conaero
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Again!!!!
Monday June 15, 2015. If you’ve an ounce of petrol in your veins, mark it in your diary. That’s the day that Alfa Romeo will be relaunched with a whole new product line up and, according to Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's chief executive, it’s the day that he’ll know if years of product design, engineering and testing have been worth it.
Not that this isn’t the first rebirth of Fiat's grossly underperforming 105-year old sporting brand. Even Marchionne admits the arms of Milan badge has been sullied with over promising in Europe; “it’s a remake story,” he says.
He does say, however, that in America, where Alfa is going to be reintroduced next year, they have underestimated the “depth of understanding of Alfa”.
He also reiterates the bold product plans for Alfa outlined last May, with a target sales of 400,000 per year based on eight new models, which some pundits think is over ambitious given that it requires Alfa to sell half the volumes of BMW or Audi in similar product categories.
But, as Marchionne said in Paris; “miracles are possible, but the question is, are they likely?”
He outlines two essential conditions for a miracle to happen. First, that Alfa has effective distribution, which he says it has now that the company has access to a “best in breed network being formed” in the US, partly using Chrysler and Jeep dealers.
The second is that it has cars which are competitive against the German opposition at which, he claims, the company is “toiling away”. He says the product and powertrain are now competitive and is threatening a “decent” unveil next June.
Given that Dr Ferdinand Piech, the head of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, has long harboured a desire to own Alfa Romeo as a twelfth VW brand, and is even rumoured to be running a secret shadow program of Alfa models that he would make, Marchionne’s is a big claim indeed.
Believe us when we say we’ll be there...
Monday June 15, 2015. If you’ve an ounce of petrol in your veins, mark it in your diary. That’s the day that Alfa Romeo will be relaunched with a whole new product line up and, according to Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's chief executive, it’s the day that he’ll know if years of product design, engineering and testing have been worth it.
Not that this isn’t the first rebirth of Fiat's grossly underperforming 105-year old sporting brand. Even Marchionne admits the arms of Milan badge has been sullied with over promising in Europe; “it’s a remake story,” he says.
He does say, however, that in America, where Alfa is going to be reintroduced next year, they have underestimated the “depth of understanding of Alfa”.
He also reiterates the bold product plans for Alfa outlined last May, with a target sales of 400,000 per year based on eight new models, which some pundits think is over ambitious given that it requires Alfa to sell half the volumes of BMW or Audi in similar product categories.
But, as Marchionne said in Paris; “miracles are possible, but the question is, are they likely?”
He outlines two essential conditions for a miracle to happen. First, that Alfa has effective distribution, which he says it has now that the company has access to a “best in breed network being formed” in the US, partly using Chrysler and Jeep dealers.
The second is that it has cars which are competitive against the German opposition at which, he claims, the company is “toiling away”. He says the product and powertrain are now competitive and is threatening a “decent” unveil next June.
Given that Dr Ferdinand Piech, the head of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, has long harboured a desire to own Alfa Romeo as a twelfth VW brand, and is even rumoured to be running a secret shadow program of Alfa models that he would make, Marchionne’s is a big claim indeed.
Believe us when we say we’ll be there...