The Renaissance of FIAT
"In common with most of the world's leading manufacturers, Fiat is expecting a good deal of its growth to come from emerging markets. In 2006, 37% of Fiat's vehicle sales, including vans and joint ventures, came from outside western Europe. By 2010, that is due to increase to 46%. Fiat is the market leader in the rapidly expanding Brazilian market, but apart from a truckmaking joint venture between Iveco and SAIC in China, it is weak in China, India and Russia. Fiat's performance in Russia, which will soon overtake Germany as Europe's biggest car market, has been particularly poor. Although (or perhaps because) Fiat designs were the basis of much of the Soviet car industry, the company sold only 2,000 cars there in 2006. However, the new, booted Fiat Linea, which is manufactured in Turkey and will also be made in China, India and Russia, provides ammunition it has previously lacked." (The Economist)
FIAT is a bit like Nintendo. A few years ago it was on death row, now it's back in the game and kickin' some butts.
Of course, Nintendo never built a massive testing area on the roof of one of their buildings. FIAT rule!
http://www.usc.edu/dept/architecture/slide/ghirardo/CD3/010-CD3.jpg
Posted by: Jim Miles | May 08, 2008 at 09:44 AM