The business and the love (was Portello shame)

[L O <alfetta82@domain.elided>]

Ullall`, I read a voice against what Bob said. As I
know, Bob is a great connoisseur (is it the right
term?) of Alfa history in Europe and USA. More, he
worked an saw things we had never seen, and has
experiences of life we haven't (I wish to have the
same experiences). So Bob can't write nothing
different from what he wrote and will write in the
future. This was the premise.

Commenting what someone wrote about the business, let
me say my opinion. I have two masters on marketing,
so, if you permit, I can affirm I know the marketing.
And the cars, also the cars, are sold through the
marketing. To say "marketing" means nothing and
anything: someone of you surely doesn't know
marketing, someone thinks it's simply "how to sell".
Beh, if you aren't a person bent for the marketing,
surely you will have half success. The marketing is
something you have to feel. The best way to do
marketing is to do marketing with passion. Fiat
management and employees seem don't have this mix. Ok?


Then: do you really think Alfa Romeo could continue
selling as now to the same actual buyers? If you think
yes, in my opinion you're wrong. 156 actually isn't in
the hands of quite rich men who bought, in the past,
the Alfetta, the 75 and the 164. Most of this old
owners actually drive a BMW or a Mercedes. The actual
buyer of the 156 is, as it was in Fiat's mind, the
"Fiat owner upgraded": he had a Marea, a Tempra, a
Croma or a Lancia Dedra and then bought a 156. Many
buyers are ex-german makers (VW especially, few Audi)
or french buyers. The "hard hoof" is gone. Do you
really think the Alfetta was the 2 liter besteller
only for it's quality? In 1982 there were several
other high size, at the same price, over the Alfetta
in many expects. Alfetta was never luxury, was never
very well built, but it was an Alfa (so the "hard
hoof" bought it, on 10 Alfetta buyers 8 were
ex-Alfetta buyers, I don't know if you will find 8
ex-156 buyers who will buy another 156), then it was a
safe car, and it had solutions never used on other
cars.

Do you think BMW isn't "for business"? Their cars are
all similar but never the same, are original, are rear
wheel drive (yes, the handling is not excellent as
instead was in every Alfa model) and, more than all,
have "prestige". Noone here had doubt, in the past,
considering a larger BMW "5" in the same market of
Alfetta. Actually the "5" is not considered in the
same market of the 166 (the 166!, not the middle size
car as was the Alfetta, the 166, the flagship). And
the 166, compared to the "5", is considered not a
similar concurrent, but the "poor" concurrent. 

First of all Fiat, using the same Fiat and Lancia
compoments, gave of Alfa the image of "poor"
concurrent, Alfa loose the prestige. Why do you think
Fiat stopped exporting in USA? Because they knew they
had built a poor product, shameful compared to the
name of the brand Alfa Romeo in a demanding market as
the american one.

But it seems to me there are other euro makers selling
their prestige products in USA. And it seems to me it
happens as in Italy: you have an Alfa? Oh, yes, you're
considered a sporting guy but without class and
without money to spend. Alfa is considered the
cheapest alternative. I know outside Italy isn't
always so. But here yes, and Fiat produce especially
for domestic market. And FIat is loosing the prestige
and economic market here. So, may we think they made a
great mistake? I think yes. 

I surely will not buy an Alfa Romeo if I have to buy a
new car having money. I'll buy a BMW "3" couph (a 328
Ci is good). Why? Because if I have to spend
70.000.000 (a bit less than $35.000, a considerable
price here in Italy) I want a car, a funny, prestige
and well built car. A Gtv? Why? The Gtv is, also this
time, the cheapest alternative (discount about the
30%). Go in Versilia, the famous Versilia: I live 40
km far from here, and see which are the cars you can
see in front of the "Capannina" of Forte dei Marmi,
near Viareggio, the most exclusive place in Versilia.
Or see which is the dream for the 20 y.o. guys: itsn't
the 147, is the Golf. In front of Capannina on
saturday night you can see Mercedes, BMW, sometimes a
Ferrari or a Maserati 3200 and VW Golf (GTI). 

People on the streets see you if you run with a
vintage Alfa or with a 75 America, especially the
young people. Alfa loose its image, of funny, youthful
and prestige car. It's only the cheapest way. Because
there's nothing special actually on an Alfa Romeo.
Nothing. Actually you like the line, the body
appearance (for the 156's interior they had to copy
the 1750 GTV dash, so it's clear the typical Alfa
design is still actual or not?). 

So (excuse my long writing) let me ask you (and please
reply): do you think Fiat would listen and read and
overall consider a digest as this? 

I have the answer.

Leonardo

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