Italian car day at TWSJ

["Trimble, Mike" <MTrimble@domain.elided>]

In Friday's edition of the Wall Street Journal, there was:
1. An article about Alfa Romeo taking a new advertising tack in Europe and
Japan to make the line of cars seem more "woman friendly." The story seemed
to be saying that the object of the new strategy was not so much to get more
women to buy Alfas as to get them to drop their objections when their
husbands do.
2. A "trend" piece, reporting gearheads are trying to sell their rollers
because of the poor economy. People who bought "project" cars are coming to
the realization that they'll never be able to afford to finish the
restoration, the story says. Alfa isn't mentioned in the text, but an
accompanying graphic shows a Duetto, gives the current market value as
$15,000 and gives strength (great engine) and weakness (weak 2nd-gear
synchros).
3. There's a full-page ad for the Maserati GT coupe, headed "Living Well Is
the Best Revenge." It lists the cost in the tiny print at the bottom of the
page (about $87,000) but gives the lease payments in the big type. These
guys know their market: Journal readers are more apt to lease 'em than buy
'em.


Mike Trimble
Denton, Tex.
1989 Spider Veloce 
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