Alfa GM and Ford Jaguar

["Kim Boydell" <boydell@domain.elided>]

First, what will happen to existing Alfa service centres?  If past
experience holds up G.M. will leave them high and dry the same way they did
Saab, at least in Canada.  I would avoid G.M. service for the first year or
so until they have learned (i.e. made mistakes on other peoples cars) how to
repair Alfa's.  I understand that a number of Saab dealers started a law
suit against G.M., but I don't know the final result.

Second, Jaguar is not a rebadged Ford.  The platforms are similar but the
vast majority of Jaguar is Jaguar, minus most of the things that died on a
regular basis.  Personally I think that Ford has done a wonderful job of
resurrecting Jaguar from the near death experience.  Anyone who followed how
much money Ford had to sink into Jaguar to keep it afloat will understand
how desperate Jaguar was.

G.M. did a pretty good job of letting Saab keep their personality, and they
own a big chunk of the company (did they finally buy the whole company?).
At least the 93 follows the Saab tradition, I am not so sure about the 95.
If G.M. and Fiat source parts together, maybe some of the annoying things
about Afla will improve, like cheap electrical switches and other minor
components.

Will I buy a new Alfa?  It all depends on sticking the family in a mini-van
first (god help me) and then I will see what the business can afford.

Regards
Kim
79 spider
_______________________________
Centre for Economic Analysis - Canada Inc.
http://www.home.istar.ca/~boydell

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