Re: alfa-digest V8 #18

[Iopsycheng@domain.elided]

Guys and Gals,
You have got to keep one thing in mind when you talk about Alfa returning to 
the US. IMAGE is EVERYTHING! We know what Alfas are but the average BMW, 
Volvo, Mercedes buyer wouldn't know an Alfa if it ran them over. In the rest 
of the world Lexus, Infinti and Acura are known as Toyota, Nissan and Honda, 
only in the USA do these cars go by different names because Americans 
wouldn't pay 40K for a Toyota... The same will be true of Alfa when/if it 
returns. Alfa needs an image to determine their niche. I sold Alfas in the 
mid 80's and we had almost no showroom traffic. Alfa is a niche market car 
like Ferrari, only certain people are going to buy it and they already know 
what it is (That will not include me I do not want a FWD Alfa, anyone 
remember the 80's version of the Lotus Elan? I didn't think so!). Alfa isn't 
going to be taken seriously as a competitor for BMW, Volvo, Lexus et al. they 
make their name and presence known and back up their product with a serious 
dealer support network. I'm sorry but I just don't see that happening. GM 
can't sell the niche market cars they make now, Camaro and Firebird have out 
performed Mustang for years but the Ford sells and the GM twins bow out next 
year. Who is to blame? The consumer? Have any of you tried to deal with your 
friendly GM dealer lately. You can't go into the dealership two days in a row 
and see a familiar face. Why would a sales network expect customer loyalty 
when they can't maintain employee loyalty? My buddy is a Toyota and Jaguar 
guy. Between him and his wife they own an XJS cabriolet (bought used from the 
dealer), a Landcruiser (new) and an Avolon (new). He traded in his XK sedan 
(new) on the XJS. Todd does most of the routine maintenance himself -- plugs, 
cap, rotor, oil filters, fluids -- but the dealer does everything else. 
Recently, the Jag needed some work so Todd asked me to follow him to the 
dealer to drop off the car. When we arrived the salesman met Todd, offered 
both of us a cold drink, coffee, etc., and then proceeded to explain that 
Todd didn't need to have me pick him up... As a valued customer, the 
dealership would have provide him either a ride or a loaner. 
It reminds me of a Toyota I bought 11 years ago for $611.90. An as-is-special 
at a local Ford dealer. The car needed state inspection and as I waited in 
line it became time for me to leave for work. I was calling my parents to see 
if one of them could run me by my house to pick up another car since the 
Toyota wasn't going to be ready in time. The owner of the dealership happened 
to overhear my call and asked if I bought the car at the dealership and if I 
had made a service appointment. When I tried to explain that I had just 
bought the car he ended our conversation by instructing the limo driver to 
take me to work, pick me up again at midnight and return me to the 
dealership, 26 miles each way, where I found my $600.00 special inspected, 
cleaned inside and out and fueled up waiting to go, along with the 
explanation that price was not the driving factor in customer relations. I am 
not a Ford man by any stretch of the imagination but I assure you, I know 
where my next dealership purchase will come from. GM will not, afford this 
level of service to their Alfa customers. Alfas are not necessary purchases, 
they are big boy/girl toys. If the customer isn't treated in an appropriate 
manner they are going to take their excess money elsewhere and buy something 
other than Alfas.
As for PugOh, PLEASE! They dug their own grave! They may have made great cars 
for the rest of the world but what they sent to the US was sad! Don't even 
start about Fiat's quality, they were like Peugeot, the cars they brought to 
the US were something less than wonderful.
Thomas A. Gonnella

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