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Bob Little addresses the banquet audience.
ttA View
From Arese"
WHAT FOLLOWS are noteworthy
excerpts from an address to the
AROe membership at the annual
meeting and banquet on July 5, 1980 by
Mr. Bob Little, New York Metropolitan
Area sales manager for Alfa Romeo Inc.
"I described my remarks this evening as !fA
View from Arese." We have just a few days
ago returned from a working vacation in
Milan and Rome and would like to share with
you some of our experiences and let you know
how we view our present circumstances and
our future plans."
!fAlfa Romeo has been faced with the
enviable problem of straining to fulfill its
European production commitments, a significant
factor in effectively preventing our U.S.
organization from embarking on more aggressive
marketing strategies. Recently the factory
has changed its priorities, triggered by changing
world economic forces. It became possible
to upscale our marketing activities. We've
learned of these new initiatives in Rome last
week at the 1st International Alfa Romeo
World Conference.
In changing its priorities, the factory has
acted upon our recommendations to prepare
new offerings; a new fuel-injected 2.5-liter
V-6 engine is slated for a Sprint Veloce Coupe.
Furthermore, we expect to introduce changes
in our future U.S. product line over the next
10 years."
!fOur most immediate concern is to inform
the American public about our product line
despite our small advertising budget. Although
our advertising expenditure per car is high by
industry standards, it is not sufficient to clarify
our product identity at this stage in our marketing
endeavors. However, this is offset by our
growing family of Alfa Romeo owners, the
!fAlfisti," who have been so loyal to us and
without whose continuing and unswerving
support the inroads we have made since 1961
would not have been possible. Your cars and,
in particular, your enthusiasm for our marque
reinforce in North America the strength of our
heritage and our commitment to the future.
And you make this statement each day to
thousands of Americans who see you whiz by."
"Not only do we have profitability objectives
to meet in the early '80s, but we must
also overcome the obstacles we share with our
competitors ... that is, the production of a
fuel-efficient vehicle which will be palatable
to the American public. Alfa Romeo's challenge
goes one step farther: retaining the
essence of our 70-year tradition of automotive
excellence while cOfiforming to government
regulations." "Let me share with you our
enthusiasm for new GT 6 cylinders to be introduced
in a few short weeks in Europe. In my
personal opinion, I know it will absolutely
humiliate a Porsche Turbo 924. And it will
be here the first quarter of '81."
"Our continuing efforts, in spite of increasingly
difficult federal regulations, are aimed at
building a little bit of your Giulia Sprint, your
1750 or your short wheel base Giulietta
Spider into each and every new Alfa Romeo
we build. That commitment comes to you
direct from our president in Milan - Mr.
Masacesi."
"Let me briefly give you some miscellaneous
notes I hope will give you some idea what
Arese is trying to do for you.
The new Alfa 6 assembly line is computerized
from a quality control standpoint.
Terminals are set along the line every 200 feet
displaying chassis number, any shortcomings
noted and corrective actions taken each step of
the way. The result of this and many other
activities involving our commitment to quality
has resulted in what I view as the production
of an automobile equal to that of the finest
automobiles in Germany or anywhere else in.
the world.
This A to Z quality control program will be
gradually phased in to other assembly lines at
Arese. We feel this concept combines the best
of Italian craftsmanship with the latest technology
the world has to offer us. One out of
five people, roughly speaking, in the manufacturing
and assembly division is employed
by our quality assurance department. In the
plant, they wear green overalls, continually
putting pieces or subassemblies on test jigs,
engines or dynamometers or test driving each
finished product. Now that leads me to one
other interesting fact:
Alfa Romeo is the only manufacturer in the
world to test:
• 100 percent of the engines produced each
day on dynos or test stands ..
• 100 percent of USA production is now
emission tested before.. it leaves the factory
Undoubtedly one of
the stars of Alfa Nor'
East was this ARIprovided
example of
the new Alfa V-6
Sports Sedan.
door for its test drill on proving ground.
• Team engine assembly is the practice now
where three to four people will assemble a
given engine and sign onto the computer
their names as having performed the work.
• At the present time, Alfa Romeo is building
the most advanced engine design and
emission control laboratory in all of Europe.
• Alfa Romeo is now producing the most
technically advanced turbo diesel in the
world - the !fVM." "
!fOn behalf of the men and women who
represent Alfa Romeo in America, Arese and
around the world, thank you for your very
kind reception this weekend. I think the Alfa
Nor'East organizing committee headed by Gil
Gagne has produced a picture book weekend.
We're proud to have played a small role in its
success." •
OCTOBER 11