[Top Down]

On reading the report below it made me think, this is why intelligent car buyers need to support the likes of Alfa Romeo. Its the giants like VAG that are killing smaller manufacturers, see what is happening to Saab.

I suspect if they had their way the arrogant VAG would have no competition in Europe at all, except from the other German brands. If this happens, there would be no choice in the car market at all.

Alfa Romeo, please dont let us down.

BBC News - Volkswagen expansion plan shows cracks

 

[Dave Brand]

Alfa Romeo, please dont let us down.

Too late. I don't owe anybody a living; after three crap Alfas I've "voted with my feet".

 

[Mitch916]

Too late. I don't owe anybody a living; after three crap Alfas I've "voted with my feet".

You need to learn how not to buy a lemon. Anyone can do it once, maybe get unlucky and do it twice, but 3 out of 3?? You're doing something wrong mate. Don't blame the brand.

 

[Joss]

You need to learn how not to buy a lemon. Anyone can do it once, maybe get unlucky and do it twice, but 3 out of 3?? You're doing something wrong mate. Don't blame the brand.

:lol:

 

[PR]

Auto News Europe were reporting this on Monday. Apparently at a VW board meeting they were confident they had decision making influence over Suzuki. This incesned the Suzuki board. The latest spat came when Suzuki agreed to buy Fiat Powertrain diesel engines for their production in Hungary. VW told them to cancel that deal or else. Lovely company, VW!

 

[GTLeigh]

I'd loved to have supported Alfa this time around, my requirements

2 Door Coupe/Hatch
Sporty styling - a little different to the norm
250hp +
Automatic Gearbox with paddles

Nothing in the Alfa Range to fit

Mito QV - no TCT gearbox
Giulietta - 4 door hatch QV no TCT gearbox.

I compromised on styling and passion, Ibought the Scirocco R - but its an epic drive :thumbs:

 

[Guest]

Too late. I don't owe anybody a living; after three crap Alfas I've "voted with my feet".

Not showing off or anything (honest) but I've had 11 Alfas to date. Non have caused me any major problems (any problems at all in fact other than the usual niggles you get with any car). One turned out to be a stolen and recovered and I was shown an old HPI report when buying hence why I never knew. The company that sold it to me (Lombardo) seem to be no more anyhow and it was all sorted out after a month or two. I think you have just been extremely unlucky with 3/3

Buy your next one from me :lol:

 

[Ralf S.]

Aye! Four Alfas for me and I probably rebuilt every single component on my 155... (17 years and 220,000 miles though).. whereas the 33, 145 and GTV have not needed anything more substantial than a spark plug. :thumbs:

And the odd thermostat.

And a wheel bearing.

And an exhaust silencer

And the exhaust place fried a coil and made the metal coil rack explode (not the car's fault)



But you get the idea..

I'd be inclined to buy an Alfa again, even if there wasn't anything in the range that ticked all the boxes.. there's always something that's "near enough".

Ralf S.

 

[Alfa_Holic]

Not showing off or anything (honest) but I've had 11 Alfas to date. Non have caused me any major problems (any problems at all in fact other than the usual niggles you get with any car). One turned out to be a stolen and recovered and I was shown an old HPI report when buying hence why I never knew. The company that sold it to me (Lombardo) seem to be no more anyhow and it was all sorted out after a month or two. I think you have just been extremely unlucky with 3/3

Buy your next one from me

Is that because you never keep hold of one for more than a month :lol: :lol:

 

[Top Down]

I dont know if I'm being a little paranoid here, but what I can see is Europe becoming a single country car manufacture, Germany. I agree that Alfa Romeo have a sadly short product range, and this is the worrying thing, so has Saab and we know what is happening to them.

I posted a similar post on another, non car, forum, and the general view (about the OP) was "so what, if they (VAG) produce a quality product, I dont care if there is a limited Choice". I view this as a sign of how successful the marketing has been by VAG.

 

[kickstart68]

Hi

To me I think VWs size is yet another sign of how cars have become things people buy with little interest in them (like a washing machine). Minor restyle and a different badge and they can lob them at another perceived market.

Unfortunately I am not sure that Alfa aren't following with boring cars.

All the best

Keith

 

[davidjwbailey]

VW lost a lot of my goodwill with two moves:

1 - sucking up to Porsche and its 'almost but not quite crooked' financial dealings
2 - crushing the market with some very dodgy tactics (sock puppet reviewers, sledging the reviewers, threatening independent dealers) - all of which were hearsay, but hearsay from active car dealers I know personally

They are too big, too arrogant and need to be carved up into smaller pieces (as does BMW)

 

[zulu ferret]

I needed to do a very humble and basic assessment on some sort of basic jalopy that I felt would suit her indoors with the absolute minimum of problems, and one that was a piece of cake to service for me whilst I'm still on this earth. So it's a boring machine out of a box that does? :

 

[Guest]

Is that because you never keep hold of one for more than a month :lol: :lol:

Ha ha too true

 

[Guitar Hero]

Alfa are part of Fiat right?
I'm under the impression that the fiat group is one of the biggest car groups.
Surely that should be enough.
I'm really pleased to see the Lancia Delta being imported into the UK, even if it is re-badged as a Chrysler. I spend quite a lot of time in Italy and always loved seeing the Deltas. (not a patch on the old Integrale but still a cracking looking family hatch).

 

[PR]

Yes, Fiat Group Automobiles encompasses Fiat, Alfa, Lancia. They also own Ferrari - Maserati though this is more "separated". Now they have a controlling interest in Chrysler Group and all their brands (including Jeep)

 

[Guest]

Alfa are part of Fiat right?
I'm under the impression that the fiat group is one of the biggest car groups.
Surely that should be enough.

No, it's not enough according to the CEO. He says that for a car group to be viable in today's climate it needs to produce around 5-6 million cars per annum, and has said FGA is targeting 6 million cars by 2014. FGA produced around 2 million cars and LCVs in 2010, so that's a long way to go. That's why the Chrysler merger/acquisition is so important, and to get to 6 million they are going to have to shift a lot of "boxes". But it's good to see they still have the guts to produce the 4C.

Cheers,

Nigel

 

[Bartek]

Yes, we need to definitely support Alfa Romeo. That's why I bought one of the last 159s
Anyway Alfa seems to be something like Seat for VAG(the main difference is that Alfa have huge history, and it's much easier to make it a company which will be selling sporty cars). I'm just wondering if Fiat know, what they want to do with Alfa? Maybe sometimes it would be better, if Alfa would be in other hands...

 

[Padders]

I agree that Alfa Romeo have a sadly short product range

Sounds like it's not going to get any better for years: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110914/OEM04/110919898/1193

 

[davidjwbailey]

our only obligation is to pay for things we buy.
if there is nothing to buy (and, from recent releases, there won't be for years to come), then we have nothing to support.
capitalism is pretty simple when it comes to things like that
perhaps, in 2015, some of us might come back, but anyone buying new in anything other than small or compact sector from now to end 2014 is going to have few or no Alfa vehicles to chose from