Re: alfa-digest V8 #1229

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 10/16/2002 7:08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes re: a LOTUS:


> In short, it was a good car that appealed to no one.  Function just
> isn't enough, something far too many engineers who try to sell things
> have never learned.  

Just as I've been saying too long, too many times, around here.  I don't know 
about the rest of the globe, but here in the US of A, you have to actively 
SELL the damn things; they are not going to move in numbers only because of 
their (secret?) superiority.  And for those who say they don't want what 
everyone else drives, desire exclusivity, well: the ad space and time is 
actually LESS money the more you buy, so ipso facto a car that sells in small 
numbers is going to be in one of two camps: it is going to be from a company 
that tanks, such as Alfa, or one that does well but sells exclusivity at a 
major premium, such as Ferrari.

Just this morning read an interesting article about the USA reintro of the 
Nissan Z car.  Before they went on sale at all, they already had 7800 
confirmed orders!!  This was partly because of the brand awareness issue 
(though this model hadn't sold in I think 6 years) but largely because they 
started massive media-based advertising a full year prior to the time they 
went on sale.  I used to work with these people and while they certainly 
weren't idiots, they were not in the running for a Nobel Prize either.

A fine car may be a fine car but a successful product has to be sold and 
supported or no dice.

Charlie
LA, CA, USA
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