I would like to bring to your attention some recent comments said by Fiat president Sergio Marchionne as reported by - Wheels.ca – Alfa Romeo needs a ‘*** engine,’ says Fiat CEO Marchionne
Fiat’s new generation of Alfa Romeo high-performance sedans will have a feature that is uniquely described by its CEO – a “*** engine.”
That is the characterization of the upcoming cars by the outspoken Sergio Marchionne, the Fiat-Chrysler boss who has dual Italian-Canadian citizenship. Marchionne spoke at the Detroit auto show on Monday.
The perennially delayed U.S. relaunch of the hotly awaited iconic racing brand has raised eyebrows and put Marchionne’s credibility on the line to execute it perfectly.
He will not start selling Alfas in the United States until the car is perfect, he said on Monday. Fiat has said some of the car’s parts will be made in United States and other parts in Italy but has not specified what will be made where.
“I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won’t,” Marchionne told a room of journalists at the car show.“I won’t put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a *** engine.”
“There are some things that are well-done in Italy.”
After reporters registered evident surprise at his use of an ethnic slur, Marchionne turned to one of them and asked, “Why are you surprised?”
Marchionne has a penchant for using colourful language that has occasionally landed him in hot water.
In February 4, 2011, he caused a minor uproar by saying, “I want to repay the shyster loans,” referring to the high-interest rates on money lent to the company in 2009 by U.S. taxpayers as part of the Chrysler’s bankruptcy. The next day, he apologized for that remark.
Chrysler has fully repaid the U.S. Treasury for the loans.
Now as an Italian American and an Alfitsi I am as excited as anyone about Alfa Romeo coming back to the USA but I think that our buddy Sergio needs an education on exactly what he said and the irony in what it means. As you probably know, the term *** came from when Italians landed in the US and lost their paperwork, the term *** (With Out Papers) was written across their forms. This implied that their past and history was lost and they were starting new in the US sometimes even with new names. It seems that Mr Marchionne has the best intentions by, “not start selling Alfas in the United States until the car is perfect” and further stating, “There are some things that are well-done in Italy” but throws away all of what makes this brand great – THE HISTORY after all Ferrari got its start with this company. I don’t want a car ***, I want a car that showcases the incredible history and embraces the legends who made it great.
I invite comments about this.
Fiat’s new generation of Alfa Romeo high-performance sedans will have a feature that is uniquely described by its CEO – a “*** engine.”
That is the characterization of the upcoming cars by the outspoken Sergio Marchionne, the Fiat-Chrysler boss who has dual Italian-Canadian citizenship. Marchionne spoke at the Detroit auto show on Monday.
The perennially delayed U.S. relaunch of the hotly awaited iconic racing brand has raised eyebrows and put Marchionne’s credibility on the line to execute it perfectly.
He will not start selling Alfas in the United States until the car is perfect, he said on Monday. Fiat has said some of the car’s parts will be made in United States and other parts in Italy but has not specified what will be made where.
“I cannot come up with a schlock product, I just won’t,” Marchionne told a room of journalists at the car show.“I won’t put an American engine into that car. With all due respect to my American friends, it needs to be a *** engine.”
“There are some things that are well-done in Italy.”
After reporters registered evident surprise at his use of an ethnic slur, Marchionne turned to one of them and asked, “Why are you surprised?”
Marchionne has a penchant for using colourful language that has occasionally landed him in hot water.
In February 4, 2011, he caused a minor uproar by saying, “I want to repay the shyster loans,” referring to the high-interest rates on money lent to the company in 2009 by U.S. taxpayers as part of the Chrysler’s bankruptcy. The next day, he apologized for that remark.
Chrysler has fully repaid the U.S. Treasury for the loans.
Now as an Italian American and an Alfitsi I am as excited as anyone about Alfa Romeo coming back to the USA but I think that our buddy Sergio needs an education on exactly what he said and the irony in what it means. As you probably know, the term *** came from when Italians landed in the US and lost their paperwork, the term *** (With Out Papers) was written across their forms. This implied that their past and history was lost and they were starting new in the US sometimes even with new names. It seems that Mr Marchionne has the best intentions by, “not start selling Alfas in the United States until the car is perfect” and further stating, “There are some things that are well-done in Italy” but throws away all of what makes this brand great – THE HISTORY after all Ferrari got its start with this company. I don’t want a car ***, I want a car that showcases the incredible history and embraces the legends who made it great.
I invite comments about this.