Fiat chief: Alfa Romeo could benefit from Tata-Jaguar acquisition
The upcoming Alfa Romeo 169 flagship sedan is slated to be based on a modified platform from sister-company Maserati, but a potential tie-in with Jaguar could provide an interesting alternative.
A report from British magazine Autocar recalls that Alfa's parent company Fiat initially expressed interest in acquiring Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford, but decided to pass in favor of focusing on the rejuvenation of its own divisions instead. However, Indian automaker Tata, which is tipped to have placed the winning bid for the English marques, shares close relations with the Fiat Group. The Italian auto giant advised Tata on its acquisition bid, and the partnership could stand to benefit the Alfa Romeo division.
Borrowing a platform and powertrain from Jaguar could, according to Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne, lead to a "stunning" rear-drive Alfa 169, while optimizing the cost to benefit ratio for the Italian automaker. As Autocar points out, Land Rover's existing American dealership could also prove an irresistible asset for Alfa Romeo's imminent return to the US market.
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jimbo 4:38PM (12/19/2007)
Good luck to Alfa and watch your backs senior. Jaguar will be out to sqeeuze every last lire from you, to try and help their miserable balance sheet look slightly more heathly than a rabid dog.
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BowserUSC 5:37PM (12/19/2007)
It would be the singular Lira and they don't use that currency anymore. So Jag will be trying to squeeze every last Euro out of them.
Can't wait to see some Alfa's over here. I've wanted one for so long.
BowserUSC 5:37PM (12/19/2007)
It would be the singular Lira and they don't use that currency anymore. So Jag will be trying to squeeze every last Euro out of them.
Can't wait to see some Alfa's over here. I've wanted one for so long.
Luis 5:25PM (12/19/2007)
He he, you said "tata"...
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sydbot 5:50PM (12/19/2007)
Why doesn't Alfa just ask GM about their Alpha (an Alfa Alpha! but I digress) platform? Might as well spread the volume love, and Alfa already uses the High-Feature V6 block.
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BowserUSC 5:40PM (12/19/2007)
Sorry for the double (now triple) post.
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adrian 3:25PM (12/20/2007)
Fiat are looking to get some Jaguar technology on the cheap, without the liability of buy the brand. Very sneaky.
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