Re: my $75,000 Spider

["Ryan Fellini" <rfellini@domain.elided>]

<snip>

> I've had a customer say when I pulled up in my '93 Spider, "Here comes
> another Microsoft guy with his $100,000 car!!".

<snip>

> his father, "Isn't that a classic?", to which his father replied, "yes,
> it's an Alfa Romeo".

<snip>

> The second guys replies, " No thats an Alfa Romeo, but it's still at
> least a
> $75,000 car!"
> I didn't have the heart to tell him I paid one tenth of that.

All these stories about the publics opinion of Alfas are very fun. ;]
It reminds me of three similiar stories:

- Awhile back, when my parents had a silver 164:  One time while 
leaving a shopping mall, the car in front of them suddenly just 
stopped, and the driver (a huge fellow) got out of his car and walked
back to the Alfa.  Of course my parents were wondering what was
the matter, and after opening the driver's side window the individual
just had the following to say: "what kind of car is this?  this is the
most beautiful car I've ever seen!!!" (how often does this happens
with Camrys, I'm not sure :)

- In Taiwan this past summer I was told that one of the main 
problems that Alfa has in selling their 156, 166, etc. (even though
they do sell many of the former) is that the public believes these 
cars are extremely expensive machines, much more so than Benz 
or BMW.  The fact though is that one can get the 2.5L or 2.0L 156
for a better price than any of the competition (3-series, C-class, 
Lexus IS, etc.).  That reminds me, I need to mention this to
Sandro.. ;>

- Back when I had my Fiat X1/9, I remember taking it for inspection.
Similiar to Pete, I could hear the workers discussing the car.  Wow,
they were impressed!  The design, the low height, etc.  As they
were jumping around the car admiring it thoroughly, one mentioned,
"hey, the speedo goes up to 140mph".  The other guy promptly 
said, "oh, I bet this thing will do it, and more!!".  Uh huh.. ;]
(as Pete, I didn't have the heart to break it to em.. :)

Anyhow, maybe the publics opinion is not so bad afterall on Italian
cars.  With some good marketing things could just be all right, 
however they should work on this price misconception.. ;]

take care,

Ryan

ps. the X1/9 did register 115mph once, downhill.. a big hill in West 
Virginia :>

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