Motoring Discussion > VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bagpuss Replies: 18
View Threaded 

New Thu 30 Sep 10 14:39 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Bagpuss
The German press have been speculating about this for the last couple of weeks. This is the only English language report I've been able to find:

in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-51840220100930

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 15:53 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - PR
This has been doing the rounds in the motoring press for a while now. Marchionne says he has no desire to sell Alfa so not sure how far it could go.

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 16:56 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Clk Sec
I would rather see Vauxhall take them over. With a lifetime guarantee, I'd be tempted to buy one.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 18:10 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Tooslow
General Motors have been pretty incompetent in their takeovers (Lotus, SAAB amongst others). The kiss of death. A company with the soul of AR and the accountants of GM? No, doesn't really stack up does it?

John
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 16:59 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - NeilS
I read an article in CAR a while ago on the same subject. They reckon it had legs for a number of reasons including Seat's dismal failure to establish itself as VW's sporting "brand."
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 21:34 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Skoda
>> Seat's dismal failure to establish itself as VW's sporting "brand."

I'd have said they've managed that? Maybe i'm well off but i'd have said most folks view Skoda as a cheap VW and Seat as a cheap Audi?

Of course once folks have a Skoda they flip it round and they're quick to tell you things like "My Octy Vrs shares it's pedals with the Audi R8 and its wing mirrors with an S5" and stuff like that ;-)
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 22:07 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Bellboy
unfortunately as much as i love alfa romeusk cars i feel they will indeed be sold off to another manufacturer who can give its some sex appeal,unfortunately the car produced will end up being a clone of another car with a different badge on

oh thats bin dun already

shame likes
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 22:07 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - RattleandSmoke
SEAT confuses me as a brand. To me they are not sporty not anything really. There just dosn't seem to be room in the market for SEAT at the moment. I am not saying I would never buy one and I have nothing against the brand there is just nothing quite unique about them. VW are mainstream, Audi are luxery and Skoda are well built and a bit cheaper than VW.

SEATs are perahps quirky but they never look right to me.

Anyway back to Alfa I really think they work well because they are share FIATs engineering. The downside is they also share the same hap hazzard italian factories.

I love italian cars because I feel passionate about them, I like german cars is because they are solid to me a german owned italian car brand dosn't have that much appeal but if they leave the designing to the Italians it might work.

I can just see it going badly wrong when the germans are left to design an alfa.

Edit I have nothing against the Germans, I rather like their beer :p.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Thu 30 Sep 10 at 22:08
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 30 Sep 10 22:57 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - ....
>> ...to me a german owned italian car brand dosn't have that
>> much appeal...
>>
Ever heard of Lamborghini ?

SEAT sometimes get it right, the Leon was a good looking 5door family hatch then they updated the Toledo with that big bottomed thing that was neither FIAT Croma nor Renault Megane.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 07:45 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - PR
No Alfas will be built at the troublesome Pomigliano factory after the 159 production ceases. The Giulietta is made at the Cassino plant alongside the Bravo/Delta.

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 08:31 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Bagpuss
Maybe they can reintroduce a rwd Giulietta!

Actually it's amazing how much appeal the Alfa Romeo brand still seems to have in view of some of the dogs they launched over the last 30 years.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 08:35 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - hobby
>> Seat as a cheap Audi?

I just can't see that at all... unless its a *very* cheap Audi... I tend to associate Audi with "upmarket" rather than "sporty" and quality wise its Skoda that are nearer Audi...
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 08:47 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Tooslow
How does SEAT get this "sporty" label? Wife had a Lupo. 75bhp engine, went nicely. SEAT Arosa had 60bhp tops. So how does that make it sporty? Same across the range last time I looked. Wimpy engines except for the occasional extreme addition at the top end. That doesn't make a sporty range.

And they're pig ugly by and large.

John
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 08:54 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - hobby
A few years ago they had some "sporty" versions of certain models whilst Skoda didn't and their newer designs were more "racey"... or "ugly" dependent on your views... so they got that image...
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 11:09 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - AnotherJohnH
>> How does SEAT get this "sporty" label?

Somebody has been pushing them in that direction for a while...

British Touring Car Championships, Jason Plato, World Touring Car Championships, and all that
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 11:46 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Tooslow
I'm sorry, I just don't agree. SEAT may wish to have a sporty image but, to me, they don't. In fact I'd say they don't have any image at all. The last SEAT I fancied was the Toledo from about 10 years back. And part of its appeal was the fascination of how the MiL would pronounce it. This is a woman who goes to "Ieka". And she's not being ironic....

John
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 13:03 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Skoda
Yeah i guess i see what John's saying, really it's only a couple of sporty models in a farily bland seat lineup.

I wonder how much longer all this brand overlapping by VAG can contiune. Is that not one of the things that BL were pretty famous for? Their own cars competing with their own cars.

There are at least 4 VW Golfs now? Audi A3, Skoda Octavia, Seat Leon. They don't vary much by price now either (Golf Match very comparable price & kit wise with the others).
Last edited by: Skoda on Fri 1 Oct 10 at 13:04
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 13:15 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - Iffy
I reckon the German management at VW assumed Seat was sporty because it's Spanish, and people in Spain do exciting, spontaneous and daring things such as have a glass of wine with lunch, or cross the road where there's no pedestrian crossing.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Fri 1 Oct 10 16:37 
 VW considering takeover of Alfa Romeo - J Bonington Jagworth
But half the fun of owning an Alfa is not knowing whether or how you will reach your destination! :-)
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts