Volkswagen
Turin and the art of coachbuilders (1946-1980)
First of all Massimo Porta is an “old” friend: I met him during the army service – 45 year ago more or less – and we did many things together.
For this reason, I can talk about his book “Turin and the art of coachbuilders (1946-1980)” without any fear of being biased.
Massimo Porta is neither a writer nor a designer and he has never worked in an automotive company.
In...
What do I have to expect if I choose an electric car?
We have finally reached the third type of “alternative” power source, currently offered by OEMs on the market.
After the well known sources, that is LPG and CNG, I examined the various type of “hybrid power source“, in three specific posts whose links you will find at the end of this article.
In this new post I tried to outline the characteristic elements of power supply in...
What do I have to expect if I choose a hybrid car? (Parallel hybrid)
After the posts about the CNG and LPG engines, let’s focus on the hybrid cars and their advantages.
Hybrid vehicles use multiple traction energy generation systems (they normally combine a thermal and an electric power unit), combined with a system to recover energy during slowing down and braking.
Hybrid cars can be classified into three types:
PARALLEL HYBRID
Thermal engine and electric motor...
Vintage car, historic car and “old car”…what’s the difference?
For those who approach the historic automotive field not everything is easy to understand.
According to the common sense you may thing that a Fiat Uno thirty year-old will always be only an old car, a Lancia Aurelia B20 or a Jaguar E type (the one of Diabolik) are, instead, collector’s cars.
But it’s not so simple!
To face the complex world of the historic motoring it’s better to...
The list of the most read posts of 2016 on Automotive Space
Also this year we like to publish the list of most read posts of Automotive Space. You can see there are more differences from the last post on the most read posts in 2015.
For this reason we can confirm that Automotive Space doesn’t aim the last news.
Unfortunately from one year we are publishing a fewer number of post because we haven’t abroad correspondents…be patient; we are working...
Dieselgate: the ends justify the means?
Objectives, results, standards and performance.
Are we sure that the ancient motto “the ends justify the means” is achievable?
What happens if a Company is put under pressure, particularly when Consumers believe that the brand is incapable of overlooking high standards?
Imagine a successful athlete who is “accustomed” to win by his fans.
Imagine that on the eve of a competition he – not considering...
Time stays, carmakers go.
In Italy, in five years, carmakers have lost more than 1,600 dealers, while the dealers of trucks (550 in 2009), today are only 110.
Also in the ultra-efficient US there was a die-off: NADA-data shows that more than 6,500 dealers have disappeared. Whilst of the remaining 17,665 dealerships, 5,000 of them sell less than 10 new cars per month, and 7,000 fewer than 30 per month.
These numbers in Europe...
QNX: the future and the present of the infotainment
QNX Software Systems Ltd is released by BlackBerry leading provider of operating systems, middleware, development tools and professional services for integrated systems.
Audi, Siemens, General Electric, Cisco and Lockheed Martin use QNX technology for their on-board systems, medical device, industrial automation, router and more.
QNX announced at the CES 2015 in Las Vegas, the last January 5th, that...
Interview to Giorgetto Giugiaro
Date of the interview: October, 10 2014
Professional Profile: Giorgetto Giugiaro
When one thinks about Design and cars that have marked its evolution, one has to think about the Italian Design and the masterpieces that it has produced from the very beginning of the automobile industry.
And when one thinks at the Italian Design, it is a must to consider Giorgetto Giugiaro: designer, entrepreneur,...
2014: First quarter Sales for FCA
Waiting the launch of the new business plan FCA by Marchionne about the near future, planned for 6th,May in Detroit and that in addition to confirmations and new directions for the Group’s brands, it should finally clarify the expected developments of “Alfa Romeo”, meanwhile we comment the results referring to car registrations of Chrysler Fiat Group Automobiles in the first quarter of 2014.
We...
When the eastern wind…
I have already had occasion to say that the world of the automotive and the recreational marine one are very close. In general, the world of boating retraces the same choices and pathways of the automotive… ten year later.
Over the years in the automotive there are been manufacturers’ realities characterized by low cost connotations. To Asian manufacturers -mostly Koreans- who first pointed to...
November: the FIAT Group in the world
According to the main global markets data of November 2013 we can try to make a view, concise but accurate, on the trend of our National Builder about the main markets in the world, also expressing thoughts and forecasts.
European automotive market, overall, registered in November a little growth of 0.9%, this marks the end of the month with an increasing trend for the 3rd consecutive month.
In November...
At last! Up!+Citigo+Mii surpasses Panda
Lets say once and for all
. AT LEAST!
We have had enough about the torment dealing with the Panda (Italian approximation sign) rose after the press triumph at the Up+Citigo+Mii! launch.
Obviously this ironic and sarcastic sentence is originated from both public and private huffy comments due to the publication of the post Because nobody says that Panda is sold more than Up!…. article from...
In search of the lost platform (as long as cross-segment)
Watchword: share. It matters little that if we are talking about social networks or platforms. The first is the reality of the moment, the other a necessity for the cars manufacturer, searching for the magical tool that allows to churn out new models in bursts, while maintaining a unique structure, from the city car to the SUV.
If the concept of shared platform applies to similar segments, for which...
Brazil and the Fiat, a 2012 record
The Brazilian car market ended 2012 as the best year in its history, with a volume of 3,634,510 units sold (cars + LCVs), an increase of 6.1% compared to 2011.
