Speaking at the J.D. Power and Associates International Automotive Round-table in San Francisco, Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne bluntly reiterated that the Italians won�t sell Alfa Romeo to the Volkswagen Group, or anyone else for that matter.
�As long as I am CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, Mr. Piech will never have Alfa Romeo. It's hands-off. I told him. I will call him and I will email him�, Marchionne said.
According to Automotive News Europe, Marchionne also took a shot at VW, saying that the group's Chairman Ferdinand Piech should try to turn around Seat, its struggling Spanish brand, instead of eyeing Alfa.
�I'm not the one who bought Seat. He's the one who bought it. I don't know if he can [fix it], but he needs to try�, the Italian official commented.
We�ll remind you that selling Alfa Romeo has been a hot topic for the past year or so, but Fiat never confirmed the rumors, periodically stating that it prefers to revitalize the Milanese company. Prior to Marchionne�s latest remark, it was Fiat Chairman John Elkann who also said that Alfa is not for sale.
�We would not sell Alfa even if we were offered tons of money�, Elkann told reporters on the sidelines of last month�s Detroit Auto Show, adding that the brand will be relaunched in the U.S. in 2012.
By Csaba Daradics
Source: ANE (Sub. required)
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