RE: Alfa - Audi comparison

["John Barbera" <j_barbera@domain.elided>]

As an owner of both an Alfa and an Audi, I feel compelled to chime in on
this subject...

It occurs to me that the relationship between Audi and VW, its parent
company, is different from the relationship between Alfa and Fiat. 

Audi represents VW's best engineering efforts.  The level of refinement,
ergonomic design, and manufacturing quality in an Audi surpasses that of
any VW-badged car (with the puzzling exception of the new VW Phaeton). 
VW also uses Audi to field test its new technologies, adding a
significant 'wow' factor to an already impressive car (examples: quattro
system, five-valve head, CVT).

I'm not sure that Alfa's relationship with Fiat is so positive, or even
so well-defined.  Advertising for new Alfas seems to focus on the 'cuore
sportivo' motto; does this imply that new Alfas are Fiats in sporty
trim?  Is Alfa the Fiat equivalent of (may the Italian car gods forgive
me) Pontiac?  Certainly the Alfa name is worthy of so much more, but does
Fiat recognize this?

There's also the question of money (mentioned in an earlier post on this
subject).  Audi's mid-eighties woes in the US were created by a
completely frivolous and unfair (according to us Audi enthusiasts)
smearing by the press.  This certainly dented revenues for the parent
company, but left the VW marque and its corresponding sales intact.  I
don't believe that financial ruin or even the abandonment of the US
market by Audi were imminent at any point.

Alfa's story is, of course, quite different.  The marque was temporarily
propped up by the Italian government before it was sold to Fiat, a
company with a questionable reputation for both manufacturing quality and
management.  The subsequent flight from the American market
and disappointing changes to the Alfa line (c'mon - front wheel drive?)
reveal Fiat's poor regard for Alfa heritage, or at least its
unwillingness (or inablility) to dedicate the money and effort to Alfa
engineering.

I will readily admit that my experience with newer Alfas is very limited
(rode in a few new sedans during a stay in Florence), compared to my
experience with newer Audis (my relatives have a ton of 'em), and I
invite corrections/counter-arguments.

Like so many of you, I would love to see Alfa return to the US, but not
under GM ownership, and not with the current FWD platform. 
Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Fiat just can't deliver.

Apologies in advance to all Fiat enthusiasts on the digest.

-John Barbera

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