cabrio, the fully electric Fiat 500e and the Fiat 500L, an all-new five-passenger model that expands FIAT's brand style and efficiency into the growing B-segment.

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SOURCE Chrysler Group LLC