The CEO at Fiat, Sergio Marchionne has stated that there was no thought process at all on Fiat selling its Alfa Romeo model to VolkswagenAG.
Interest on buying the Alfa from Fiat Group had been initiated by VW Chairman, Ferdinand Piech. Marchionne has however turned down this request by saying, “As long as I am CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, Mr. Piech will never have Alfa Romeo. It’s hands-off. I told him. I will call him and I will email him.”
Seat, the Spanish subsidiary of VW is facing problematic issues and Marchionne advises that Piech should rather focus on solving this issue. “I’m not the one who bought Seat. He’s the one who bought it. I don’t know if he can [fix it], but he needs to try,” he added while speaking at conference by JD Power automotive.
Fiat executives have indicated their plans to sell the Alfa Romeo badged cars in the US by late 2012. At the Detroit show Fiat Chairman John Elkann had announced. “We would not sell Alfa even if we were offered tons of money.”
Last March Piech had indicated the earnest of VW to buy the Alfa but had added that they were not in a hurry to do so.
Source: autonews
1 comment
The Germans never cease to amaze in their arrogance. They turned down Fiat’s bid to buy Opel, a German icon, but wanted to buy Alfa Romeo. What cojones. Bravo to the Italians for telling Hans to get lost.