Modena. Ad Manley: "Serious mistakes in the management of Maserati"

The new president of Fiat Chrysler announces discontinuity choices compared to the past on the eve of the new plan: "The Trident should not be confused with Alfa Romeo"

MODENA. Just a few days before Fiat Chrysler's meeting with the unions on the occasion of the announcement of the so-called Italian Plan for Group Companies, the statements of Mike Manley, Ad Fca, were the subject of 'a remarkable remark, which took stock of Maserati and again criticized the management of the brand. Statements that all those interested in the future of the Trident and the Modena factory are trying to interpret. Manley mentioned the "major management mistakes" of the Maserati brand, which is far from the targets set for 2018 in terms of sales. It should be noted that Manley does not intend to escape his responsibilities and does not want to distance himself from management. Sergio Marchionne certainly announces choices under the sign of the discontinuity compared to the recent past. Manley believes that the choice to approach Maserati to Alfa Romeo from an industrial point of view is wrong, which makes him lose the appeal typical of luxury brands, brands that can not risk, according to Manley, to be confused with cars. to the general public.

Manley said some choices "have resulted in a low focus on the Maserati brand," which today stands at levels too close to those of Alfa Romeo. Maserati will not reach the market target for 2018, set last March by Marchionne at 50,000 cars worldwide, after a previous estimate of 75,000 units.

By badyzing the Italian market, the Suv Levante seems to be charged, since 1,630 sales were sold between January and October 2017, a decrease of 1,385 for the same period in 2018. Maserati Ghibli has more absolute figures contained, but in In 2018, it managed to increase sales, with 811 deliveries (758 in 2017). In the industrial plan presented last June by Sergio Marchionne, the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands had integration points, from platforms to powertrains and powertrains. It is foreseeable that the projects will change and that Maserati will become more exclusive. It must be remembered that Manley reported Harald Wester at the helm of Maserati, the manager who had been sacked by Marchionne. It now remains to check what will be the new budgets of the various brands FCA and how will be awarded the new models, including the supercar Maserati Alfieri, which could be built in Modena or Mirafiori. –