Auto Design

A commentary.

In the mid-sixties, the Milanese Inter foot-club was dominating the scene in Europe, under the leadership of coach Helenio Herrera and the ownership of Angelo Moratti. Herrera had a lot of talent and a simple, pragmatic strategy: buy all the best players, even if he could not use all of them. Read the rest of this entry »

The two-seater spider/roadster by Pininfarina

In addition to the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, designed in house, there will be at least two more Alfa Romeo dream-cars to look and scrutinize at the Geneva Motor Show opening early this March. Read the rest of this entry »

Alfa Romeo has released the first official picture of its new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, thus confirming the past speculation on the naming of the heir to the Alfa Romeo 147 hatchback first launched in year 2000. The new compact 4 door, five seater, Alfa Romeo will make its official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show shortly before going on sale, in summer, in Europe and in most extra-European markets (including Japan) in Autumn next year. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta ( after the Milano label has been killed last Friday) is going to be a very symbolic and relevant car for the brand. On one side it will the latest mass production Alfa Romeo in the first 100 years of the company history. On the other side this will be one of the first Alfa Romeo, if not the very first, to go on sale in the U.S.A. following the alliance of Fiat Group Automobiles with the new Chrysler Group, unless Marchionne decide otherwise, int the next weeks. Its platform would also be shared by Dodge which has plans to design and produce a sporty hatchback of this size for its own market. If so, it will certainly be of great interest to see how designer Ralph Gilles, recently appointed also President and CEO of the Dodge Brand and his team will exploit the “European” package. Alfa Romeo is not saying much about its new car at this time but our sources says it is a major development of the FGA new “compact” platform based on Alfa Romeo recent experience, with upgraded suspensions and mechanics. These have been engineered to place the Giulietta at the top of its class an din view of the amazing 1.7 litre four-cylinder, turbocharged with direct injection powerplant (with dual clutch gearbox) credited of 230 HP due to be launched 12 to 18 months after the introduction.

In comparison with its predecessor, the overall dimensions have increased for wheelbase, length and width and its range of engine has been expanded and renewed.

At the entry level there will be the ubiquitous 1.4 litre, four-cylinder, Multiair proposed in different output versions, starting at 120 HP . So far for the new, typically Alfa Romeo, gasoline engines. In addition the Alfa Romeo will also be available with multijet turbodiesel JTDM engine in both the 1.6 and 2.0 litre displacement versions delivering 105 to 170 HP. All engines are new and most of them come with the exclusive Multiair technology that improves performance while cutting emissions, and with Start&Stop. As the first official picture shows, the source of inspiration for the design of the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta has been once again the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Just as it was for the smaller Alfa Romeo MiTo.

Keen to enhance its success story in the popular B Segment of the European market, Fiat has orchestrated another of its spectacular launches for its Punto Evo. Read the rest of this entry »

Italy, August 6th, 2009.

The Bertone Saga is coming to an end these days as the Italian government has reviewed the very few offers presented from five bidders, only three of which met the procedure formality and the expectations of the Appointees (namely: granted a job to all Carrozzeria Bertone workers).

The job of Minister Claudio Scajola was simple and easy. Perhaps just a formality.

The first of the three bidders that made it to the deadline was interested just in the premises and facilities of the coachbuilding industrial complex of Carrozzeria Bertone; one only wanted the Bertone brand name, logo and Archive; the third one wanted both. Read the rest of this entry »

The Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este this years has been as good as the weather. That is to say that half of it was very good, with peaks of excellence, and the remaining half was bad, raining and boring, with touches of ugliness.

 By the end of the elegant week-end on the Lake of Como, one would say it was not one the best edition ever but still offered enough interesting cars to look at, people to greet and talk to, and subjects to discuss.

As such it was one not to be missed. Those who did not attend it missed the extremely rare chance of hearing the sibilo and smelling the pollution of its turbine engine, not to mention seeing this extraordinary visualisation of the dreams about the cars of the future they were dreaming in the fifties and sixties.

  Read the rest of this entry »

Geneva will offer a preview of the powerplants that Fiat would share with Chrysler in the USA, as early as next year, if the alliance currently under scrutiny will get the green light. Read the rest of this entry »

It was expected for the Frankfurt Motor Show next September but Sergio Marchionne and “his boys” did not want to wait too long. Now, the good news is that the open-air Fiat 500 Cabrio will be officially unveiled six months earlier, at the Geneva Motor Show,next month. Sales are planned to start in April, according to a reliable source. Read the rest of this entry »

The American congress will have to say yes to the rescue of the American car industry. If not under the Bush administration, if will happen after Barack Obama replaces him at the White House.

Their 14 billion dollars “helping hand” is mainly going to save General Motor from bankruptcy and perhaps give some support to Chrysler (which will likely be the first victim of the current hurricane). Ford, for the time being, is resisting on its own as an independent company to maintain respect and credibility. It would just be happy with a favourable “credit line”, which is all right. If it happens, the sale of Volvo will give them additional breath and reach.

The government might eventually take a 20% stake into GM and become the largest (and ruling) shareholder. In addition the USA government is appointing a “Czar” to supervise the development of the American car industry, according to a policy that will give priority to the benefits of the nation, its environment, its economy at large, rather than short term profits for the management (first) and the shareholder (next). The top executives will see their unrealistic salary drastically cut. If they are allowed to keep their jobs.

Executives will see no bonus until their company (and the industry at large is well on its feet again) and shareholders may forget their dividends for a while. Read the rest of this entry »

 In time of global villages, Fiat has unveiled a unique Concept Car for Latin America at the latest international motor show of Sao Paulo in Brazil, on the even of the final race of this year dramatic F1 championship. Read the rest of this entry »