Audi: The Italian Stallion!
First, Volkswagen, bucking a worldwide trend of global bad, refused to change their bullish guidance for the rest of the year. Now, VeeDub’s luxury segment sibling Audi likewise sticks to its guns. According to Bloomberg, VW’s folks from Ingolstadt are dead-set at selling a million A-lettered cars this year. Grounds for their optimism? Audi sold 82,400 units worldwide in October, up a whopping 7.2 percent. Ten-month sales rose 3.3 percent to 844,700 vehicles so far for 2008. Results which makes Audi an endangered species, worthy of being protected better than the spotted owl. Recession? I ze nozzink! Official reasons cited for Audi’s meteoric ascend are as follows: the usual growth in China, of course. But also, trememediosissme sales in-– would you believe it-– bella Italia.
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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I think the A5/S5 is very sleek looking. About time Audi got a real style to themselves again instead of the obvious VW clones.
Are the Italian sales partly from gratitude that Audi has made Lamborghini's that don't require frequent engine-out overhauls?
A3 2.0TDI 170 HP Quattro... or an A4 3.0 V6 TDI Quattro... I'd go for it. I still think the five-cylinder that the Jettas come with should be a turbodiesel, it'd be perfect.
I think it's the Italians love of everything sleek. Think of the Audi A4 as the equivalent of an Armani suit. Think of Audi as a grownup Alfa Romeo. And If Alfa was a major premium player instead of just a niche brand, Audi would be dead and buried in Italy.