February 6, 2008

Getting Older Means Getting Wiser

Filed under: Uncategorized - Administrator @ 4:50 am

Getting older means getting wiser may not always be true for humans but for cars, perhaps, it is. In fact, I believe that’s one great reason why many car enthusiasts favor vintage cars. They have lots of stories to tell, as many as the things an Acura Legend brake dust shield can identify about where your Acura car has been through.

At Hindu.com, the online edition of India’s national newspaper, was an article celebrating the glory of vintage cars in Haig Vintage Car display, held last Sunday at Secunderabad Club, India.

About 76 cars were featured in the said event. And some of those which stood out were cars that had the best stories attached to them.

A 1915 Wolseley Golfers Coupe was a grand example. It belonged to a royal family in Britain and was given as a gift to the Maharaja of Bhagalpur and then later on was found by a vintage car enthusiast from Hyderabad. It took him six years to restore it.

Another interesting vintage car was a 1936 Cadillac convertible limo. It was used by powerful officials including the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru and First Governor General C. Rajagopalachari. Recently, it was used by Governor of Andhra Pradesh Narayan Dutt Tiwari as a state car for the Maharashtra Government at Nagpur.

However, the 1936 Cadillac convertible received the Best Car Award given by automotive historian from Indore Manvendra, Singh Barwani.

Asked to speak during the occasion, Asif Adil, the managing director of Diageo-India, as quoted in the Times of India, said, “The legacy of Haig does go back a long way, with them being the oldest Scotch distilling family in the world. It was so very apt then for the whisky manufacturers who sport the line, ‘Made by time’ to bring together these beautiful masterpieces that speak of the heritage of Hyderabad, and which also stand for the very best that time and history have given to the automobile.”

In terms of vintage cars, getting older means getting wiser, indeed.

Alfa Romeo Eyes Young Men’s Hearts

Filed under: Uncategorized - Administrator @ 1:22 am

Pity the Alfa Romeo. Why?

Because notwithstanding its legendary status as an icon of Italian style and speed, its sales are slipping, it struggles to go beyond 1% percent market share in its main European market, and it is losing money. Simply, the quality which was etched in the company’s name for a long time now isn’t selling.

To circumvent the bad luck, the automaker aims at young men hearts. The expanded car market could be the much-awaited antidote.

Albeit the maker of Alfa Romeo TZ 2 parts has had the reputation for motor-racing coursing through its valves and pistons since its introduction nearly a century ago, years of mediocre parts and services have stripped the company of the premium status enjoyed by VW’s Audi and BMW.

"While it tries to pitch itself as a premium brand, it doesn’t quite make it," said Jonathan Pusket, an analyst at J.D. Power.

Reuters writes:

When the Fiat group acquired Alfa in 1986, its factories were empty of ideas, with no investment in technology or product development.

Sergio Marchionne, Fiat’s chief executive, last year told analysts Alfa "is the hardest asset that we have that we have to work (on)".

Now rising to that challenge is Luca De Meo — at 40, the youngest executive within the Fiat industrial group — who brings a badge of success from overseeing the recovery of the Fiat brand.

Enzo Ferrari used to race Alfa Romeos before he started up his own company, Alfa won the first Formula One World Championship in 1950, and in its 1960s heyday, cameo appearances in movies such as "The Graduate" and "The Italian Job" showcased the soft sleekness of its design.


"People love it for its history," said Tiberio Santagatti, a director at Club Alfa Italia for aficionados. "It’s had so many racing victories."
 
But what’s the problem?

"Alfa’s problem is that it sells too few cars," said JP Morgan analyst Philippe Houchois. He estimated Alfa had a trading loss of up to 100 million euros in 2007.

Will the new market strategy prosper? That’s for us to know…

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