Fiat sold 838,219 vehicles, establishing the best result in its history in 36 years of presence in Brazil and once again confirming Market leader with 23.1% share (it is the eleventh in a row!), an increase of 11.1% on 2011; ahead of VW with...
CRM: the “Waterloo” of the dealers
2012 has been succesfull for carmakers: they all made money selling cars!
GM is back # 1 in the world, followed by Toyota and Ford.
Ferrari had the best result of 66 years of history.
Martin Winkertorn celebrated the records in sales and profits at VW Group with a personal superbonus of 14,000,000.
Fiat-Chrysler sold 4.209 million cars, with a net profit of 1.4 billion. In January 2013 has further...
Why nobody says that Panda is sold more than Up! ?
Yes, you read correctly, and it is no use you get excited – I’m referring to the pro Germans (VW e.n.). The numbers speak clearly, whether you like it or not!
But what is surprising is how the news is virtually absent from any type of media; then perhaps we can find some painful – but true – explanation without a particular effort.
Thanks to our friends at carsitaly.net I received...
Toyota Prius: world’s best selling model is hybrid!
For the first time in the automotive history an Hybrid vehicle is the world’s best selling model, as reported by focus2move.com research team, with over 256.000 vehicles sold in the first quarter 2012, ahead of former leader, Toyota Corolla (253.000) and Ford Focus (231.000).
Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric vehicles introduced in the 1997 in the Japanese market and progressivelly launched...
In Russia Ghosn beats Marchionne 31 to 1. Nasdrovie Tovarish!
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...
When scale economy compromises quality
Using the same parts for different models of cars, and for different brands in the case of auto groups, is definitely an intelligent solution for cost containment and the allocation of fixed costs on a larger number of vehicles, besides the reduction of merchandise in stock by adopting a just in time production system.
But sometimes this industrial logic was adopted too hastily and without a careful...
Italy: whilst Penske is arriving, Marchione is… departing?
With trumpets and drums Mr. Rob Kurnick announces the landing of the Penske Group into the land of Fiat: “In Italy the economy is recovering and there are opportunities to grab!”
A few days ago the associations of Dealers and Manufacturers – Federauto and Unrae – had spoken a “bit differently” regarding the dramatic situation of all those spitting blood in the italian...
The residual value of your new car
For the last few days I have been hearing the ad on the italian radio for the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the part about maintaining its value in the used car market according to Eurotax and Quattroruote (the most important italian automotive newspaper) really caught my attention.
I wondered: is it really true what they’re saying in the Giulietta ad? And, if it is true, why advertise it during...
Global cars sales outlook – March 2012
“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.
Chinese data were affected by the Chinese New Year falls, with fewer working days, but nobody...
Manufacturer Alliances: Good or bad?
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?
In the past the first tentative alliances were based on purchasing power formats. Then the inevitable creep sets in with manufacturers sharing platforms, major components, engines and indeed entire vehicles.
There...
A new European Brand: QOROS.
QOROS. Remember this name.
This is a new official brand since November the 28th, founded by a joint venture between Chery and Israel Corporation, with active operational participation of Magna (who wanted to buy Opel in 2009). A powerful agreement between the largest Chinese Car provider (for the last 8 years at least) and one of the biggest Israeli Holdings.
The news was not emphasized enough...
Automotive communication: different roles between OEM and dealers.
Advertising and the art to manage the emotions of clients. Advertising is considered the most powerful tool of marketing, has no limits or borders and has become an integral part of the economy in the world. Dorothy Miller the 2011 Nada Convention has analyzed this argument, noting that in the United States today, nearly 40% of car buyers do not trust most of the traditional media such as press,...
Cadillac Man: fantasy or reality? Some interesting data collected in Italy, useful… everywhere!
What can happen when two very famous persons, known and loved by all becomes car salesmen? I know many car dealers and many salesmen who are ashamed to say the work they do, fearing of being compared to the ‘Cadillac man‘ of Robin Williams or to the‘Italian Car salesman’ of Robert de Niro.
In Italy from a few weeks two famous character actors, Paolo Kessisoglu and Luca Bizzarri, are...
NADA Convention 2011 and XXI Congresso Fenabrave: the revolution of Social Media make obsolete the CSI
As the GDP can’t be the benchmark of the economy because it does not take into account all the variables of real life but only the consumption, so the CSI can’t be the index with which to judge dealers, because it measures the satisfaction of “just one moment” and nothing else.
Few manufacturers – more attentive to the evolution of consumers – does not measure satisfaction an end...
VOLKSWAGEN & VOLKSWAGEN…no customers’ land?
The prestigious Wolfsburg Automotive Group has in the recent year shown a clear sign of market growth in selling his robust and reliable vehicles around the world across its several very well known and strong brands. This year sales forecast versus the current turnover are electing the Group as being on the top of sales, beating Toyota’s myth for the very first time in the last recent years.
As previously...
The Chinese army is attacking from the East
I would like to talk about an argument “frivolous”, so trivial that nobody was able to see it, at least in Europe.
In the last ten days of March it was announced that Chery’s Chineses will supply 15 A3 Sedan and 2 Tiggo (SUV) to the police in Belgrade . The news might not appear so interesting but there is something unrevealed to say.
Browsing the company website of Chery we...
