RE: What a situation!

["Glenn Wasserman" <glennwa@domain.elided>]

Regarding your comments, Leonardo -

I appreciate your viewpoint, it's always interesting to hear what's
REALLY going on in Italy and how it relates to the cars we see (or don't
see) over here in the USA.

There is only one point you mention below that I think may not be true -
that's the assertion that all divisions (or brands) of a car company
should be completely separate. I think complete sharing of everything in
between divisions is a bad thing, too - maybe there is a balance that
could be kept.

I think a good example of this balance is what Ford is doing with
Lincoln and Jaguar. Share some components but keep the identities
separate.

The business seems to run in cycles. If you need an example of a
division of a huge company that has remained completely separate, look
at Saturn. This newest dimension of GM has no problem maintaining a
unique identity. Unfortunately the relative lack of parts or platform
sharing is undoubtedly causing their product line to stagnate. Their
volume car (the SL) hasn't changed in ten years! It's hopelessly
outdated right now. They finally have an SUV on the market (I don't like
SUVs myself, but it's a critical market for a manufacturer like Saturn
to get into) and they built it themselves from the ground up. But it's
only now finally available, YEARS after the other manufacturers have
made theirs available. They went to platform-sharing for their large
sedan, but "borrowed" a platform from a European car (an Opel) to do it.
I can't recall the reasons they didn't use an American GM platform, but
it might have had to do with maintaining the plastic body panels, or to
keep the car unique in the American market.

On the other hand, you can also look to GM for examples of cars that
share so much that they are completely indistinguishable. There are so
many Buicks, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles (well, not anymore), and Pontiacs
driving around that look the same and drive the same, that there's
really no reason to purchase one over the other. No wonder they have to
offer 0% financing.

In any case, staying completely independent while being owned by a huge
company just isn't easy. It may not always be the best thing for a
division. While I think ALL of us agree that Alfas should be as unique
as they used to be, I think we can all see that there were a set of
unique circumstances that produced these cars, which no longer exists.
Maybe to make a car like the Milano/75 the company needs to be
state-owned and managed by "car" people (and not economic experts).
Unfortunately this scenario was not one that allowed the company as a
whole to make a profit and to exist on its own.

Maybe we should all just keep buying used Milanos or other older
cars.... or accept that while today's (or Tomorrow's) Alfa Romeos may
not be as different or as unique as they were, they are still probably
the best option for us car enthusiasts and still represent the closest
match to the things we value in an automobile.

As a consumer, I need to ask myself, which car should I buy? If my
lifestyle and economic situation dictate a new car, then what are my
choices for a car with personality and performance? Not that many. In
the USA, I can tell you that whatever FIAT/Alfa Romeo/Lancia (or whoever
it is at the time) sends over to these shores with the Alfa Romeo badge
on the front is, I will give it strong consideration, because I think
even the more inexpensive FIATs I saw overseas would be a welcome
addition to our market.

I hope the changes to the FIAT corporate structure improves the cars
sold as Alfa Romeos. I also hope these cars make it over here so I can
consider one in a couple of years. But I don't think we'll ever see cars
like the Milano or GTV-6 again, unless some other company begins
building them.

Then again, you never know- if Mazda can build the Miata (a "back to
basics" sports car with rear-wheel-drive, which didn't share a platform
with any other Mazda car) then maybe at some point Alfa Romeo/FIAT can
do that.

-Glenn

---Leonardo says:

Reading what Bob Little wrote (hey, Bob, I'm Italian
non Hungarian!) I really thinks it's too late to do
anything. I apologize because I don't know english so
well to explain all my feelings I would transmit, I
think I have a complete idea of the actual Fiat Auto
world, surely more than you foreigners and more than
several other Italians.

Knowing the Fiat employess (every grade, from sellers
to managers and consultants) I can only have a big
fear. It seems now Fiat group understood what we and
other friends say since 1987: every "brand" must be
independent and free to do as the name requires.

The example of Lancia is clear as a Svarowsky: they
are actually selling two models (the city car "Y" and
the "Lybra"). 10 years ago Lancia had a complete
successful range, starting from the city car Y10 and
arriving to the Lancia Thema as flagship (surely
successful, surely more than the "Lancia k") and with
the Lancia Delta Evoluzione as real flag. Then, year
after year, Lancia simply disappeared from the market.
The sold only many "Y" (offered with an high
discount).

If we actually see the Fiat Auto situation, we can see
the Alfa Romeo as "privileged" brand, with a
successful range, recently renewed (the oldest models
are the GTV and Spider, launched in 1995). Lancia is
"as is", Fiat don't sell new Punto as much as they
sold the old (less original but pretty) model. The new
Stilo sells few pieces, compared to the Fiat Tipo.
Yes, surely during the Tipo life the economic
situation was a bit better but anyway the Stilo will
not repeat the success of the Tipo and the Ritmo (in
US known as Strada).


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