The future of Alfa Romeo
Discussion
Can Alfa Romeo survive much longer??
The reason i ask was prompted by a recent drive out to site, a drive of around 100 miles. I do this drive 3 times a week. On this drive i probably see about 40 Audi A4/A3 jobbies, about the same number of BMW 3/5 series. I have never seen a Alfa 159/Brera in the 6 months i have been making the journeys.
I have seen just one Alfa 159 this year, which given that the launch was over a year ago, must surely signal bad times ahead for Alfa as acompany???
I live near Nottm & frequently spend time on the M1, so it's not as if i'm in the middle of nowhere, i just don't get it
The reason i ask was prompted by a recent drive out to site, a drive of around 100 miles. I do this drive 3 times a week. On this drive i probably see about 40 Audi A4/A3 jobbies, about the same number of BMW 3/5 series. I have never seen a Alfa 159/Brera in the 6 months i have been making the journeys.
I have seen just one Alfa 159 this year, which given that the launch was over a year ago, must surely signal bad times ahead for Alfa as acompany???
I live near Nottm & frequently spend time on the M1, so it's not as if i'm in the middle of nowhere, i just don't get it
Not so sure about not seeing 159s or Breras, I see a fair few on my travels around Central Scotland.
An Alfa Romeo has never been the obvious choice in the way that a BMW or Audi is - I don't think they've ever sold in the same sort of volume, so it's not surprising that there are more of those about.
If you include the fact that Alfa UK has been actively pruning the dealer network, and then see that from January's figures their year-on-year market share is up almost 88%, then I don't think they're doing terribly badly.
edit to add that the 8C is going to bring loads of attention to the brand, and hopefully the Brera GTA will be as good as expected and will capitalise on that. The new Junior looks like it'll be a good little car, too.
An Alfa Romeo has never been the obvious choice in the way that a BMW or Audi is - I don't think they've ever sold in the same sort of volume, so it's not surprising that there are more of those about.
If you include the fact that Alfa UK has been actively pruning the dealer network, and then see that from January's figures their year-on-year market share is up almost 88%, then I don't think they're doing terribly badly.
edit to add that the 8C is going to bring loads of attention to the brand, and hopefully the Brera GTA will be as good as expected and will capitalise on that. The new Junior looks like it'll be a good little car, too.
Edited by jamieboy on Thursday 22 February 15:12
jamieboy said:
If you include the fact that Alfa UK has been actively pruning the dealer network, and then see that from January's figures their year-on-year market share is up almost 88%, then I don't think they're doing terribly badly.
I dont get it though, i remember seeing lots of 156's after it's launch, i remember thinking how i just had to have one.
I feel it's very different with these newer cars, certainly round here it is.
I bet I see a 159 every day - and no, not the same one.
Saw a black Brera today.
So there's plenty about, maybe they just blend in a bit more than when the 156 first appeared? Don't forgte there's lots of GTs and 147s out there too.
Certainly Alfa UK have said there will be a lean patch while they sort the dealers out and that will take a few years before we see the benefits. Thankfully my local dealer is of the "new breed".
Saw a black Brera today.
So there's plenty about, maybe they just blend in a bit more than when the 156 first appeared? Don't forgte there's lots of GTs and 147s out there too.
Certainly Alfa UK have said there will be a lean patch while they sort the dealers out and that will take a few years before we see the benefits. Thankfully my local dealer is of the "new breed".
Wombat Rick said:
... there's plenty about...
I totally disagree.
I see far more DB9'S than Breras. I see far more Audi Q7's that 159's.
The fact that the dealers are offering enticing incentives for new cars confirms that they are having issues with shifting units.
I have done 8000 miles in my Brera now, i drive along with my eyes peeled in the hope of seeing another one. I have only seen FOUR since last August.
cirvy said:
I totally disagree.
I see far more DB9'S than Breras. I see far more Audi Q7's that 159's.
The fact that the dealers are offering enticing incentives for new cars confirms that they are having issues with shifting units.
I have done 8000 miles in my Brera now, i drive along with my eyes peeled in the hope of seeing another one. I have only seen FOUR since last August.
I see far more DB9'S than Breras. I see far more Audi Q7's that 159's.
The fact that the dealers are offering enticing incentives for new cars confirms that they are having issues with shifting units.
I have done 8000 miles in my Brera now, i drive along with my eyes peeled in the hope of seeing another one. I have only seen FOUR since last August.
Fair enough.
What can I say? Must be a regional thing.
