2012 has been succesfull for carmakers: they all made money selling cars! Read more »

Some carmakers invest millions in order to measure and increase Customer Satisfaction.

Today the manufacturers must be able to measure themselves “1-2-1″ with their Customers, with transparency: thanks to the web any single Client could become a powerful promoter or a devastating detractor.

Read more »

Date of interview: April 24, 2012

Professional Profile: Roland Schell

Notes: Interview by Pietro Montagna

I had the opportunity to interview Roland Schell and I did not let slip the opportunity, trying to bring the discussion on the future of our industry, because speaking about the present would have been disheartening.

The Italian market continues to fall, while the world continues to grow. In 2011, the Italian market for light passengers (cars + light commercial) weighed 2.5% of the world (it was 3.7% in 2008). What is happening and what is the answer of your company? Read more »

The world of HCV and Trucks changes much faster than the one of the automobile!

The truck dealers – who are still snubbed as ‘truckers’ with spicy calendars by those who work in the chain of Passenger Vehicles - they are ahead of the “obedient car dealers”.

A forced change: the cataclysm feared by the Italian dealers federation is already a reality from some years among the dealers of trucks! Read more »

0829200910384 © by roland

The new Mercedes B class television ad, in my opinion, signals a significant communication strategy change that already started with the ads for the E class.
Mercedes sales results in Italy are definitely the worst among the three large German manufacturers. Read more »

While in Italy manufacturers, importers and dealers are losing dozens of employees and millions of euro every day – and Fiat develops his worst results in the last 30 years – in Russia the Carmakers seems to play war games.

The Russian market is a great opportunity for manufacturers and dealers: last year, 2,652,000 cars were sold with a growth of 39.1% over 2010. As reported by Focus 2 move, the first quarter of 2012 ended with another growth of 22.7%, despite statements of analysts praising the CIVETS and giving BRICS markets for finished! Read more »

photo credit: godzillante|photochopper

“2012 started full of uncertain for OEMs in the automotive industry” this was how I started my article last month. At that time reports on January Chinese market performance were not yet available and when they arrived, with an incredible 26% lost year on year, Car OEMs Top Executives become really nervous. Read more »

General Motors Corporation exhibit showing the Firebird III, Century 21 Exhibition

The recent announcement by PSA and GM of their intended strategic alliance is one of many such alliances between various manufacturers.

But when do these alliances start diluting brand equity? Read more »

Regarding the Alfa Romeo Historic Museum, here’s a interesting story pointed out during an interview with Andrea Vecchi, the President of the Alfa Romeo Club of Milano. 

                                 “I worked for 10 years at Alfa Romeo in Arese. During 2009 the last Alfa Depts. in Arese were closed by Fiat: Design, Mechanics (where were ready 2 alloy V6 engines with 320 and 550 hp); the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile has disappeared. Also the Historical Museum would be dismantled and the collection… sold. Read more »

The new Mercedes-Benz platform – CarTogether – which promotes car sharing to reduce emissions and traffic, promised to be a revolution.

What we lacked was that the German firm – rather than promoting his products or the image of the brand – it is more precisely using the image of the revolutionary par excellence: ’Che’ Guevara, with the M-B symbol on his beret, instead of the Red Star! Read more »