Italian Dressing: Volkswagen To Buy Alfa?
Automobilwoche [sub] picked up strong signals that Volkswagen is interested in adding Alfa Romeo to their growing roster of brands. Last December, Marchionne had put Alfa on strategic review, and gave the brand, as Ed Niedermeyer put it so delicately, “a year to get its proverbial shit together.” They popped some Imodium, and in April, Marchionne was “determined” to build the brand into a “full-line premium carmaker.” Nevertheless, here and there whispers had popped up that Alfa could be sold if the right buyer would show.
That buyer could be in Wolfsburg. A high ranking, albeit nameless Volkswagen executive told Automobilwoche that “Alfa is a globally renowned brand with sportive DNA and a long tradition. If such a treasure would become available, we should not hesitate for too long.”
In Wolfsburg, the project already is nicknamed “Italian dressing.”
A Volkswagen spokesperson added to the fire by saying: “We don’t comment on speculations about Alfa.”
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Marchionne is a bean counter. He knows he can get more out of Alfa by selling it than investing in it. He knows he doesn't have - and will never have - the resources to properly resurect Alfa Romeo. Selling Alfa Romeo is the right thing to do for Fiat and for Alfa.
Luca de Meo, Alfa Romeo's ex-CEO is already working for VW. If anyone can turn around this Brand, he can do it.
Luca Ciferri : Fiat should sell Alfa to Volkswagen ( http://europe.autonews.com/article/20100824/BLOG12/308249985/1303 ) .
This would be very painful to see. But the demise of Alfa would be even more painful. The argument for the purchase is dead on.