European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 34. 1987 the stars and stripes car Corner sales of half of pm s projections ally me travelling a Rocky Road editor s Ink the Cadillac allanic luxury car Arri cd on the of Smarkol Thi i year with a great Deal of fanfare. Dpi Auto writer Jan a. A Verlna reports from in Iroil on How the Allan la has fared since. , b Jan a.  Detroit Dpi the Cadillac Al lanlt1 introduced As America s must expensive car in May of 1987 has Matte Small  into the Ultra luxury Market Hul has fallen far Short of Gener Al motors corporation s projections. While some luxury cars began to experience a sales slump in november follow ing he Uci. 10 Stock Maricl Aill Jisc. Cadillac s to scat luxury roadster with a Price lag of nearly $57.000 for i9sk recorded its highest monthly sales at 34s units sold. That furn pared with 242 sold in octo Ber and Only 107 in september traditionally a slow month for such luxury cars. C  Ciencural manager John u. Orel ten Berger called the allanic s latest sales upturn encouraging in Light of the uncertainly in the luxury Market Stem Ming from Luck Market  but the ear has travelled a Rocky Road since its National intr Duclion in May with sales running at Only half of what the pm division had projected. Only 1.651 Allan Les were sold in its abbreviated 1987-Modct year ended sept. 30. Cadillac originally had expected to sell As Many As 7,000 by then Bui Early on lowered its projections to just 4,000. Automotive news a highly respected weekly Industry publication recently named the Allante s introduction and marketing its top Flop of the  Cadillac had planned the Allante since the recessionary Days of the Early 19sos to restore some of the Luster to its Stan Dard of the world Credo. But. While Industry analysts agree with Cadillac s move up Inlo a pricier segment its Etc cution has been poor. The focus of he Allante is completely off the Mark said Thomas o Grady of integrated automotive resources inc. In suburban Philadelphia. Given its new position Cadillac should have the Cadillac Allante Heads Inlo its second Market year us 1988 License plate indicates. Priced the car lower and used it to develop a following and pull it into the 140,000 Range but the Allante s fortunes could be changing although Cadillac has again lowered sales estimates to 4,000 irom about 7,500 units for 1988. We recognize it will take time for the Carlo establish its own Niche in this highly competitive Market previously occupied exclusively by european made automobiles Cadillac s Grellan Burger said. Bui the Allante s True Competition is Only one other automobile the Mer cedes Benz 560sl roadster. Unchanged in body style for More than 15 Model years but constantly up dated with state of the a. Innovations like anti lock brakes and an airbag the German made roadster Sells for $61,130 not counting r n extra $1.300 Gas go a scr tax. The 560sl has been Selling at a rate of about 12,500 .1 year. Sales for november alone the first month for the 1988 ver Sion Rose to 1,014 units from 943 the previous month. Traditionally the 560sl has been in Short Supply Mercedes spokesman Fred Chapman said although he acknowledged the waiting list has disappeared in recent months at most dealers unless a buyer specified a certain color or special equipment. The Allante still is in ample Supply with about 1,400 cars unsold among Cadillac s 1,600 . Dealers. Mercedes does not seem to consider the Allante a threat. I Don t think Many buyers in this end of the Market do much comparison shop Ping Between i he two especially to Sec if they can save Money Chapman said. Obviously the Allante is a Factor out there hut it seems that if buyers want american they will buy it. If icy want German they will buy  Cadillac s David a Cicrich said Selling the Allante still is a Brand new experience for Cadillac dealers because it rep resents a quantum leap in Price from the division s previously Mosi expensive High volume car the s 30.972 Seville Elegante. We have been distributing training films to dealers of How to sell this Ultra luxury  he said. Although the Allante s body is made in Italy and has numerous unique components in its drivetrain it is mated with a modified undercarriage from us s less expensive luxury coupes at Tim Assem Bly Plant in Detroit. Cadillac also May have contributed to the Allante s poor sales when i miscalculated by dropping its advertising Campaign in mid-1987. We Learned you can t  an initial Rush to mean demand is unlit  Hederich said. About 25 percent of i Udilla s 1988 advertising