[alfa] Re: alfa-digest V9 #1016

["Leonardo Olivari" <alfetta82@xxxxxxxx>]

Thanks to all digester. I received from you a lot of messages, and I'm happy
you found my infos useful.
I surely can agree with someone who has not a good impression of Fiat Group.
Notice we also are a bit against Fiat, and not only about the Alfa Romeo.
Fiats' problems were too much, in the past and still today, payied by the
entire italian people. I can affirm Fiat arrived at the end: then they had
to decide to leave the automotive, or to re-start in a new different way.
It seems they choose the second, and it's surely real about Alfa. Alfa was
and still is the only brand which can afford money.
I'm not a lover of the actual product, but I have to say they are giving
something good, without some typic problems, which has the "shadow" of Alfa,
or only the "parfume". We actually have the best product by....the Alfasud,
where Alfasud means the economic level of Alfa Romeo. FWD, a product that
shows it was studied and built to cost less, less to the manufacturer. I
said and still say you were luck because you didn't drive the 145, 146, and
155. Your last experience was the 164, still not considered a true Alfa
here, even if started and finished under the Alfa - IRI management (than
sold one year later only by FIat's decision, not to kill the Lancia Thema).
And I surely agree with the policy of Bandiera, to delay the arrive (but
there will be the arrive, be sure) because they, at least, saw the true Alfa
lover shouldn't accept a product so different. I try to explain better.
Living here, surely I have a different idea of Alfa Romeo of your one. Alfa
here is a commercial manufacturer, a car you can see often on the road
(especially now with 147 and 156), not considered a "small number car",
never an exotic car, surely Alfa is compared to Lancia, VW, Audi, and
considered down respect BMW, Mercedes. Alfa 155 was in competition with
Lancia Dedra and Audi 80/A4 more than with C klasse Mercedes or "3" BMW.
Why? Because the Alfa Romeo owners were, until 75/milano, considered more
"crazy lovers" than "intelligent buyers", and Alfa was, anyway, a bit "more"
if you are a driving lover.
When the new deal discovered its products, the "pure" went away, buying BMW
or Mercedes or choosing something less expensive: "if I must have a Fiat
Tempra, than I buy a Fiat Tempra, price is less".
During '90s Alfa run to the lowest levels. During that years, the only
correct decision was not to sell more in USA. When Spider 115 ended, the new
Spider and GTV (type 916) were ready also in USA versions, as you can see in
several pictures on the magazine "Quadrifoglio" or on "Quattroruote
magazine" (something similar to Road and Track).
But, when we were considered only "buyers" and so, in Fiat brain, the 155
was "sufficient", they saw you in US as something different, with the
feeling that we Alfisti can feel, and the normal buyer can't. So, the
product was sufficient (and still is) to satisfy the normal user, surely not
the Alfista.
Actually many things changed. Cantarella's policy, ugly policy, went away
(even if payied too much money, as in the usual Fiat's way) and Alfa Romeo
can produce something more, something better, something that should be a
satisfaction (even if not 100% satisfactory).
The only problem I see is the target. Fiat thinks to sell a lot of car in
USA, where I say and think NO.
Why?
1. actual product is a common product. A normal product, with diesel
powerful engines and ugly Fiat petrol engines (except the 3200 V6 totally
Alfa engine, and the next 3500), which are powerless some other engines by
other manufacturers. Yes, a pretty and nice ext. line, well built inside
(also too much, they seem a Lancia) but the only difference from the other
Fiat cars are the suspensions. And these suspensions are good for the 156
(not for the GTA, infact the new 3500 will have the 4x4), sufficient for the
147 (without having the rear weight it's usual you feel the back very
nervous (we say "il culo - (ass)-  parte") . The SPider and GTV have a
multilink from the 155 DTM of course, built very fast (originally they
should have the same same 155 layout, the Fiat Tipo suspensions.......) but
with a lot of problems at some speed (about 80/100 km/h): there are many
drivers which, without advice, had to prevent accidents because the rear
don't follow the road.
The only actual product which can satifsy is the 166, but only because you
drive a 166 different from how you can drive a 156 GTA!.
So now when we have erased the electrical problems of check controls and so
on, when we have an interior well built without rumors, we don't have the
excellent driving, we don't have a specific mech, we don't have superior
petrol engines - around you hear only diesel noises, ok, petrol here costs a
lot, but.... -
The only car built under a certain Alfa tradition is the 8C, but it's a
Maserati fitted on a experimental Alfa layout and with a centro stile body,
no more.
They want to sell many cars in USA, many Alfa, but I suppose this will not
be the reality. I don't have, from here, the feeling of an Alfa Romeo as
usual daily driver, a car as a VW Jetta or Passat, I have the impression you
need something more from an Alfa Romeo, that actually Alfa Romeo can't give.
And surely will not give in the future. They will give something near,
always near, but never the actual Alfa as they should and could be.
They are speaking about the network and so on: they are looking for prestige
outlets.... but I ask: why to find prestige outlets to sell something here
is sold at every Fiat dealer? At discount?
The "historic" Alfista here buy an Alfa if he reduce his own needs, doesen't
buy an Alfa today to satisfy his needs buying something more the 75.

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