On Monday, October 21, 2002, at 02:50 PM, alfa-digest wrote:
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 17:45:30 EDT From: Pottree@domain.elided Subject: what sells (hint: rarely a product) In a message dated 10/21/2002 10:57:11 AM Pacific Daylight Time, owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:certainly the 147 is larger than the mini, but in the usa, they would fight
in the same market. and, ya conweniently left out the focus svt & the vw
gti, which i also mentioned, as well as a bunch-o-asian hot hatches, which
i dint.... for the 147 to be competitive in the usa, it would need at
least one model, priced in the low $20k's, which had sporting goodies & at
least 170hp... again, i don't tink many usa buyers would ante up $40k+ for
a 250hp wersion... (unless it were awd, or rwd, of course!) for ~$1k
worth of aftermarket exhaust & computer chip, 250hp is readily attainable
w/the 1.8t used in the vw's, for one thing...
Italy has a couple of highly exotic superpremium marques, but they are so farI disagree. The Mini is selling well, and yet no automobiles have a worse reputation, overall, than British cars in the USA (well, maybe the French). I think the market has changed considerably in the last few years, and its no longer British, vs. French, vs German, its the idea of the European car vs the domestic or Japanese car. One of the reasons why the Mini is so well received is that its quite a different beast from the average car. Mini is selling excitement and individualism, and it sells. When (if) Alfa comes back, it will be with a clean slate. Those of us who read the foreign auto press know what to expect as do those of us lucky enough to have rented Alfas in Europe, but the average Joe doesn't know what to expect from the current Alfas, and I'll guarantee that they would sell well on LOOKS alone, but they offer more than looks. they offer good, well built and roomy cars which go well, and are practical too. I think the public will respond positively. Politicians know, for instance, that the public has a short memory, and, in fact, they count on it. I think the Mini is proof that auto makers can count on it too.
removed from the ordinary experience of USA motorists that they pretty much
don't count in the marketplace, especially as they are treated now. To the
balance of the market, the idea of an Italian product is poison. And even if
it was not poison, it would be next to impossible to complete with the
Japanese, let alone the Germans, or even the Swedes, or -- dare I say? -- the
Brits, because in any test they would pull in dead last.
I don't think it absolutely has to be that way, but there it is.
There is NO POSSIBLE WAY even the greatest and most refined 147 could sell in
commercial numbers in the USA in the $20k range. $20 car buyers would not
want it because it is an unknown from a problematic origin. Those who have
more money, or who want to buy prestige wouldn't buy a $20k car.