Other Italian should be merged with "Cars & Motorcycles"

agreed

 

Yep

 

I guess its screw Maserati. Seems funny Lamborghini gets it's own thread while Maserati who is owned by Ferrari with an engine designed by Ferrari gets pushed even further down the ladder. wonder where will be next?

 

I would agree with that, would even then pay to be a subscriber

 

That would be cool. Don't think Rob will go for it though

 

It seems Maserati is having a tough time here in the U.S.A and I think a big part is the lack of Info here. Whenever I planned on getting a new car I would search out these boards to help me make a decision, Worked great for my Porsche and M3 but I found pretty much nothing for Maserati except the yahoo board and that mainly caters to the old Maserati's and after reading a few posts there I came close to canceling my order. Rob your board could definitely help inform more people about the new Maserati's and possibly help their sales, And Maserati making money would benefit Ferrari, Would give them some more cash for R/D and better toys for you in the future


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(08:30 May 20, 2004)
Despite obstacles, new CEO Leach sees a bright future for Maserati


By BRADFORD WERNLE | Automotive News Europe

LONDON -- Incoming Maserati CEO Martin Leach sees a bright future for the Italian carmaker.

He predicts growing demand for low-volume exotic brands such as Maserati and Bentley.

"The well-established premium brands have grown in such volumes now they have lost some of their exclusivity," Leach said in a telephone interview with Automotive News Europe last week.

"I think we could see a market emphasis on those brands such as Maserati that can offer more exclusivity without being actually priced in the stratosphere."

Leach, a former president and chief operating officer of Ford of Europe, says his experiences at Ford of Europe and Mazda have prepared him well for the top Maserati job.

"Maserati has a good positive culture which will be something I'll be looking to use.

"The fact that it is low-volume means that a lot of the potential baggage and infrastructure that goes with a high-volume car company is not likely to be there."

Fiat group CEO Giuseppe Morchio, who picked Leach for the job, is obviously pleased with his appointment.

"Leach is one of the best automotive top executives," he said. "He is a high-profile choice for Maserati."

Apart from serving on Ford's Jaguar transition team in 1989, Leach has limited experience in luxury brands. But he feels his product-development experience will be an advantage to a company that will have to rely on top-quality new models to return to profitability.

Leach also believes his general approach to business should help him in his new job.

"The fact that I'm a naturally competitive person fits well with the culture at Maserati," he said.

Leach drove the Maserati coupe a year ago and was struck by its spacious interior. "I think Maserati is one of the few options that gives you true four-seat capability with sportiness and luxury," he said.

The new Maserati chief joined Ford in 1979 as a body engineer after a promising career as a racecar driver was aborted by rheumatoid arthritis.

He moved up rapidly at Ford, proving his versatility during the 1980s by supervising Ford of Europe's car marketing plans.

In 1997, he took over as product development chief at Mazda, but he returned to Ford of Europe in 2000. He became president and chief operating officer in 2002.

Leach's career at Ford ended in a controversy that is still unresolved. He was fired after Ford of Europe lost more than $500 million in the second quarter of 2003. Before he was fired, Fiat Auto had approached Leach about taking the top job there.

But Ford refused to release him from his two-year non-compete agreement. Leach subsequently went to court and won the right to work for another company. He has sued Ford for compensation. The case will probably be heard toward the end of the year.



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Maserati will never make it in the US. First off their offerings are just plain dull in the styling department. They don't elicit any more excitment than a Mercedes or BMW, and that's always been their strong suit so who's going to risk buying one with spotty service centers.

They tried in the 70's with the Mereck and Bora, then in the 80's with the Biturbo. What's the difference this time except commonality with other makes which kills them right out of the blocks.

I mean I love the old Maserati's, but they just don't get it.

 

The Merak and Bora, while not steller Maseraties, were at least exotic looking. The new offerings are not all that fierce looking.

 

i think Other Italian should remain as its own entity, for the reasons Rob said, but also because many of the Carrozzeria like Pininfarina, Bertone, etc., weren't exclusive to Ferrari's coachwork... Maybe someone has a question about a Pininfarina body that has nothing to do with Ferrari... For that reason, amongst the others, i think this forum should remain as is.

 

I know there are many already who have posted to move this section, but I'm very much for keeping "Other Italian" in its own forum. I'm afraid recent discussions like the recent new Alfa Spider would be lost in the "Other Cars & Motorbikes" forum. This section has been active, albeit mostly Lamborghini discussions, but nevertheless.

Besides, if you find that it isn't really that active, then feel free to start a discussion or ask a question. That's what its there for...

 

Another alternative for Maserati enthusiasts is maseratiforum.net. Not nearly as much traffic as Ferrarichat, but there is a specific forum(s) for this brand. Further, the administrator is definitaly open to feedback on how to make the site more conducive to traffic. I am assuming this post doesn't offend Rob - i.e. he doesn't seem to be chasing down the "Maser crowd" from what I have seen.

BTW - Don't sell the Maser short in the styling department. It is definately conservative, but nearly every time my car leaves the garage it provokes enthusiastic responses from people. And I live in Manhattan where 6 figure cars aren't exactly rare. People know it's something different even if they don't exactly know what it is.

 

For every car their will be people who like and dislike it's styling. For me at least, I loved the styling of Spyder the first time I saw it. With it's V8 and luxury interior and priced fairly reasonable made this car a must try for me. Have owned Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and numerous other cars over the years and this car easily gets more attention than any of those. The fairly conservative styling but with hint of more to come at any moment is what I love about this car. I guess I am just secure enough not to have the need to drive around in a car that represents a big Phallus symbol

 

Agreed. How about an analogy I'm making up as I go along...
Some tequilas are smoother, better tasting than others. They also have "smoother" packaging... folks are willing to pay extra for the privilige, some folks take notice, some don't.

Substitute booze of your choice for tequila - but let's face it, until a few years ago, tequila was regarded as harsh tasting, and wouldn't be tequila if it wasn't.

 

Wax, Scott great ways to address similar points! The outside styling may not pick you up and slap you around, but once in the cockpit the car's distinct personality is immediately apparent. Any lingering uncertainty of the Maser's Italian heritage is immediately dispelled once you rip the throttle. The car is definately not for everyone, but that is the nature of the hi-end car market. Keep in mind that the coupe/spyder we now see is largely based on the aging platform of the 3200 - so in some ways they do not really represent Maser's "new" image. Going with the Pininfarina design for the next-gen models clearly show the more aggressive styling they envision. Guigiaro, Pininfarina: God bless diversity in all its forms...

Fail or succeed, the fate of Maser's renewed efforts in the US will make an interesting case study a decade or two from now IMO.

 

As a fan of Alfas and Maseratis who doesn't have much interest in Lamborghinis, I am very happy to see Lambos split off into their own forum. Lambo posts so outweighed everything else here that discussion of other marques got lost, IMO. I think now it will be easier to carry on discussions on non-Lambo topics.

Without doubt there is a certain something about Italian cars that they generally have in common with each other that sets them apart from the rest of the automotive universe. Unless and until traffic completely dries up, I think it's appropriate to have a special forum for Italian cars.