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The task of
returning Fiat cars to Australia has been given to David
Stone, who will assume the role of General Manager for Fiat
Cars alongside his role as General Manager of Alfa Romeo,
with Chris Swann maintaining his role as General Manager for
Fiat Commercial Vehicles at Australia's largest independent
car importer, Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd.
"There is no greater challenge in the automotive industry
than launching a new company into the market place and I am
honoured to given this opportunity," says David Stone.
"Although Fiat has been in Australian market in the past,
given the age bracket we are aiming at with the Grande Punto,
to the vast majority of our potential customers, Fiat will
be a totally new brand and this means we will be running a
full launch programme for Fiat in Australia. We have decided
that the most effective manner to launch Fiat in Australia
is to run it initially in conjunction with the Alfa Romeo
business," explains Mr Stone. "This is so that we can use
the skills and expertise built up over the past seven years
in all areas of marketing, parts, sales and service with
Alfa to the benefit of Fiat cars."
David Stone first joined Ateco Automotive as Audi Sales and
Marketing Manager in 1989 and then returned in 2000 as Group
Dealer Development Manager. His main task initially was to
grow and develop the Kia dealer group in a preparation for
the six fold increase in sales that followed. He left Ateco
in 2002 to take up the role of Queensland State Manager for
Toyota and was promoted to NSW State Manager. Prior to
joining Ateco for the second time, David Stone was Dealer
Development Manager, at Daewoo Automotive Australia, where
he honed his skills as one of the industry's most respected
network development managers. Before that he fulfilled the
same role at Astre Automotive, the Australian importer of
Hyundai and Chrysler Jeep. David Stone re-joined Ateco
Automotive in mid-2005 to assume the role of General Manager
for Alfa Romeo and prepare the way for its flood of new
models in 2006, including the Alfa Romeo 159 and Brera.
"I suspect that 2006 will be a year I am going to remember,"
says Mr Stone. "Alongside the launch of Fiat, we will have
started the year with the launch of the first diesel Alfa
Romeo, the 147 JTD, and will continue with the Alfa 159 and
Brera. With this rush of new cars from Italy, this year
could be the year of the Italian cars down under!" |
