十大归于尘土的汽车品牌

静静生锈

    汽车厂商中，阿尔法•罗密欧（Alfa Romeo）让我想起一位上了年纪的电影女明星。它曾有过一段辉煌的日子，由于这个难忘的名字和显赫的过去，它还能受到许多关注。去年，这家意大利运动跑车制造商的全球销量不足10万辆，不过它的一举一动——比如一再推迟重返美国市场的日期——都被大肆报道。最近的报道中，阿尔法正与奥迪（Audi）密切来往。尽管双方对此都予以否认，人们还是嗅到了交易的味道。奥迪的母公司大众汽车（Volkswagen）热衷于收购著名的汽车品牌，而阿尔法的所有者菲亚特（Fiat）急需现金。大众汽车的老板马丁•温特科恩在今年三月的日内瓦车展上曾经被问到是否还对阿尔法•罗密欧感兴趣，他简单地回答说：“阿尔法•罗密欧是一个伟大的品牌。”

    进入21世纪之后，不论是后起之秀还是传统厂商，汽车品牌的日子都不容易。2002年丰田公司（Toyota）推出的赛恩品牌（Scion）似乎正经历着身份危机。路透社（Reuters）的报道主管们正考虑将它重新定位为低档的小型车。与此同时，历史可追溯至19世纪的梅赛德斯-奔驰（Mercedes-Benz）在来势汹汹的奥迪面前，只好自封为“要做就做最好”的品牌。

    维持一个强大的品牌需要持续的投资，这一点在汽车业尤其重要。因为在这个领域，省钱的机会一直存在，而且常常至关重要。为了证明这一点，以下列举10个曾经风靡一时、自21世纪以来却一蹶不振的汽车品牌。

Rust in peace

    Among car companies, Alfa Romeo reminds me of an aging movie actress. It has seen better days, but thanks to a memorable name and an illustrious past, it still gets plenty of attention. The Italian maker of sporting cars reported sales of less than 100,000 worldwide last year, but Alfa's every move -- such as its oft-delayed return to the U.S. market -- gets reported with feverish enthusiasm. In the latest Alfa drama, the automaker is reported to be talking intensively about a linkup with Audi. Despite denials from both sides, a deal makes some sense. Audi parent company Volkswagen is a compulsive acquirer of famous automotive names, and Fiat, Alfa's owner, needs the cash. Asked at the Geneva auto show in March whether VW was still interested in Alfa Romeo, boss Martin Winterkorn simply replied: "Alfa Romeo is a great brand."

    The 21st century has been tough on auto brands, both young and old. Toyota's Scion brand, launched in 2002, seems to be undergoing an identity crisis. Reuters reports executives are weighing repositioning it as a line of premium small cars. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz, which dates its history to the 19th century, finds its self-styled "the best or nothing" brand under assault from up-and-coming Audi.

    nt investment. That's particularly important in autos, where the opportunities to economize are ever-present -- and often fatal. For evidence, here are 10 once-familiar automotive brands that have become casualties since the turn of this century:

2012年：铃木

    铃木（Suzuki）是世界十大汽车制造商之一，不过它在摩托车领域的卓越形象从未成功延伸至小汽车领域。产品线不足、经销网络落后的铃木苦苦挣扎了多年。它的销量在2007年达到了巅峰，到现在已经下跌了75%。铃木规模过小，加上日元强劲，导致它前途渺茫。铃木的美国经销商在大力推行中型轿车凯泽西（Kizashi）失败之后，于去年11月申请了破产。而颇有特色的车型如Samurai、Sidekick和Swift也在汽车界的历史长河中消失无踪。

2012: Suzuki

    Suzuki has ranked in the top 10 of the world's automakers, but its image as a preeminent motorcycle maker never translated into small cars. It struggled for years with a skimpy product line and an under-developed dealer network. Since peaking in 2007, Suzuki sales had fallen by 75%, and its small scale combined with the strong yen made its future prospects bleak. After a big push behind the mid-size Kizashi sedan flopped, its U.S. distributor filed for bankruptcy in November, and such distinctive models as the Samurai, Sidekick, and Swift disappeared into automotive history.