Fiat-Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, CEO, announced that he will appoint a head of the Alfa Romeo brand exclusively for the North American market. This is because the Italian manufacturer returning to America after an absence of 17 years, will be his first priority, relegating Europe where the Alfa sales were disappointing, in second place.
"We will target the U.S. market first and work our way back to Europe," Marchionne said in an interview with Autonews Europe. "We conducted market tests whether the U.S. Alfa and, despite our long absence from the market, remains one of the best brands in the world. I think we should go back and take it."
This is in contrast to the common industry practice to please the most demanding European customers in the first place, with many car manufacturers go so far as the construction of facilities design and optimization of the characteristics of their models based preferences of customers in Europe.
Marchionne admits that Alfa Romeo is the biggest problem to be solved, after seven years as head of Fiat Group, as the Italian brand vehicles, such as the Brera, Spider, GT and 159 "does not reflect the Sports of the brand"
Initial estimates have proved to be unrealistic: in 2006, Marchionne said that twice Alfa Romeo sales to 300,000 units in 2010. He missed the target by a mile ... some of them: last year the company sold 115,000 cars one.
This has forced Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester reduce the annual target for 2011 to 155,000 units, and 2014, when the manufacturer has completed its new level and begin to roll out new models, to 400,000 units.
On the other hand, dealers US Fiat that has so far only 500 urban premium in their inventory will be more than happy to hear they will get the Alfa Romeo, too. The head of Chrysler Group's development network, Peter Grady, noted that the group plans to increase its dealer network US Fiat 150 by year-end of the 130 originally planned.
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