Usually, unions take to the streets when their company is supposed to be sold. In Italy, unions demand the sale of their company.
In Milan, union representatives marched to the German consulate and handed the consul a letter in which they demand that Fiat lets Alfa go and that Volkswagen takes over.” With the letter delivered, the demonstrators grabbed megaphones and shouted: “Alfa has no chance with Fiat. We want Volkswagen!” Scusami?
Of course, all involved say that rumors of a wedding between an Italian Romeo and a Julia from Wolfsburg are just rumors. Can’t you listen? It’s rumors!
Controsenso! According to Die Welt, VW Chairman Piech is forcing the pace of the Alfa Romeo romance. He just said that the brand “could be brought back to its old glory with little effort.” Piech is also said to be behind Volkswagen’s intensifying labor piracy in Italy: Volkswagen bought the Italian design house Giuigiaro, they hired Walter de Silva as Chief Designer, later they robbed Luca de Meo and Giovanni Perosino. Meanwhile, Alfa is run by a German, Harald Wester.
When de Silva showed up in Milan in November, his visit made headlines, and local politicos expressed hopes that the Germans would come and swoop up the neglected bride. And now unions take to the streets and shout: ” We want Volkswagen! We don’t want Fiat!”
I think Alfa is in better shape than for many years. Beautiful and with acceptable quality, thanks to Fiat. Great diesel engines! VAG has more problems and brands than they can handle. Repeating many of the generals sins. Badge engineering and messing up the brands. Skoda was supposed to be good, non expensive cars but there are big fancy Skodas, Skoda RS (wasn’t Seat supposed to be the sporty one and Audi the sport luxury one?). Skoda Supreme makes people buy Skodas in stead of VW or Audi, why pay a premium price for a Golf when you can get an excellent Octavia? Another brand to care about is the least VAG needs. They’ve done a good job with Lambo though. My guess is that VAG will ditch SEAT.
I’m sure Alpha will be fine, they only need a strong hand, like the one in the photo, someone who can guide them and be flexable about corporate desires and goals.
Stroker has some good points, but on the other side, VAG has brought Lamborghini back from the brink, infusing their cars with quality that was unheard of in the bad old days.
While it’s possible Alfa could get lost in the VAG empire, they could become a highly profitable niche brand for Piech.
If my Alfa 164 experience is any guide, I’d put my money on VAG over FIAT.
Those Italians know their leather fashions. Why does the model have man hands, though?
That’s Alfa’s new tranny on display. It has dual clutches (one handbag for the drag show, one for everyday usage).
Yeah I was going to say, that’s not a woman’s hand… not that there’s anything wrong with that. Anybody who can walk in boots like that has my respect.
Man hands? Looks more like she didn’t have the money for a proper manicure — most both babes are usually not doing well financially, that’s why they take jobs such as booth-babe. If you look closely, the index and ring fingers appear to be equal length — typical female finger pattern. Men have ring fingers that are generally longer than the index finger.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/695142.stm
Ash78 — priceless :-)
But could a “Booth Bob” afford all of that Nair (or wax-work)?
Local pols, of course would love to get out from under the foot of Fiat. They think w/ directors away in Germany they’d have a shot at some extra “influence”. Good luck w/ that.
I agree w/ Stroker, Alfa is now in better shape than ever. With some big Detroit car cross-pollinization some crazy things might be up in future. Not time to sell.
Gosh! Italian unions appear to be worse than UAW!
Sono pazzi questi Milanese.
http://www.macgasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/facepalm8bu0ph9.jpg
http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq94/Tom_Saunders_/sisko_facepalm.gif
X2 on what Marcelo said.
She had …. ughh – man hands !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSL4cmFW_GU
Bertel Schmitt, please reassure an Alfista who does care about Alfa Romeo (unlike the Italians themselves, apparently) that Ferdinand Piëch will never get his hands on Alfa. That would be no less than an automotive tragedy.