Fiat has big hopes for Golf rival

Press, 19 February 1988, Page 18

Fiat has big hopes for Golf rival

The new Fiat Tipo, already being hailed as the car most likely to topple German, Japanese and British competition, is expected to sell 7000 units in Britain this year and at the rate of at least 12,000 cars annually after that, according to Fiat’s managing director, Vittorio Ghidella. Tipo production at Fiat’s fully robotised

Rivolta and Cassino plants will be insufficient to allow the Italian car to outstrip Volkswagen Golf production this year. Tipo production — in the refurbished Rivolta plant in Turin until the commissioning of the new Cassino plant about mid-year — has started at 1800 cars daily. It will not compete with Fiat

Uno production this year, at least. Fiat insists that the Tip is a pan-European car, designed more for exporting than its home market. However, there are no plans to export it to North America because, Mr Ghidella says, the dollar is against it and the Japanese and Koreans are very strong

in that market. The Fiat Group’s return to North America will be spearheaded by its recently launched Alfa Romeo 164 saloon. “You need snob and sports appeal to sell cars there and Fiat has no snob appeal,” said Mr Ghidella. “Alfa is well known there and the 164 is the right car.”