Intervista a OF: Il fenomeno Lancia e la Delta che verrà

[jc46]

I 5 modelli potrebbero essere secondo me:

- HPE (2008 )

- new Ypsilon (2009);

- new Musa (2009-2010)

- Speciality' date=' che potrebbe essere una CC o una ammiraglia questo non è chiaro, ma probabilmente dovrà essere un modello "che rispetti il rapporto investimento/ immagine" (2009-2010)

- Crossover per sostituire la Phedra (2010)

Io poi nell'ottica investimento/ immagine vedrei bene una Delta HF con le palle. Non richiederebbe grossi investimenti: m-link al posteriore e Q4 della 149, motore 1.8T-jet portato a 280-300cv, un assetto adeguato e caratterizzazione estetica. Tutta roba che si ha/avrà in casa. Secondo me il guadagno in termini di immagine sarebbe notevole. Si acconteterebbero i nostalgici del Deltone (cioè il 90% degli appassionati d'auto) che sarebbero delusi di vedere il nome Delta associato esclusivamente ad una HPE. Ovviamente bisognerebbe rispettare determinati requisiti. Primo tra tutti prestazioni e guidabilità in linea con le rivali quali S3 e giapponesi. Se non si riscopre anche il lato sportivo di LAncia sarà impossibile far rinascere davvero questo marchio sia come immagine che come vendite...[/quote']

ma figurati se vanno a riomologare una delta solo per il gusto della nostalgia costa troppo e allora puppiamoci tutti quanti una bella balenottera con l'interconnesso al posteriore, fino ad ora nessuna lancia ha un motore nuovo (i t-jet)perche costa troppo fare l'omologazione (vedi il caso new musa)

[<angel84>]

ma figurati se vanno a riomologare una delta solo per il gusto della nostalgia costa troppo e allora puppiamoci tutti quanti una bella balenottera con l'interconnesso al posteriore, fino ad ora nessuna lancia ha un motore nuovo (i t-jet)perche costa troppo fare l'omologazione (vedi il caso new musa)

Posso anche capire il non investire su prodotti "vecchi" quali la Musa per concentrare tutto sui nuovi, cosa che reputo giusta. Però:

1) ormai una versione sportiva è fondamentale a livello di immagine; in particolare nel C dove perfino tutti i marchi generalisti hanno versioni sportive varie;

2) a maggior ragione dovrebbe avere una versione estrema un'auto chiamata Delta: altrimenti che ce l'hanno messo a fare questo nome?! Vorrebbero sfruttare un nome che ha un certo ruolo nell'immaginario collettivo con un prodotto che non ha nulla a che vedere con tale ruolo. Non mi sembra molto logico, sarebbe solo un modo per sputtanare tale nome senza ricevere alcun vanataggio. I ps di Infomotori sulla Delta HF, che non sono ne belli ne realistici, hanno fatto il giro della rete scatenando interesse e questo dovrebbe far capire quanto ci sia voglia di un'auto del genere e quanto potrebbe far bene a tutto il marchio.

3) se non hanno neanche intenzione di montare su una Delta componenti di cui già si dispone per risparmiare allora meglio non investire neanche un centesimo su Lancia e lasciarla morire in pace senza velleitari e irritanti tentativi di farla uscire dal coma.

[jc46]

per me o.f dovrebbe non parlare e lavorare lavorare e studiare la storia del marchio fine della questione con 5 vetture in listino non si va da nessuna parte fine della questione, continuiamo ha buttare investimenti sull'alfa mentre a detta di molti lancia venderebbe il triplo avesse a listino delle vetture che sono nel suo dna passate al biscione per creare la nuova razza obesa

[Kaleido]

Un'altra intervista, fatta al lancio della Ypsilon Sport, più lunga e interessante (tradotta dal francese con google....)

A mission of saving Lancia, and results

How in 2005 you found yourself, as a French, at the head of the Italian automobile mark par excellence?

Already because I am less and less French! I joke obviously, but seen by Italians, I became rather Italian. That made five years that I work in Italy. I directed the Citroen subsidiary company to Italy with rather good results. And I joined the team of group FIAT to try to give a second breath to Lancia.

Obviously what had pleased Mr. Marchionne, chairman of the group, in the approach on Citroen, that had been the complete repositioning of the mark. It was a mark which had it also its past, its history. A mark which suffered from a a little banal positioning and which became the mark of the young people, the mark with the mode in Italy. Then I do not know, I spoke never about it with him, but it is probable that it wanted that one takes as a starting point that for Lancia.

Because Lancia with was clearly crossroads two years ago. It was a mark really small, with few models, not much of plans for launching new models and to start again the mark, and extremely centered on Italy.

At the time, Lancia was even dedicated to pure and simple disappearance. Which were your first actions?

We turned practically only on two models. There were Ypsilon and the Musa one with rather satisfactory results in Italy, much less abroad. Lybra was leaving production. Phedra is made in common with group PSA. And Thesis is a car of niche, it is the car of the ministers in Italy but in fact it never be well beyond. Moreover, there was no plan of renewal.

