RE: Re: daily driver - ironic twist?

[dsedon@domain.elided]

hi thomas, at the end of yer most recent post re: gm trying to market alfas in the usa, ewe said:

<<<Keep your comments on the digest where everyone can read them. I don't want anymore personal attack type e-mail. If you can't respect other peoples opinions and formulate an argument based on the issues just go do whatever else it is you do.>>>
+++++++++++++++++++++

that being the case, i'm sure ewe won't mind my comment about gm in reference to the post ewe sent to me personally, & *not* to the alfa-digest...  ;~)  not that yer post was a personal attack or anyting...

ok, as i said before, if alfa comes back here selling only $40k+ 2-seaters, they may yust as well stay home.  while i agree that gm sucks, it's the product that sucks, not the marketing.  they are the largest auto mfr on the planet, & they sell what they make.  i've actually seen real-live people, driving azteks!?!?!  jeez, they could sell refrigerators to eskimos!  in the most recent autoweek, in the letters to the editor section, there was a letter that had me howling w/laughter.  in response to a previous barb directed towards gms' (lack of) quality products, the incensed reader wrote if gm products are so bad, then i guess the american population must really be stupid, cuz their products are *everywhere*!   well, i couldn't agree w/him more!!!  populations don't get much stupider than what we got here!!!  :>)

so, the question is - does fiat/gm really wanna bother w/an all-out assault on the usa market w/a full line of cars?  if they do, we'll have 'em, & they'll be successful.  but, i'm not holding my breath...

doug s.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Doug,
>       There are a lot more $40,000 SUVs with one person than Corvettes. The 
>point I think you and a lot of other people are missing is twofold. First, 
>most of the people who can afford $40-50,000 cars are closer to middle age 
>than teen age hence they already have several other vehicles. Therefore, the 
>two seater becomes a toy, a fair weather car. Second, most sport coupes and 
>spiders, supposedly don't have enough room for whatever needs to be carried.
>       Before this goes further let me also point out a few other small 
>details that just seem to be ignored. I listen to all the people on the 
>digest telling me I don't know what I'm talking about, telling me about using 
>Alfas as daily drivers, telling me about how many people buy Alfas, telling 
>me how many 40K cars are used as daily drivers and it leaves me with a few 
>questionable observations of events... I am assuming most of you are old 
>enough to have bought a new Alfa at one time or another... 
>       Alfa couldn't give the Milano or the 164 away in this country. The 
>spider outsold the Milano according to memos at the dealership by almost 6 to 
>1. In the final year of availability the 164 sold fewer than 1000 units. The 
>GTV-6, once one of Road&Tracks best sports cars, by 1986 wasn't even 
>sellable. From '85 to 86 the cost dropped $2,000 and we still could move the 
>car. We had no sales of '86 GTV-6s. We did have three cars. We shipped them 
>to other dealers. So ... for all you digesters who keep telling me I don't 
>know of what I speak. How many of you bought new Alfas? How many of you are 
>going to buy a new Alfa? And please, someone out there explain what niche the 
>new Alfas are going to fit into. My assumptions are the Spider will compete 
>with the base versions of the BMW Z3, the Corvette convertible and...? The 
>Saab? At least in price. The coupe may do very well as I can't think of a 
>direct competitor in the middleweight GT car class. The Boxster is 
>considerably more expensive (I hope) the American muscle cars aren't in the 
>same niche (Firebird and Camaro bye-bye) and the Japanese don't have anything 
>currently there. The sedans and the small cars (assuming they eventually 
>bring the full model range) are going to go head to head with Toyota, BMW, 
>Madza, Honda, Volvo, Mercedes, etc. GM isn't doing a good job of competing 
>with these companies now, with their own products.
>       What all of you are missing is that I have never said Alfa builds a 
>bad product, hey! HELLO! I own 12 of them! My wife drives one to work 
>everyday. What I am trying to make you guys understand is that a car like 
>Alfa requires a commitment to marketing and service from the dealership and 
>you are not going to get that from GM. They aren't doing such a great job 
>with their own product what make all of you think they will expend the effort 
>on a small volume (hence low if any profit) line like Alfa. Oh yeah! I forgot 
>what a great job they did with the last sports car line GM sold in this 
>country... Let's see... It originally had a questionable quality record but 
>GM said they would stand behind their car... It was a small FWD two seat 
>convertible sports car... Let's see, what was it called... Oh yes, LOTUS!!! 
>       They are selling car outside the US that they won't bring to this 
>country because market research says they won't be able to sell them. 
>       Gang, this isn't about Alfa, it is about GM. Frankly GM's corporate 
>track record sucks! Name the last good move they made... 
>       Gang, I'm sorry about the soap box, I really want Alfa to do well. For 
>the record my wife is buying a 156 Sportwagon and I want a new GTV-V6. But 
>I'm telling you, I am not touching either car while they are under warranty 
>(which better be more than 12/12).     
>


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