Sasha says...

                                                 Motoring memoirs: Blog 28

I really believe that 2010 is going to be a bumper year for the motor industry. Now don’t get me wrong, the sales of new vehicles might not be exemplary this year, but I think there will be great excitement none the less.  Even towards the end of 2009, there was a flood of new models making their debut. Take the new Renault Megane for example. I have yet to drive it, but my word it looks good! There is something so French about it – sexy and mysterious. Volkswagen will be bringing their bakkie into the market – a bakkie to take on the might of Toyota, Isuzu and Nissan.

Audi and Alfa Romeo both celebrate their centenaries this year. Audi will bring out quite a few models, while Alfa Romeo only has the new Giulietta on their books, as well as new engines for the current range. The new MultiAir engine from Alfa is being touted as the greatest advance in motoring since the invention of the internal combustion engine…

And this is what I want to talk about. Who will be the next motor company to be bought out or sold? Let’s take a little journey back over the past few years. Ford used to own Aston Martin. Aston Martin is now back in the hands of the British and look how things are going – amazingly! As opposed to using Ford Mondeo platforms to build a supercar, Aston now make cars for serious people who love serious cars.

Lamborghini are among the ultimate cars anyone could ever hope to own. Yes, they used to be insanely crazy, but that was their appeal. The craziness and brute power and, in many ways, their undriveability. Don’t forget, Lamborghini was started by Enzo Ferrari’s neighbour. Mr Lambo bought a Ferrari but didn’t like it much, so he decided that instead of building tractors, he would build a better car than Enzo could. After the Diablo, Lamborghini were struggling financially in a much more competitive supercar market, so the German’s (Audi) bought them out. If you look back at the history between Germany and Italy, it’s not actually that happy, so there was some concern as to how the Italians would deal with the Germans buying them. Would they change the way they made cars? Would they tame it all down?

The answer is yes and no. The Germans took Lambo and turned it into a business, as opposed to a passionate, small company that developed a new model when they felt the need. Today, Lambo as an arm of Audi is profitable. OK, before we get too carried away, the Murcielago is an outstanding machine and one of the greatest supercars ever made. The Gallardo started off well but seems to be too Audi and too pure. There are many around, but there are just as many sitting on second-hand dealership floors. That says something. Audi will need to be not as “German” (ie. Boring) when they release their next model range. Be warned.

Now, what about BMW? They bought Mini – total success story. They bought Rolls Royce – stupendous design and strong sales for a car that makes no sense at all. Now onto VW. Bentley was a wanna-be Rolls Royce and was designed for real fuddy duddy’s who had enough money to buy a Rolls but wanted something other than a Rolls. So they bought a Bentley and regretted it. Nowadays, Bentley is the choice of car for football millionaires and rappers. The Poms must be shaking in their boots about this trend. Bentley is an outstanding marque and they make some very fine motor cars today.

VW also produce the amazing Bugatti Veyron. The car defies belief. We might never see a car like this again… ever. Oh yeah, and now they own Porsche. Wonder what they will do with them! I mean, how much longer do we have to be punished with a car design from the Sixties? Even the Beetle moved on eventually.

Towards the end of 2009 when Fiat bought Chrysler, CEO Sergio Marchione mentioned that Alfa Romeo needed to be reformed. Wow, the guy has a brain. Here is the big problem for Fiat: with Ferrari they have the world’s most prestigious sports car manufacturer. Ferrari has now transformed Maserati and the marquee is showing very positive growth. Fiat is a strong brand in Europe and South America, but Alfa always has to play the black sheep of the family.

The irony is that the Alfa Romeo brand is highly regarded in Italy; perhaps even more than Ferrari. But if Alfa were to achieve the heights it had back in the good old days, then the country would have to decide between Ferrari and Alfa Romeo as to which would be their favourite. It is no surprise that one team leader of Alfa Romeo left to go to VW – he could not get the relevant parties at Fiat group to agree to what was needed to re-invent the Alfa Romeo marquee. This same person has now added fuel to the fire by stating that VW could buy Alfa Romeo from Fiat.

Well, what would happen. The Alfisti’s would be devastated, but perhaps if VW had Alfa Romeo in their hands, VW could do to them what they have done to the likes of Bugatti and Bentley.