AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -

On the heels of opening a new Fiat store in South Miami as well as Houston, Chrysler Group today revealed yet another dealership in the Sunshine State — one of 12 stores to open in Florida this year.

Planet Fiat, located at 9975 NW 12th Street in Miami, will be run by the father and son team of Walter and Scott Ritter.

The new store is right next to the pairs existing Planet Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram Truck dealership.

Laura Soave, head of Fiat Brand North America offered her opinion on the news, saying, "We now have more than 100 open Fiat Studios across the United States.

"We will continue growing our network adding more FIAT Studios almost weekly through the rest of this year. We welcome Planet Fiat to our growing network,” she added.

Moving on to highlight the evolution of the new store, the company noted that Walter and Scott Ritter updated the former used-car facility into a 3,500 square foot Fiat dealership (or studio, as the brand prefers), just west of Miami International Airport and near the Dolphin Mall and Miami International Mall.

Remarking on the store’s inventory, Scott Ritter said,"The Fiat 500 is totally unique and fits the market we’re in today.

"There’s a broad appeal here in Miami for this car’s unique design, good fuel economy and great value. Simply put, it’s the right car and the right time,” he concluded.

Moreover, less than two weeks ago, the company announced the opening of another Miami dealership, South Miami Fiat, located at 17220 South Dixie Highway.

Dealer Jay Rivchin opened the new store less than a mile from his existing Dadeland Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram Truck dealership.

Joining more than 100 open Fiat dealerships in the country — after a three-month renovation project, the store was complete.

Lastly, just last week the new Sterling McCall Fiat store opened in Houston at 10505 Southwest Freeway. This marked the 10th Fiat dealership to open in the state of Texas this year.

This store is a Group 1 Automotive dealership, the company noted.

Earl Hesterberg, president and chief executive officer of Group 1 Automotive, noted, “We are delighted to add the Fiat franchise to our successful group of dealerships along the Southwest Freeway in Houston.

“We look forward to reintroducing the FIAT brand and see it is a natural complement to our product strategy. The Fiat models will provide a compelling small car alternative for our customers seeking fresh designs and fuel efficiency,” he further stressed.

For more information on recent Fiat dealership openings, see Auto Remarketing‘s story here.