RE: Innovation: Audi vs. Alfa Romeo

["Glenn Wasserman" <glennwa@domain.elided>]

It's kind of funny, the issue of "invented" vs. "introducing to the
masses" is a complaint I've often heard about a particular large
software company. :-)

There's remarkable vision and creativity in inventing something that's
never been seen before, but there's a perspective and determination in
bringing those ideas to mass-market that can't be overlooked.

The Subaru Justy was kinda-sorta mass-market in America with the CVT,
but as a "real car", it was too small for the masses over here. It also
had very little horsepower. What Audi is doing with the A4 CVT is a
really great innovation.

Of course it doesn't mean I still wouldn't like to have a new Alfa Romeo
as an option, but when my tolerance for 10 year old used cars wanes, and
my free time for repair issues depletes, I'll have to find another car
to buy, and right now, I see very little I'm interested in apart from
the Audi A4 and the BMW 3-series. The Mazda Rx-8 looks very promising...
I love the Mini but I need a car that swallows up all the gear
associated with one munchkin and another on the way. 4 doors would be
nice, a wagon or hatchback would be even nicer...

I hate to say it, but if 156's were on the market here in the US right
now, I might have bought one already, even though it's a bit more that
I'm ready to spend right now. Hopefully in another year or two I'll be
able to buy an "expensive" car.

Glenn Wasserman
'93 Spider Veloce
'94 164 Quadrifoglio
'2000 Compaq Ipaq
Various PCs running Windows XP


-----Original Message-----
From: Dana Loomis [mailto:dloomis@domain.elided]
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 10:24 AM
To: alfa@domain.elided
Subject: Innovation: Audi vs. Alfa Romeo

> Besides, engineering at Audi never ceases to impress me. This is the
> company that introduced the quattro system, the five-valve head, the
> all-aluminum A8 and, most recently, the CVT drivetrain in the new A4.

Some responses to this post have pointed out, with criticism implied,
that
Audi didn't develop any of these technologies and should only be given
credit for bringing them to the mass market.  This is arguably the same
thing Alfa Romeo excelled at during its golden age.  Aluminum engines,
dual
overhead cams, 4-wheel disk brakes, 5-speed transmissions, mechanical
fuel
injection, twin-plug ignition systems and other technical advances we
associate with Alfa Romeo had all been used before they were adopted on
production Alfas.  The company's contribution was to make them
affordable
and reliable enough for mass production; we are the beneficiaries of
their
mastery of production engineering at that time.

Dana Loomis
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