Cross-cultural alliances are the craze of the moment in the auto industry, particularly in the form of Europeans hooking up with Japanese partners. Renault & Nissan, PSA & Mitsubishi, Volkswagen & Suzuki and Bertel Schmitt & Tomoko (sorry, couldn’t resist it!) are just a few examples. Fiat, on the other hand, is not following the crowd. Moneycontrol.com reports that Luca di Montezemolo, Chairman of Fiat, is saying no ad un socio giapponese. “The others are doing what we have (already) done,” Montezemolo says. “This is a time when we have to be careful not get indigestion.” Is the Chrysler merger not sitting well on the stomach?
Fiat believes that it has a decent enough footprint in the East. It is building a plant in China with Guangzhou Automobile, has a joint venture with Tata motors and has close relations with Tata (Ratan Tata sits on Fiat’s board of directors). Luca di Montezemolo also believes that its stake in Chrysler will be sufficient to give Fiat a good presence in the Orient, with Jeep to be pushed hard in China.
In further developments, Mr Montezemolo took the opportunity to dismiss claims that Volkswagen would buy their Alfa Romeo marque after it was suggested by an analyst’s report. Bernstein analysts reckon that “Alfa may not be expensive and can sit on VW’s platforms.”. Mr Montezemolo dismissed this report by laying out plans for Alfa Romeo, “We will present the new Alfa … that substitutes the 147, and we think there are also very important opportunities for Alfa Romeo in the United States,” he said. “We have done everything that we said we would do. So give us a bit of time and we will do this,” Montezemolo pleaded. “There are big synergies with Chrysler that will allow us to cover market segments we are not present in.”. Fiat have laid out some mighty big plans and have Chrysler deep in the heart of them. But it is one thing having big plans and another thing executing them correctly. Let’s hope it goes well for Fiat and they they don’t end up with an embarrassing broken nose. At least, I can resist that joke.
I have the sudden urge to eat Thai.
(on a completely unrelated note, those are the most Asian looking without being easily identifiable as Chinese, Japanese, ect girls I have ever seen)
I suggest you get out more!
Ok wise guy, definately identify the racial backgrounds of the models.
They look Thai to me – or perhaps Vietnamese.
Thai, Malaysian, or Singaporean. So, yeah, not identifiable as Japanese or Chinese.
10 points to SecretAznMan. With the help of TTAC’s in-house Asian culture expert and Google, the ladies were identified as Malaysians. http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlesfred/323060547/in/set-72157594402710111/
More to the point: Why would FIAT sell Alfa? Isn’t it one of the crown jewels of the empire in terms of how Italians and Sergio feel about it?
In regards to the Asian bride my question is, Who? There are many possiblities when you count all the auto makers in China but, how many are actually desirable?
Its stake, not it’s stake in the second paragraph, please.
You’re absolutely right and duly corrected.
The one on the left for me.
Priceless quote of the day: “This is a time when we have to be careful not to get indigestion.”
Lovely thought! But seriously, this should be EVERY COMPANY’S MISSION.
And thank you for the lovely pic. It beats yet another depressing pic of Whitacre and Henderson, or some beater rustbucket. Yuck!
* apologies to the Curbside Classics series and its fans…but come on, the recent pics have been downers. I think I smelled mildew in one of them…right through the internet!
If Alfa are to make their global sales quota and remain viable they must sell in at least one of the two largest car markets: China or North America.