"Fiat is never going to sell those cars if they can't even keep the paint from peeling!"

Today, while out at Lowe's, I came upon a Fiat test mule in the parking lot.  The extent to which companies will go to disguise their pre-production car is nothing short of amazing.  This particular Fiat looked like it had your typical 1980's paint peel, and then ran through the salt bath a few thousand times, and then some back woods rtv body panel repair on the roof line.

This car looked absolutely horrible, and I'm sure to the untrained eye, looks like a beat up p.o.s. going down the road.  I couldn't help myself, and pulled up next to the car and rolled down my passenger side window.  As the engineer behind the wheel saw this, he put his window down, and I stated "Fiat is never going to sell those cars if they can't even keep the paint from peeling!"  He laughed, I smiled, and told him that as a former automotive employee, it amazes me the lengths they go to these days.  I mean really, what's the big secret?