Team-BHP - Fiat CEO tells VW Boss to Back-Off on Requests for Alfa Romeo, Fix His Own Problems

I for one wouldn't mind if VW took over Alfa Romeo.
It sure will help Alfa Romeo to be benefit from sharing various parts @ platform and hope will do a lot good by being more reliable because efficient german engineering.
I feel VW is doing a good job at this i.e. picking up regional brands and then giving a big dollop of their good engineering, reducing costs by sharing parts and platforms.

In the bargain its not just the shareholders who are happy but more importantly their customers are hopefully happier.

And unlike GM which went about acquiring anything and everything, VW has still managed to keep their acquisition interests primarily in Europe, which is has been their traditional region of strength.

No statement surprises me from big mouth Sergio Marchionne anymore.

He took on Herbert Demel as Alfa Romeo CEO. Herbert Demel was the man who designed the Audi RSs, the A2 and the A*, Herbert Demel looked into quality issues to sort Alfa Romeo. Marchionne sacked him.

Next was Karl Heinz Kalbfell to take the post. Kablfell did exactly the same: Addressing quality issues. Kalbfell was sacked by Machionne.

Marchionne can do it better. He commissioned the Brera and the 159 barges, which were 300 kg overweight because of cheap materials. Result was that Alfa Romeo slumped before last year to a third of its turnover in cars. This despite launching the Mito.

Marchionne threatened the engineers with sacking if they are not finding (cheap) ways of reducing the weight of the barges.

Shortly after Marchionne announces that in April 2010 it will be decided, whether Alfa Romeo goes into the history books.

Soon after at another public speech Marchionne told the world that BMW is selling too few cars and will not be able to survive.

Marchionne is a clown who was driving Fiat group into financial problems with his haughty attitude and his arrogance. The guy has neither style nor tact nor manners.

And it is a bitter pill for him that VW has bought a stake of Suzuki and will replace the Fiat units with VW ones. And it also doesn't go well down that Porsche does not need to go wasting huge amounts in F1 to sell a few sports cars.

I own an Alfa Romeo, which is a real Alfa Romeo and not just a barge thrown together and brushed up by Giugiaro. Alfa would be in better hands being managed by VW. But best would be if Sergio Marchionne is being sacked and replaced by someone with common sense.

Report: Piech says Alfa Romeo sales could increase fourfold under VW ownership

Alfa Romeo builds some really good-looking rides, but that apparently hasn't translated into profits for Fiat. In a recent interview with Forbes, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly called the Italian brand a "money loser," and sales of the marque have consistently underwhelmed. But while Fiat has worked hard to rehab Alfa Romeo to no apparent avail, Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech feels his people can do better.

Reuters reports that Piech declared at the Geneva Motor Show that VW could raise Alfa sales from about 100,000 units per year to 400,000 or more in a scant five years. The boasting by Piech may seem more than a bit cocky, but that confidence jibes well with VW's bold proclamations that it will become the largest automaker on earth by 2018.

So what prompted Piech to announce to the world that VW could sell more Alfas than Fiat? We have no idea, and Marchionne has shown little public interest in selling the brand in the past. VW is obviously interested in buying Italy's sweetheart, though, and the German automaker likely has the cash and can take a liability off Fiat's books.

Source - AutoBlog

Alfa Romeo should stay Italian.. dont get me wrong.. VW has been an exceptional group but what i really hate about them is the sharing of its platforms and engines among various brand under their belt which are not even in the same segment. An example would be vw india shares its 2.0l diesel powerplant with skoda laura(15lacs), jetta, passat and audi a4... And this is not just the case in India. The platform of toureg and cayenne.. Audi RSs using older Lamborghini plants. Many people may find it smart but i would feel horrible if i had an older lamborghini and some kid around the block just got his RS5 with the same engine.
That is the sole reason i would not want AR to go to VW.

And to clear out some of the earlier posts... VW has no role in development of Lamborghinis. Financially yes. But the car's development is controlled by Audi alone. Even though vw is the parent company. Lamborghini is completely managed by audi.

Audi rumoured to buynot just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy too!

Quote:

Beyond Alfa Romeo, the report says the deal being discussed would include the rather modern Pomigliano d'Arco plant built just for the production of Alfa Romeos. Audi's interest in Magnetti Marelli is claimed to be because the German brand wants a components maker and it would also like to establish an R&D center in Italy, where its holdings already include Lamborghini, Ducati and the styling house Italdesign-Guigiaro.

http://wardsauto.com/management-amp-...ns-sources-say

This is great news. Alfa desperately needs a good management and some German-ness to make them reliable and affordable. The market for good looking hatches and roadsters is hot and Alfa backed with expertise of VW can really exploit it.

As to the part sharing in VW family, I know this is not the ideal scenario and personally I too prefer Alfa as an independent company but the reality is that in order for Alfa to survive and flourish it needs VW. I would not like Alfa to end up like SAAB

Quote:

Originally Posted by volkman10 (Post 3079559)

Audi rumoured to buynot just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy too!

http://wardsauto.com/management-amp-...ns-sources-say

Quote:

Originally Posted by typeOnegative (Post 2240375)

Good. I do not know what the German's were thinking. They will take an Italian car and ruin its soul.

Why do you think so though. I thought Audi did a good job with Lamborghini. Clarkson perhaps disagrees ; ).
I figured a german owner might make them more reliable and practical as well i.e. make a very good owner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by typeOnegative (Post 3082773)

You are just proving me right, are you not? :D

You mentioned that a German owner would ruin it's soul and I felt it would make it more reliable and/or practical. You feel these Italian cars unreliability and practicalness(lack off) is what contributes to it's soul?
I'm afraid I haven't understood typeone: P

I'm a huge Volkswagen fan, even though their reputation in India leaves a lot to be desired. At least in the after sales & dealer department.

Also being an absolute Top Gear fan, I'm rather biased when it comes to Alfa Romeo and I'm pretty sure that Volkswagen would do a great job with them. A little money, some German tech and let the Italians do the brochure. Perfect recipe for a great car. Pretty much Lamborghini's success story.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maky (Post 3083088)

You feel these Italian cars unreliability and practicalness(lack off) is what contributes to it's soul? I'm afraid I haven't understood typeone: P

I would not go that far. But sometimes quirks do contribute to character. :) There are sometimes I crave the sameness of a McDonalds to the variations in a vada pav. Anyway, this is a discussion best done over a drink.

Maybe not to VW, but rumors are afloat again on FCA is lookng to Sell Alfa Romeo and Maserati to Pay Off Debt!

Quote:

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), shrugging off negative news about the possibility of a big recall, has become an unlikely investor favorite, propelled by hopes the premium subsidiaries Maserati and Alfa Romeo might be sold to pay off huge debt, and the more proven profitability of the Jeep brand.

Quote:

Despite regularly reporting improved earnings, investors have long worried about mounting FCA debt, and the expectation that big U.S. profits might come under pressure next year

It remains to be seen if Fiat Chrysler will part ways with Alfa Romeo and Maserati due to the mounting debt, but the short-term future seem bleak for the company.

Link