James Bond has driven one, Dustin Hoffman raced around in one until it ran out of gas in The Graduate, and now you may be lucky enough to get behind the wheel of one. Alfa Romeo is on its way back, baby.

That Maserati-made speedster made brief appearances in the U.S. back in 1995 and 2008, but TopSpeed.com reports that it looks like it may be making a stronger return to American roadways soon, thanks to a U.S. Trademark and Patent Office decision officially giving the trademark for Alfa Romeo 4C (above) to Fiat.Continue reading...

Chrysler brand is getting all the buzz. Fiat is receiving credit for a bit of a comeback after its unimpressive re-launch in the U.S. market last year. And Dodge will benefit from the new Dodge Dart later this year.

So what is the Jeep brand doing for Chrysler Group these days?

Bringing home the bacon, and the Facebook fans (2 million and counting, thanks to such outreach as the recent contest that led to the Altitude model name). And serving as the leading ambassador for the Fiat-owned company as CEO Sergio Marchionne pursues his strategy of exporting U.S.-made vehicles around the world — and establishing some new manufacturing posts for the company abroad as well.Continue reading...

Adobe gets more social.

Amazon wrings profit from fulfillment.

AmLactin taps Olympic swimmer Dara Torres as brand ambassador.

Angry Birds to launch retail partnership

Apple iPad users find high video use can crunch data plans as Consumer Reports finds that the new version runs hotter than the old one.

Arby's readies brand relaunch.

Boeing gains 787 Dreamliner clearance by U.S. regulators.Continue reading...

One model that caught our eye out of the Geneva Motor Show this week: Fiat is selling a limited-edition 500 model, decked out in American colors and icons. It's made in Italy, for Italians (and presumably anyone else) who might want to celebrate the fact that the Italian automaker is now selling Italian-made 500s ... in America.

And that's not all that is interesting and potentially mind-bending about the Fiat 500 America. There's also the fact that it is being sold on TwitBid, a Twitter-based auction site, to the highest bidder.Continue reading...

Sheen's Increasing Luster: Fiat USA isn't the only brand to tap Charlie Sheen for its new TV commercials. DirecTV has hired the embattled actor to star in its latest "Get rid of cable ... or you'll regret it" series of commercials, which made a splash when they debuted on Jan. 2nd during the Tournament of Roses telecast.

DirecTV's Pitch: "The spot shows what happens when your frustration with cable causes you to make unwise decisions that could lead to reenacting scenes from Platoon with Charlie in your living room."

Why Sheen?: As The Hollywood Reporter notes, "The spots are a part of Sheen's meta comeback, which has largely consisted of projects that wink — or wholeheartedly embrace — his checkered past." Sheen is slated to return to TV in June, when he will star in an FX series based on the Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson film Anger Management, in which he'll play "an unconventional anger therapist."

Below, watch another new spot in the "Get rid of cable" campaign, which riffs on Sheen's favorite word: Winning.Continue reading...

Jennifer Lopez is no longer the face of Fiat in the U.S. — but Charlie Sheen is, at least in the new 60-second commercial for the Fiat 500 Abarth.

In the commercial, called "House Arrest," Sheen appears with Catrinel Menghia, the Romanian model from "Seduction," the first Abarth spot (now blocked in the U.S. on YouTube but you can watch another version below) that aired during the Super Bowl. More details on Sheen's involvement in the press release from Chrysler.Continue reading...

Count the global automotive industry as another huge entity now shifting mightily in response to the deep economic woes of Europe. That's one main reason General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroën today announced a partnership that will give GM a 7% stake in the French auto maker while it helps the two companies to cut costs by a targeted total of $2 billion over five years.

The tough European market also is why Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne now is talking a lot about finding yet another partner for the Italian automaker even after Fiat snatched up the carcass of Chrysler a few years ago. "We're on the move," Marchionne said. "We can be an active partner everywhere around the world."

The GM-Peugeot deal will involve sharing of vehicles' mechanical "platforms" and components and creation of a purchasing joint venture but won't affect their brands per se.Continue reading...

Fiat wants a mulligan for how it launched last year in the U.S. market, after a few decades away. Its sexy commercial for the new Fiat 500 Abarth that ran during the Super Bowl was just the opening gambit in Fiat's new strategy for recovering from last year's disappointments.

Now, the brand that owns Chrysler is retuning its US strategy, launching an entire program that it hopes will finally add Fiat as a viable small car line in its U.S. stable. The initiative includes more advertising, zero-percent financing for consumers, new products, fresh brand leadership and a determination finally to get on the same page as Fiat's 140 U.S. dealers.

There's little understating how badly things have gone for Fiat in America, as its attempt to imbue the Fiat 500 as a hip ride led to its US marketing head's ouster. The brand's music video-style spot starring Jennifer Lopez and a track ("Papi") from her latest album, intended to attract female customers, was panned when it debuted in September, while JLo's Fiat-laden official music video proved an embarrassment of product placement overload.Continue reading...