ITALY AT WORK

0Italy at Work(continued from page 13)iii-fir;-'fi"lT_-_-u/"\r-#450 million pairs of Italian shoes weresoldinthetJnitedStateslastyear,deUnited last de­spite cheap competition from the tlte FarEast To satisfy the idle rich, VenetianFernando Caovilla Cktovilla craftS crafts limited edi­edition,signed and numbered shoescosting $740 a pair. Torino's 'I‘orino's GFT GFI‘group has even made inroads into Chinawhere one of ol'their men tnenwear factories isproducing 200.000 suits annually forthe better dressed Chinese. Mantero, asilk producer. has even obtained ap­approvalfor a silk factory in Yangtsou,China. What goes around comesaround.per year.FIAT, which also owns Lancia. Lancia, Alia AlfaRomeo, Runeo, and is a major sh~holdcr shareholder oflveco Iveco (trucks), (truclts), reported $28.5 billion insales for 1987 and bright prospectS prospects for1988. (In fact, fact. first quarter sales putFIAT in the number one position ofEu·Europefollowed by Peugeot andVolkswagen). Among FIAT's FIA'l“s big mov­moversare the Uno and Tipo, with technicalinnovations that promise to increaseFIAT's market share of medium-sizecars. The Italian auto industry is evenmaking a dent in the tough Japaneserecords, one of the more famous beingltalo Italo Balbo's mass formation flight ofseaplanes across the Atlantic. Even inWorld War li II Italy produced militaryaircraft like the transport Canguru,which was a mainstay of even the Ger­GermanLuftwaffe, and the Macchi 202fighter that was among the best in thewar.Today, most of Italy's military air­aircraftare joint ventures with its Euro­Europeanallies like the Tornado and AMXfighters.Last October, October. Gruman Aircraftannounced a new joint venturewith Gruppo Agusta to develop a newAir­Italians have the highest household savingsrate in the industrialized world.AutomobilesItaly was the ftrst first Western Westcm nation topie.rce pierce the Iron Curtail Curtait commercially.Nodoubttheltalian theltalianCommunistParty'sComtrtuttislPar1y'sconnections gave Italians an edge overthe less pragmatic states of the WesternAlliance.Twenty years ago, in fact,FIATbuilt the first modem auto plant inTogliattigrad, 600 miles south ofMoscow. The Russians even changedthe name of the old town rechristeningrechristcningit after an Italian communist leader.The factory, the third largest in the in­internationalmotor industry, is still buzz· buzzingaway producing its full capacity of721,000 cars per year. The car, theLada, Leda, was based on a FIAT design butmodified for Russian taste and Russianwinters.Not only are the Russianshappy about the Ladas but they aretaking a cue from Yugoslavia whichexportS exports the Yugo (also b3Sed based on an oldFIAT design) to Nonh North America and aremaking plans to flood our shores withtheir national car. The Russians have towork out the distribution problems butplans are for a minimum ofS0,000 50,000 sales';==;;;;F~a;;;;ll;;;;Fall 1988marlceL market.Italian cars account for nearly4% of the total automobile importS imports inJapan.(West Germany has the lion'sshare with 76%.)But it is Italian style that gives Italy itS itsworldwide influence. From theVolkswagen series to the interior of theHyundai,ltalysetsthestandard. Italy the standard. BodybyFisher hasn't got a chance againstPinin­Pininfarinaor Bertone.Cadillac's Allante, Allantc,although not very successful with it'soverpriced Italian body, has the classiclook that auto lovers take a fancy to.Chrysler's Lee Iaccoca knows the feelingand has even bought into Mascrati Maserati andLamborghini. But it is Ferrari, the lonewolf, that epitomizes the Italian automo­automobiletradition of ol' style blended withpower.AerospaceThe Italians were always pioneers 10 inair travel. The Bellanca of the 1920's wasthe plane of choice of Charles Linbcrgh, Linbergh,although one was not available for hishistory-making flight. ln In the 1930's l930's Ita!· Italianaviators and machines broke many airjettrairterfor trainer the t.heU.S. AirForce. Ifthisteam wins the competition it will meana a$2.7 billion Ilion contracL contract. In anothercooperativeeffort.effort, Italians produce essentialcooperat.ivepans parts for the civilian DC·l DC-10, the Boeing747 and Boeing B-767. On its own,llaly Italy is at the leactingedgeofhelicopterleading edge technology (Agusta) and artd light aircraftsuchasthe ten-passengerviatorand Viator and thereversed-engine Avanti. These innova­innovativeplanes are even causing waves inthe American market. market-Space, too, calls the Italians. Al· Althoughit docs not produceits own spacerocket, Italy is among the select few tohave alaunch pad (off the coast ofKenya) and a space satellite program.Moreover, Italians are working with theUnited States on the Tethered Satelliteproject, a part of the Space Shuttle program,angrnm_andw1th withtheWestGerrnanstode-the Germans to de·velop a shuttle and space lab called thepro-Columbus.High-TechThe Italians have very quietJy quietly in· invadcdour wax way of life.Anyone withvaded(next page)19 ;;;; ;;;; 8===================;;;;;; Tlze The Italic Way;;;;;;;;;~23(next page)