Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) may want your classic Italian car. The automaker has just launched a new initiative, Reloaded by Creators, that aims to buy, restore, and sell some of the most significant vehicles from the company’s history. Focusing on Italian brands (the company has shown no interest in your slant-six Plymouth Valiant), the project aims to bring Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Lancias, and Abarths back to life while building the company’s own collection of historic cars.
Numerous auto manufacturers have recently announced programs for either reproducing or restoring older vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz Classic workforce at the company’s museum restores and sells what it calls All-Time Stars, Pagani Rinascimento is restoring and maintaining Zondas, Lamborghini’s Polo Storico is perfecting its classics, Jaguar is remaking D-types, and Land Rover Reborn is revamping Series 1 models. Mazda will even inject fresh juice into first-generation (NA) Miatas, and now FCA equally sees opportunity in this space.
Officially announced at the 2018 Rétromobile classic-car show in Paris, the Reloaded by Creators program is a compilation of services offered by the FCA Heritage division. Customers could previously request certificates of origin and factory restoration for certain vehicles, but this is the first time the company will scout, acquire, and sell certified classic restorations.
Claiming to have been “inspired by the modus operandi of art mus...