Re: What a situation!

[bearbvd@domain.elided (Greg Hermann)]

Sad but amusing to see how similar this picture is to what GM has obviously
forgotten about what Sloan imbued in it decades ago--about the way to keep
the company healthy being to have five separate, competing divisions with
completely independent product !!

Greg

At 2:39 PM 12/12/01, L O wrote:
>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).
>
>Why this? In Italy none is actually buying cars? No,
>the reason is different. In the past the percentual of
>the italian brands on the market was about the 60%
>(against the 40% of foreigners makers).
>
>Actually the situation is the opposite: in Italy most
>people buy foreign cars. And if Fiat doesn't sell over
>50% inside Italy how can do better outside here?
>
>Why this? Because Fiat was sleeping. And now continue
>sleeping or do, do, do but in wrong directions.
>
>When Fiat was the king of the domestic market, they
>thought (guilty) all will be gone always so. And it
>doesn't happen. I remember very well the 1987, but I
>remember better the last 10 years (I'm actually 28
>y.o.). I remember the fear when IRI (Italian State, in
>the person of Romano Prodi, actually president of the
>UE) sold, ehm....., not sold but made a gift to Fiat
>and gave "her" the Alfa Romeo. In that time the fear
>was about the employees. Only about this, because the
>products was good: the existing line (33, 75) was
>refreshed with class, the Fiat money could resolve
>some problems, and I affirm the best modern Alfas are
>the Alfas produced in 1988 - 1989 - 1990. This because
>Fiat could only make better the existing range. The
>problems started when Fiat started to take off from
>Alfa the know how, when they began considering Alfa
>Romeo's factories as "factories" and began producing
>the Lancia/Autobianchi Y10 in Arese, when they decided
>to produce the 155 (a scandal, could be a good Peugeot
>or Ford but not a good Alfa) in Pomigliano d'Arco
>(Alfasud). The model which show very well the
>declining. A car built on the FIat Tipo base, with a
>line not vey nice, with Tipo's suspension, front wheel
>drive - and it had to replace the 75!!!!!!!!!! - and
>Lancia Dedra heater controls, with Fiat Tipo switches
>on the column. The 1800 engine wasn't fast and had an
>high fuel consumption. They sold the 155 only because
>the 155 GTA and the V6 TI (DTM) won the races. If not,
>the 155 was another Alfa 90 (but the 90 is an Alfa,
>the 155 no!).
>
>They searched to connect the range to the past, with
>citations on brochures, with showrooms showing the new
>products (I can't name them as Alfas) near Giulias and
>so on. It was never necessary in the past, noone could
>mistake an Alfa!. The 75 can be only an Alfa, and if
>you drive it you can't be wrong, it's an Alfa. The
>same for the Alfetta and the Giulietta.
>
>Here we say: the fish smells from the head. And infact
>it's real also about the Fiat "head". In the 1987
>there was Vittorio Ghidella, a great cars' lover
>before being a very good manager. Then he also left
>Fiat, as actually is for Testore. Here we also say
>another thing: when Fiat begin producing a good model,
>then Fiat stop producing and replace it with a worst
>product. Beh, perhaps it's real also for the managers.
>
>I loose the hope to see again a true Alfa. But I would
>like, at least, facts in direction of a true Alfa. I
>would like not to see Arese, in 2010, as the actual
>Portello (it's a typical italian shame, typical, shame
>for Comune of Milano and for Fiat).
>
>I hope I dodn't annoy you all with my feelings, but
>notice these feelings start from the heart of an
>Alfalover, son of an Alfalover. In this family, since
>30 years, didn't arrive other cars than Alfas (the
>newest, a 33 1990).
>
>Leonardo
>'89 Alfa 75 Turbo America
>'82 Alfetta 2.o (sedan)
>
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