We put ourselves the question to know what was Lancia. We analyzed the 100 years of history, qualities, the defects, the way in which we were perceived, and we said ourselves that actually there was a space of market, there is a place in Europe, and not only in Italy, for a car which would have two characteristics. Italian design initially. What I call Italian elegance, the elegance of this place where we are, the Lake Côme, the Villa of Este, the imaginary one of Italian refinement, the North of Italy because it is not a mark of the south. And then the temperament. I.e. will to express a certain difference through the engines, the choices of style… It is a mark which has a very strong personality.

On this basis of elegance and temperament, we are rebuilding the mark. We act on three directions and initially on the communication. We completely changed the paradigms. Lancia is not any more the mark of a little dusty elegance, the elegance which celebrated its past, but it is a mark which is projected in the future. It is the mark of the large Italian designers, it is the mark of the most advanced design. We also acted on the future products and then also on the current products, while waiting for the new products.

First results are they with the height of the ambitions?

In Italy the results are impressive. Since one made these changes on Ypsilon, at the end of 2006, the car became leader in Italy. It is a car premium, a little more expensive. I call premium the a little top-of-the-range car. It is more expensive than the others, it is more expensive than a FIAT but it became leader in his category.

One made the same thing on Lancia Musa which became leader in Italy in his category, which is that of the monospaces, but of all the monospaces. I.e. the small ones, the means, the large ones, the Musa one is that which sells more. It is most expensive, it is refined, it is most beautiful, and it is that which sells more.

Thus this a little élitiste approach, design, elegance, mode and more daring temperament, us successful. With the new Ypsilon Sport, and in collaboration with Momo Design, we wanted to continue this step, to push it a little more, and to go to seek customers which we had a little less, customers of the young people. Ca it is for Italy.

For export, it is similar but on levels obviously more modest because we start from low. We are far from being a leader in Europe today, but there is a privilege: on fifteen countries where we are present, fourteen are in increase. It is a single thing in our small automobile world. Because in our world there are countries where it goes, others where it goes less better, one on two, two out of three… On our premises, separately Greece, all the others are in progression. And in France it is also the case. We make beautiful progressions there.

[Kaleido]

A problem of communication, notoriety

Even if the European markets progress, the large one of the sales remains in Italy. Some time ago, the Italian market represented even more than 80% of the sales. How do you explain it?

In fact, who knows the car appreciates it. And that it is true everywhere, in Italy, in Germany, in France, it is true absolutely in all the countries. People see this car, return inside, drive it, and say `it is other thing, it is really other thing'.

A bracket on Ypsilon. There is not a car on the market which is equivalent. When you return-account of the luxury that there is, the instrument panel covered with leather, it is something which one found in the top-of-the-range ultra English cars badly years ago. In fact an extremely compact car of hyper luxury but, which one calls a small flagship, it does not have there. There are cars with strong image, it there with the Minis which are beautiful, which has a good image, but which does not reach these levels of completion at all. Of silence also. Because it is a car which acts in the silence of a limousine. Thus an approach of this type there, it did not have there.

Who knows it, generally in tomb in love. Ca it is the strong point. The difference between Italy and the rest of the world, it is that in Italy, almost everyone has early or late the occasion to find one of them on its road, to go up inside, to test it, and there, it is bingo. In the other countries, we are not known enough. It is very clear. And we are not known enough because it would be necessary, and it will be necessary, much money to make us known. Much money in publicity, network, to bring closer people our cars. It is that which explains the difference, not the quality of the cars.

If it is only about one problem of communication, why not communicate more?

We quite simply wait to have also more models to propose. If I want to give much visibility to the mark, and one needs some and one does it, it means tens of million euros of advertising investment. If I invested much money in publicity on a market like France and that other side the people pushed by publicity come in the showrooms and discover two or three models very sympas, which will like but which is not necessarily the car which is appropriate for all the families, or all the individuals, I would have made an investment for nothing. What we wait to return in a rather important way on the French market in terms of communication, of notoriety, it is to supplement the range.

[Kaleido]

France, principal market for tomorrow

What represents the French market for Lancia?

The French market for Lancia represents one of both or three principal markets. Even if volumes are still low. I think that one will make 5000 cars this year on the French market. It represents one of the markets where one sells a little today. And especially, it represents our principal market for tomorrow. I think that we have vocation to reach 10.000 cars rather quickly. In the long term, with an extremely complete range and after 2010, I think that the physiological weight of Lancia is about 20.000 cars in France.

There are manufacturers who make obviously much more. France is an important market. But when one sells 20.000 cars per annum, we will be among the small manufacturers one of the manufacturers who count. And then especially the things will go very quickly. We will have finally a visibility of Lancia on the road and I think that we will make followers. I think that as from the moment when people see us, if we continue and I promise to you that we will continue to make cars very very beautiful, the things will do much better because we will be able to almost to pass us from publicity.

See a Lancia Delta of the past, Integrale, which passed on the road, or Lancia Delta HPE of tomorrow, it will certainly make sell others Lancia.

[Kaleido]

Future? With or without Fulvia?

Could you speak about the product plan, which are precisely the innovations to come?

