VW to buy Fiat?
Discussion
Blimey!
Volkswagen has held talks with owners of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles about purchasing the Italian carmaker, German monthly magazine Manager Magazin reported on its website on Thursday, citing unnamed company sources.
Fiat's owners want to shift their focus to the Ferrari brand and quit its traditional automotive business, the publication said, without being more specific.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/17/uk-volksw...
Volkswagen has held talks with owners of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles about purchasing the Italian carmaker, German monthly magazine Manager Magazin reported on its website on Thursday, citing unnamed company sources.
Fiat's owners want to shift their focus to the Ferrari brand and quit its traditional automotive business, the publication said, without being more specific.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/17/uk-volksw...
Mr SFJ said:
If they do, I'll sell my Fiat, I don't want VAG for a reason, thus why I chose Fiat. VAG are like Microsoft, they can't beat them, so they buy them. it's a Pisstake.
My 1989 Nissan started being unreliable after the Renualt partnership in 1999.Retrospective branding has a real and measurable effect and definitely isn't mental.
Captain Muppet said:
Mr SFJ said:
If they do, I'll sell my Fiat, I don't want VAG for a reason, thus why I chose Fiat. VAG are like Microsoft, they can't beat them, so they buy them. it's a Pisstake.
My 1989 Nissan started being unreliable after the Renualt partnership in 1999.Retrospective branding has a real and measurable effect and definitely isn't mental.
My '87 Austin Mini has been totally reliable ever since BMW got involved.....b
ds. HorneyMX5 said:
Wasn't there whispers of this but with Alfa not Fiat a few years back?
Yes there was. Of course I hope that VAG leaves the italians alone but... Alfa Romeo would have been a good buy for VAG because in my eyes they could use a brand with affordable yet upscale sporty RWD cars. Audi is FWD/Haldex-AWD and focused on innovation and Cayman is excellent but not quite affordable. The Golf R is a Golf (and so is the TT 
)I have no idea what they would do with Fiat. I suspect they would position it to compete with Dacia. Found this 2 year old article on google just now:
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/14/vw-planning-new...
As above really, can't see why they would want Fiat.
If they wanted to cash in on the Fiat 500 cuteness, they could easily have had a rethink about the beetle and instead of making it the size of a family MPV, made it small and cute like the original.
They already have 3 brands that have small city cars. VW, Skoda and Seat already make them. Buying Fiat will bring nothing to the range they don't already have.
I don't think Fiat really need to improve their image or product. The current line of cars coming out of Fiat are well built and reliable. At least no less so than the current stuff coming out of the VAG camp. They don't really have an image problem imo. Very popular, cheap cars. Some people who have never owned one will slate them as rubbish but what do they know?..
If they wanted to cash in on the Fiat 500 cuteness, they could easily have had a rethink about the beetle and instead of making it the size of a family MPV, made it small and cute like the original.
They already have 3 brands that have small city cars. VW, Skoda and Seat already make them. Buying Fiat will bring nothing to the range they don't already have.
I don't think Fiat really need to improve their image or product. The current line of cars coming out of Fiat are well built and reliable. At least no less so than the current stuff coming out of the VAG camp. They don't really have an image problem imo. Very popular, cheap cars. Some people who have never owned one will slate them as rubbish but what do they know?..
Edited by MysteryLemon on Thursday 17th July 16:55
Captain Muppet said:
Mr SFJ said:
If they do, I'll sell my Fiat, I don't want VAG for a reason, thus why I chose Fiat. VAG are like Microsoft, they can't beat them, so they buy them. it's a Pisstake.
My 1989 Nissan started being unreliable after the Renualt partnership in 1999.Retrospective branding has a real and measurable effect and definitely isn't mental.
MysteryLemon said:
As above really, can't see why they would want Fiat.
If they wanted to cash in on the Fiat 500 cuteness, they could easily have had a rethink about the beetle and instead of making it the size of a family MPV, made it small and cute like the original.
They already have 3 brands that have small city cars. VW, Skoda and Seat already make them. Buying Fiat will bring nothing to the range they don't already have.
Except this just seems to be purely a case of VW needing to completely dominate the auto industry, even if it means buying up every single competitor. Thing is what point is ENOUGH. How many brands do they need to own before they sit back and say "Yep - we've got more than enough to be keeping us busy?" :|If they wanted to cash in on the Fiat 500 cuteness, they could easily have had a rethink about the beetle and instead of making it the size of a family MPV, made it small and cute like the original.
They already have 3 brands that have small city cars. VW, Skoda and Seat already make them. Buying Fiat will bring nothing to the range they don't already have.
It's bleak.
I'm getting increasingly jaded with the VW group in general. As if their disdain to owners of older models wasn't enough.
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