[alfa] Alfa in USA

[L O <alfetta82@xxxxxxxx>]

 Adam, I agree with something you told about Fiat
policy. Anyway, I'm in contact with some Alfa Romeo up
level employees, and we have, in a italian forum,
several discussions every day about the Alfa delay in
returning to US. They say they decided to look
european market before looking abroad. THis is true
but non completely true: following the Fiat policy to
go in the "development countries" (I apologize for my
poor english!) Alfa is coming in Mexico, anyway having
a bit of success, but still not in USA. I have my
personal idea: Alfa Romeo actually is the best managed
(and succesful) unit of the Fiat Auto group commercial
units (Fiat brand has no more appeal and they are
seeming they're trying to destroy Lancia) and want to
increase to larger numbers. Alfa actually sell 250.000
cars (as it happened in the past using the Nord and
Sud production lines) and want to arrive to
400/450.000. But they want to do it far in the future,
I think this is a no so good result if they want to
make Alfa Romeo a prestige brand as it was in the past
and, more, I think it's a difficult result to obtain.
But, working in this direction, they saw the sales
network is the worst (I say one of the worst) expects
of the brand. Even if they were assigned of the "best
sale network" title in this year (as it happened at
the Bologna "MOtor Show" some days ago) Alfa dealers
here and in europe are something sadness. This is, I
suppose, one of the result of Cantarella's era in Fiat
Auto, because you saw many exclusive Alfa dealers
closing, selling other makes, or selling all the
commercial Fiat brands. This "union" is something
opposite to the "exclusive brand" idea they now want
for Alfa....
The problem of the US is to have a strong and hard
sale network in US. I think GM put is actually more a
"mirror" for the various banks more than a real trust.
Alfa, then, is out of the put option. Surely Bandiera,
Alfa president, spoke very clear they won't to use the
GM groups outlet to sell Alfa Romeo, preferring
Ferrari/Maserati outlets and other general prestige
cars dealers. Actually numbers are still too low. But,
more, I  think the production line is one of the
causes. New Spider, Brera based, will be ready not
before 2006/2007, so they are waiting the new range to
sell products from the new 158 model up, arriving to
the 8C. Last sunday the manager staff of Alfa Romeo
was together to decide which models were to be
developed and built until 2008. 
To arrive in US now or the next year, should be to
arrive with old products, and they think US will be a
quite large numbers market, surely harded than
european or italian or other markets. 
They can't arrive with the "end of carreer" 156, or
with a 166, or with a GTV / Spider still Fiat Tipo
based, launched in 1996 and ready from 1988!. The next
production line will see the new 158, of course still
156 based, but also 4x4 and with a new styling, the
new large sportwagon, the Kamal, the 8C and the Brera
(the new GTV) also open (Spider). I really suppose
they fear not to be ready to satisfy the expectations,
overall if they want large numbers.

Leonardo Olivari
Italia

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Leonardo Olivari
Collezionista Alfa Romeo

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