budget will be earmarked for the allanic to keep the Wales upturn going. Stations Selling each free fuel on the increase last week we talked about the catalytic convener situation and today Well Lake a look at the Lead free fuel picture which according to the German Auto club adar. Is a fairly Bright one. As everyone knows by now Lead free fuel has been developed for the Protection of the environment and is used in conduction with a catalytic converter and other emission system pans of the Auto. The clean air program began More than 10 years ago in the United states and a similar program was launched in Europe about two years ago. According to the adar Lead free fuel both super Grade and Normal Grade is totally available now in Germany Switzerland Austria Luxembourg the Netherlands Sweden Norway and Den Mark. In fact Lead free fuel is so com Mon in Germany today thai Normal leaded fuel is being phased out now and the Only Grade to be sold will be leaded super. This fuel May be used in any car that previously burned leaded regular. Here is a rundown on the number of Lead free stations in other european countries according to the adar. With most stations located on Autoro ies Autostrada and motorways. The figures Are As of july 1, and the number of stations continues to increase the adar says. Pc r instance in Germany the number of stations Selling Lead free fuel has risen  7,000 in 1986 to 13,500 As of july 1.1 Laly has gone from 46 stat ions to 3 50. Other countries Belgium. 36 Bulgaria 15 Czechoslovakia 14 East Ger Many 34 Finland 115 France 250 Greece 34 Hungary 10 Ireland 3 Italy 350 Portugal 21 Spain 42 United kingdom 21ft and Yugoslavia 55. Countries without Lead free fuel in clude Turkey Poland. Romania and the soviet Union. So remember if you re planning a Long Range trip throughout Europe next summer you la have some problems finding Lead free Gas everywhere. That s one of the big hitches if your car is equipped with a catalytic converter. Pm Europe sales record while sates Are slow for general motors in the United states it s a Case of the opposite in Europe. Pm Europe s Public affairs office in Zurich reports record sales of 1.3-million opel and Vauxhall cars and a financial Turna round to solid  the pm news release says. With sales of 1.3 million opel and Vauxhall cars in 1987, this is an increase of 3 per cent compared with 1.2 million units in 1986, general motors achieved a new sales record in Europe with 38,000 More new car registrations than in the pre Vious year. This results in a european Market share of 10.7  John of Smith pm Europe president was quoted As saying following a phase of High investments in modern manufacturing facilities and new products our company has again moved Back Inlo solid profitability in Europe the main factors contributing to this positive financial picture Are the Success of the new Omega Carlion an improved Cost Structure and the productivity gains throughout the entire european pm or  Smith added that our Strong product lineup a balanced Market penetration of More than 10 percent share in 12 differ ent european countries and the modern manufacturing technology in our facilities arc strengths on which we can continue to build in 1988," optimism in . Thing arc also looking up for what was once normally describe5as the troubled British motor  it is troubled no longer and As a mat Ter of fact i is proved a momentous one for the Industry according to sir Godfrey Messervy president of the society of motor manufacturers and traders smut and. Given stable a Chnomic conditions it is now poised to grow rapidly Messervy said. In a year end smut news release Messervy added hat during i9h7. There had been record car sales in the United kingdom improved commercial vehicle sales higher production and lower costs. The British motor Industry the smut president said is now in better shape because it has invested in both people and equipment. It has improved Quality to a level which with some mod Els is comparable with that of the Best of its competitors. Furthermore the trend is  mass cry said thai along with significant sales increases production has also improved. At just under 95 a of l cars by the end of october production was More than 100,000 units higher than during the same period of 1986. British made can had taken an almost 5 percent Points higher share of an expanding do Mesic Market Messervy Aid. And he predicted a full year car production level of 1.2 million for 1987 and reports of .100.1.100 by 1900. And that s Good news indeed for Brit ish car makers. Randy Burnett