Report: VW wants to buy Alfa Romeo

[pimento]

According to Automotive News Europe, Volkswagen is keen on continuing its hungry, hungry hippo march through the automotive world. The report says that the German manufacturing giant has its eye on snapping up Alfa Romeo, even though parent-company Fiat has no intention of turning the brand loose.

The news comes courtesy of two unnamed, high-ranking VW officials who claim that the company has developed a serious taste for Italian as of late. Meanwhile, a similarly shadowy figure in the upper echelons of the Fiat kingdom says that Fiat won't sell Alfa Romeo to the Germans.

While the two companies appear to be drawing lines in the sand, Fiat has said that it wants Alfa Romeo to become a world-class luxury manufacturer. That includes selling upwards of 500,000 units per year by 2014 – nearly five times what the company managed to move in 2009.

So why does VW want Alfa Romeo? Nabbing the brand would be an easy way to help the carmaker in its quest to take down Toyota as the world's number one automaker. Dipping into the Alfa Romeo stable would also give VW access to a wealth of new front-engine, front-wheel-drive chassis options as well.

[Source]

Seems kind of interesting to me, though I'm not sure what tech VW would get through a hostile takeover. Also I'da thunk that VW have all the platforms and tech they need at the moment. Maybe they should go after Lancia instead and set them up as a proper Alfa competitor again.

[Ferrer]

That'd be a preposterous idea for both parts on so many levels.

[f6fhellcat13]

Please. No.

As if there need to be more cars on any of VW's platforms. With a downsized General, VAG is easily the biggest and worst badge engineer today.

Fiat may not be listening to the Alfisti as much as they should, but forgodsakes they're doing a much better job than VW could ever be trusted to do.

Also, because it seems in vogue: I am buying x struggling brand. I will quintuple sales by September 1st.

[Ferrer]

Alfa Romeo won't be selling 500k cars by 2014, or indeed ever, no matter who is in charge.

[clutch-monkey]

alfa romeo is the kryptonite for the germans.. how would this work? they'd have a fit

[pimento]

Please. No.

As if there need to be more cars on any of VW's platforms. With a downsized General, VAG is easily the biggest and worst badge engineer today.

Well, Seat were just badge engineered Fiats before VAG bought em, right?

I agree it's a bad idea, I'd have nightmares about a 166 replacement being an old A4. Like that Seat.

On the related tone of Lancia, I'd love to see Fiat position them as an alternate Alfa rather than an alternate Fiat. If you see what I mean there. Something more akin to the fact that they used to be in that market segment doing wild and crazy things. Pipe dreams though.. better to concentrate on getting Alfa properly happening before segmenting their niche.

[NicFromLA]

I just hope they start bringing Alfa into the US.

In a related note, I saw a Fiat 500 being tested on the streets of LA.

[henk4]

Shock and Horror, a Volkswagen 8C2900, just to follow the tradition......

[LeonOfTheDead]

Wasn't Seat supposed to be their own Alfa?!
You know, with the last Toledo as the flagship model and all...

[Commodore GS/E]

Seat got it's last chance, that's for sure. If they continue to loose money for the next 4 years, VW will wind the brand down (no one would buy it). Therefore, the got the ex Lambo designer now.

However, i don't think Alfa is better up with any of both. Fiat isn't doing a good job on Alfa, neither on Lancia. But VW really doesn't need another brand.

Maybe they should team up with MB?

[culver]

Brilliant. VW decided buying lots of brands worked brilliantly for GM and Ford heck even for BMW and MB so they need to do the same thing. I can't wait.

[Ferrer]

even for BMW and MB

Well they haven't bought that many brands have they...?

And BMW's failure, actually left them with Mini, which, well is quite a success isn't it?

[culver]

Well they haven't bought that many brands have they...?

And BMW's failure, actually left them with Mini, which, well is quite a success isn't it?

They definitely didn't buy many but MB and Chrysler was a complete disaster. MB ran Chrysler into the ground while stripping the company of billions in cash. Chrysler had billions in the bank and on average made as much per vehicle sold as Mercedes at the time of the merger. Now Chrysler is near dead thanks to being starved of products during the second half of it's time with Mercedes.

BMW, didn't do at all well with Rover. In the end they made lemon aid out of lemons with MINI but they lost a great deal in the mean time.

[Ferrer]

BMW, didn't do at all well with Rover. In the end they made lemon aid out of lemons with MINI but they lost a great deal in the mean time.

I don't know but seeing Mini's success, Smart's failure and the recent introduction of the Audi A1, I would say that despite the time and money lost with Rover it was possibly worth the price.

They also had Range Rover which must have made money by then and I'm sure BMW sold it for a very good price to Ford.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

BMW did well to evacuate from the BL/Rover S**tfight when it did. any money lost is nothing compared to what would have been lost had they stayed flogging that deadest of horses.

As for VW buying Alfa Romeo...It kind of makes sense on a sick level. Work with me on this, I'm sure I'm about to upset some people.

VW has always been renowned for it's engineering and quality prowess. You can say what you like but their cars are, for the most part, of top notch fit, finish and quality. However with this attention to detail the larger picture is often lost, and their cars are also not known as hotbeds of passionate driving or styling. Recent VW's (and the GTi) have always been passionate in terms of being the best, but you could hardly call them anything more than freakishly competent.

Alfa Romeo, on the other hand, has almost entirely the opposite perceievedproperties. passionate, historic, alive. But their cars focus on the big picture and the little things - like reliablity, quality control, panel gap fitment - have been lost. This has led to a negative reaction to even new product which is up to a fairly high quality standard.

By mixing these two elements together, the punnet square creates one of four options.
High Quality/High Passion (Rolls Royce Current Standing)
High Quality/Low Passion (VW Current Standing)
Low Quality/High Passion (AR Current Standing)
Low Quality/Low Passion (Lada current standing)

Ze Chermans have done a pretty decent job with Lamborghini, which still manages to be somewhat of an animal despite having herrs as masters. It's been dressed up in a tuxedo, certainly, but it's still the 15 stone rugby prop that will 'ave you in the carpark if need be. Alfa Romeo is currently a brand without a purpose - Not high end enough for Audi/BMW/Mercedes Comparisons, Not cheap or ubiquitous enough for Ford/Opel comparisons. It occupies a no-mans land which killed Rover, a land of high prices but average product.

I, for one, welcome our new Peoples Car overlords. Thankyou for your attention.