For the future, I will speak to you about 2008. And 2008 are very important for us because the most important market segment, that of the medium cars, the family car, does not exist any more at Lancia since Lybra. And even I would say that Lybra was not the ideal car. It was one very very good car, of exceptional quality, like germans or japanese cars, but a car whose design did not translate, in my opinion, these values of temperament, a certain aggressiveness, and signal of the Italian design. Thus Lybra it is finished. We will launch Delta HPE.

It is the heiress of the Delta but it takes again the architectural concept of Beta HPE. It is a very interesting, extremely dynamic and relatively aggressive car. It is a car which is pointed out. But with a great habitability. It is a little larger than the traditional segment, which is that of the Golf, C4, of Mégane, we are in this segment there but with a car a little larger. It is a kind of crossover between a hatch and a station-wagon, but with aspects of style which are a little those of a coupè for the sporting expression of the brand.

I think that it is a car which has a very broad potential. It is a car which will be adapted to a family, there are an interior space and a trunk enormous, also adapted to a single person who wants a roomy car without giving the traditional impression of the father of family, somebody who wants a high valued car. It is good also for a woman very class or the manager of a company. I think that it is a car which will have a great potential in France. It will mark really the beginning of acceleration as regards the French market.

Beyond that, it is a little early to speak about it. But there will be at least an innovation per annum. There will be obviously from here to 2010 a new Ypsilon, a new Musa. There will be also certainly a car to make dream. It is very important in a range like Lancia. We are working there. We will see whether it is a sporting car, a convertible, a SUV… it is in any case a car which must create a myth.

Could this car be a new Fulvia?

There had been a project of Fulvia before my arrival in 2003. It is already something dated. It was a prototype or a concept I believe. In my opinion that remains a good concept. This car there, just as it is, I am not sure that we will do it, but the promises contained in this prototype or this concept, that I had the occasion to see and I liked, these promises will be held. I can ensure it to you.

[Kaleido]

“Lancia in Italy, more than one mark, a claw”

Speak about Lancia is speak about an automobile mark but is also to speak about a claw. A claw of design and mode. For Lancia we spoke about elegance and temperament, two points which are declined on about all the objects which have these characteristics.

Ca can be objects related to the world of transport, like this bicycle. We wanted quite simply to make the most beautiful bicycle of the market. I think that there is much of it which are neither more beautiful, neither more powerful, nor perhaps besides more expensive. It is rather expensive. It is the Rolls, or the Lancia, of the bicycles. It is out of carbon, titanium, out of aluminium, it has two disc brakes front and rear. All the leather elements are signed Frau, Italian Hermès. It has a rubber belt in the place of the metal belt, and enormously of small details. It is a rather single object.

In Italy people tear off the Lancia objects. We try to apply this step to do best, because that is not used for nothing to put our name on objects if is not to do best, we try to decline it on a series of objects. We do little of it but let us do we them well.

For example the Lancia sports shirt, with the small elephant symbol of Lancia sporting of the time. You see refinement in the details. For example in the small buttons there are strasses of Swarovski, and the buttons are plated gold with 24 carats. We do not seek ostentation but when one starts to look at in detail, one realizes that there are nevertheless things not banal. There are gold buttons 24 carats, strasses, the small Lancia mark…

We wanted to tell a certain philosophy of elegance and temperament. I think that the future of Lancia depends on our capacity to being coherent in the variation of these two values, elegance and temperament with Italian.

Da http://www.autosital.com/Olivier-Francois-un-francais-a-la.html?artpage=1

[Lanciaboxer]

Future? With or without Fulvia?

or the future, I will speak to you about 2008. And 2008 are very important for us because the most important market segment, that of the medium cars, the family car, does not exist any more at Lancia since Lybra. And even I would say that Lybra was not the ideal car. It was one very very good car, of exceptional quality, like germans or japanese cars, but a car whose design did not translate, in my opinion, these values of temperament, a certain aggressiveness, and signal of the Italian design. Thus Lybra it is finished. We will launch Delta HPE.

It is the heiress of the Delta but it takes again the architectural concept of Beta HPE. It is a very interesting, extremely dynamic and relatively aggressive car

Certamente OF è uno che di Lancia secondo me capisce ancora relativamente poco e deve un po studiarsela.... pero' in questo trovo ci sia un bel passaggio, perlomeno come impostazione della strategia cosi differente da cio che abbiamo visto fino a Lybra: ottima auto peraltro ma che io rileggo come auto esattamente come OF l'ha descritta e quindi come un errore di impostazione marchio da cui distaccarsi per il futuro, cioè Delta e chissa cos'altro. Non si capisce bene, dopo parla un po di tutto Sportcar, Cabrio, Suv... parla di "a car which must create a myth".. un mito.. boh.. vedremo.. credo comunque sara tutto il dopo primo periodo di mercato di Delta... questo mi pare chiaro.

[BignamsHF]

Sempre le solite parole e la proposta di esclusività e bla bla bla che di lancia non ha nulla....5 modelli? Si, Ypsilon Sport, Ypsilon Bicolore, Ypsilon Parurè, Ypsilon con brillantini sul tappo olio, Ypsilon oro...

che tristezza

Saluti

Bignams