AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -

San Francisco residents interested in a Fiat for their next vehicle need not travel far.

The first Fiat showroom in The City by the Bay has opened its doors in the Van Ness Avenue corridor.

Located at 1595 Van Ness Ave., the first FiatT studio within the San Francisco city limits is right on the edge of the city’s Pacific Heights neighborhood.

And although this is the first store within the city, the new addition brings the brand’s showroom number to six in the Bay Area. In fact, California is Fiat’s largest market in the U.S.

Commenting on the news, Jason Stoicevich, head of the Fiat brand for North America at Chrysler Group, said, "The opening of Fiat of San Francisco is an important step for continuing the growth of our brand in the United States.

"We have Fiat studios in the region, but having a presence right in the city, where our Fiat 500 has been so popular, will make it easier for our customers to do business with us. This is the ideal location, in the fashionable Pacific Heights area, for our first studio in San Francisco,” he continued.

Interestingly, the new Fiat of San Francisco is located in a building that once housed a Buick dealership, and more recently, a Ford dealership, the company said.

Scott Ginsburn and Gregory Minor will be the dealership principals of the new store. Ginsburn and Minor also have owned San Francisco Ferrari Maserati in Mill Valley, Calif., since 2009.

"The timing is perfect to open a Fiat studio in the city," said Minor. "The new four-door Fiat 500L and the all-electric 500e just recently went on sale in California and are going to be huge hits. The San Francisco market is so green conscious, our entire product lineup of 500 and 500L models will do well in the city and at this prime location."

The store will utilize all four floors of the building, with the service department on located on the top floor.

The building also includes a courtyard that will be utilized for "customer-valued off-street parking," officials said.

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