|
Strange to see negative comments about Alpha Romeo reliability: they used to have (pre mid-eighties) rust problems, but reliability wasn't generally an issue.
The biggest Italian manufacturer missing from the US is Fiat, which is not only the parent of Alpha Romeo, but also owns Lancia, Ferrari and Maserati. Way back in 1908 Fiat actually manufactured cars out of New York, but by the '80s both Fiat and Lancia quit the US because of quality and dealership issues. Alfa Romeo lasted until 1995.
After a failed attempt by GM to buy Fiat Auto back in 2000 (GM now own 20% of Fiat and Fiat own 5% of GM) the two companies formed a strategic alliance. At the time both GM and Fiat talked of the possibility of Alfas being sold through either Cadillac or Saab dealerships "as early as 2002" and other Fiat brands returning to the US. At best, that project is running late and a lot of analysts doubt whether there is room in the US market for more brands.
One of the most expensive new car launches I ever attended must have been when Fiat previewed their 'Uno' model about 15 years ago. For some reason they flew both a fleet of cars (and their guests) over to Disney in Florida and had to re-export the cars right afterward.
|