I have seen more Breras than new TTs, but thankfully they are not as common as Q7s which are parked on every street corner and disabled parking space in Bradford with blacked out windows and pumping stereos. Massive. Innit.
Oh I dunno - at a glance the 159 doesn't look that much different from a facelifted 156. Maybe you're missing a few 159s?
As to regional variations, I think it does happen. For example, there have always been a relatively large number of 916-model GTVs around Bristol but in other areas they can be a very rare sight indeed.
I've seen maybe 4 Brendas "in the wild" in total but then again I guess that this close to their launch, the GTV was similarly rare.
As to regional variations, I think it does happen. For example, there have always been a relatively large number of 916-model GTVs around Bristol but in other areas they can be a very rare sight indeed.
I've seen maybe 4 Brendas "in the wild" in total but then again I guess that this close to their launch, the GTV was similarly rare.
Edited by pdV6 on Thursday 22 February 17:26
as alfa drivers we would hate to see an alfa every 3rd or 4th car on the road but we get a wee bit pist off when they get overlooked for other marques.up here in dundee you,re more likely to see more porsche cayenne turbos than 159s or breras.what's that all about.it's not that i wouldn't notice because i'm "old alfa" (i wave to other alfa drivers(actually i wave to other alfas)something's wrong when people would rather pay near 70 grand than 25 grand for a car.is the cayenne that good or is the brera that bad.
jonny manhattan said:
as alfa drivers we would hate to see an alfa every 3rd or 4th car on the road but we get a wee bit pist off when they get overlooked for other marques.up here in dundee you,re more likely to see more porsche cayenne turbos than 159s or breras.what's that all about.it's not that i wouldn't notice because i'm "old alfa" (i wave to other alfa drivers(actually i wave to other alfas)something's wrong when people would rather pay near 70 grand than 25 grand for a car.is the cayenne that good or is the brera that bad.
I'm about 15 miles NE of Dundee and have only seen one Brera on the road, mind you in the 6 months iv'e had the GTV Iv'e ony seen 1 other but I see loads of GTs.
Do you use CP garage services for your Alfa? They are pretty good and the boss Euan knows then inside out.
i've had my gtv for 3 1/2 years and i take it to c.p garage for everything.infact it's going there next friday for a service and once over.i tried to be a smartarse last year when it wasn't running properly.i got the tune-up boy out to check it out.he said it was one of the coils so i got one from c.p. and fitted it.£50 for the tune-up and £60 for the coil and it wasn't fixed so i phoned euan and he told me over the phone it was the air flow meter.he had one in stock and fitted it that day and it went like rocket after that.
Alfa are completely fecked, if you consider the UK to be the entire world. The new ranges have sold badly here.
Happily Fiat Group in general (and even Alfa) are doing well in the rest of Europe, where the 159 was well reviewed and is selling well. Fiat is profitable and negotiated an incredibly beneficial split from GM. So there is no need for doom and gloom, even if all of our countrymen seem to think a 320d on 16 inch wheels is the height of sophistication.
Happily Fiat Group in general (and even Alfa) are doing well in the rest of Europe, where the 159 was well reviewed and is selling well. Fiat is profitable and negotiated an incredibly beneficial split from GM. So there is no need for doom and gloom, even if all of our countrymen seem to think a 320d on 16 inch wheels is the height of sophistication.
The problem for Alfa in the UK is the crappy dealer network and the sparse coverage of the country following the "pruning". Many buyers flocked to the marque for the first time in the late 90's with the launch of the 156. The damage done by the incompetent dealer network and the twinning of Fiat and Alfa dealerships more effectively killed repeat sales than the reputation for rust which ruined Alfa UK in the late 70's and early 80's. Those customers have gone elswhere for their cars and are no doubt enjoying far better after sales service on their Audis, BMW's, Lexus etc. It will take seriously good cars backed up by highly competent dealers to win customers back and at the moment Alfa have neither. The cars are either overweight - a fact which Alfa knows and is working on - and underperforming compared to the competion (159, Brera and the new Spyder fall in this category)or seriously old in a marketplace that craves up to date design (147). They also lack a big modern saloon to challenge the 5 series. As a long time fan of the marque and owner of more Alfa's than I care to remember it makes me sad to see that the lesson of the sales decline in the 80's have still not been learnt. At least back then the dealers were enthusiasts who were trying to sell flawed product as opposed to their corporate counterparts in the late 90's who had good cars to sell but didn't give a damn about the customer.
Edited by isuk on Saturday 24th February 08:10
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