Monday 11th November 2002

Fix It Again Tony

FIAT is about to go down the tubes according to Robert Farago

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[andytk]

"Fiat's decline will be like the latest Harry Potter movie: slow and relentless.:

Hey I've seen the latest Harry Potsmoker movie and its quite good, thankyouverymuch.

Buy you're right FIAT are going down the pan.

Andy

[andytk]

Are there any sperm banks in Italy

(see other thread about eastern european cars and sperm)

on the flip side who'd buy such sperm. I mean jsut think of the build quality issues.....

Andy

[Captain Muppet]

andytk said: Are there any sperm banks in Italy

I can't imagine Italian men "abstaining" for long enough to make a valid donation...

[pawsmcgraw]

if Fiat go pear shaped what are the problems to Ferrari?Are they not owned by Fiat?


multipa should have been strangled at birth

[Citizen Rat]

GM will take Ferrari, but it will be a cold day in hell before anyone cares, like VAG and Lamborghini.

[robkola]

. . .hope the Polski Fiat survives (!)

[Podie]

Don't FIAT also own, Lancia, Alfa and Maserati (as well as Ferrari)...?

[robkola]

Podie said: Don't FIAT also own, Lancia, Alfa and Maserati (as well as Ferrari)...?

Could be an "Rover" style break up on the cards!
Anyone want Ferrari for a quid?!!

[Captain Muppet]

robkola said:

Podie said: Don't FIAT also own, Lancia, Alfa and Maserati (as well as Ferrari)...?

Could be an "Rover" style break up on the cards!
Anyone want Ferrari for a quid?!!

I'm keeping my quid for the Proton sale of Lotus.

[marki]

Podie said: Don't FIAT also own, Lancia, Alfa and Maserati (as well as Ferrari)...?

I think Ferrari own Maserati and Fiat own Ferrari , dont know how that would change things , but maybe there is a reson for this line of parentage

[pdv6]

Oi! Alfa! Build the godammned Brera

[andytk]

yup. You're damn right. BUILD THE BRERA

absolutely georgeous car. Saw it on fifth gear the other night and it looks like gods own car.
Also read in EVO or some other mag that cos its only a prototype it doesn't comply with drive by noise regs. So its fitted with the mother of all sports exhausts.... Hmmmm. Nice.
If Alfa made this car then it would overnight become the second most profitable car compnay in Italy. (the first being Ferrari)

Andy

>> Edited by andytk on Tuesday 12th November 14:09

[alfa dave]

Today's Autocar suggests something very very similar is coming - though apparently Twin turbo V6 rather than Maserati V8 power.

A welcome return for RWD Alfa's....

[v8thunder]

And if that doesn't do the trick the 147GTA should

[danmangt40]

hell yes... turbo v6 makes the $$$$ much lower than the v8. danny likes.... **** the rest of fiat, anyone in thier position should be able to dominate at least one sector, and since they don't get any credit for ferrari in my book, so they truly haven't.

[308gt4]

danmangt40 said: hell yes... turbo v6 makes the $$$$ much lower than the v8. danny likes.... **** the rest of fiat, anyone in thier position should be able to dominate at least one sector, and since they don't get any credit for ferrari in my book, so they truly haven't.

FIAT actually saved Ferrari from the Ford clutches in '69 (well, actually Pinin Farina talked Enzo out of the Ford deal) and then modernised the car production side and gave Enzo all the money he needed to go F1 racing so they deserve some credit for Ferrari's success (not much, but some). Luca De Montezelomo is the real Ferrari success story.

Funny how FIAT has slowly gone downhill since Agnelli faded into the background and a drifting committee took over (pretty much happens everywhere in the world when committees move in and the golden parachutes come out )

Seeing as how the world is going retro I think FIAT could update the 124 Sport and the 130 Coupe to modern standards and slightly cleaner lines and find that these are the type of cars people expect from FIAT.

I have a 2300S coupe which was way better than the Mercs of equivalent stature in their day (even said so in an English mag!!! unbelievable) and it still surprises me that a car of only 2.3 litres can go so quickly and stop so brilliantly. Still an exciting car to drive even after getting out of the Ferrari and a lot easier to drive long distances for some reason I have never been able to work out.

[smifffy]

A few billion here, a few billion there... the Italians are used to seeing these figures every day.

I found 17 billion lire down the back of the sofa yesterday and went out and bought a stamp with it.

Maybe someone should remind the Italians this is Euros though? Maybe they only moved to the Euro because they could no longer fit the Fiat losses onto a single newspaper sheet?

[thrust]

Podie said: Don't FIAT also own, Lancia, Alfa and Maserati (as well as Ferrari)...?

I don't think that's quite right. There's two companies here: Fiat SpA and Fiat Auto. Fiat SpA own both Fiat Auto and Ferrari, but have only limited liabilities, so Fiat Auto won't drag Fiat SpA (and consequently Ferrari) down with it.

Fiat Auto do, however, own Alfa Romeo and Lancia - so they are both as screwed as Fiat itself is.

I think that's right, but I'm sure someone will correct me.

[ErnestM]

I heard, recently, that the gentleman heading up Ferrari is about to be given the top spot at Fiat so maybe it's time for Ferrari to actually save Fiat?

Can't remember the man's name. I'll have a rummage online and see what I can come up with.

ErnestM

Edited to say: The gent's name is Luca di Montezemo. Been with Ferrari since the days of Enzo...

>> Edited by ErnestM on Sunday 17th November 14:59