For Mr Roller, who has successfully sold BMWs for 30 years and more recently opened Ferrari and Porsche showrooms, it is a leap of faith but a challenge which he relishes.
He admits Alfa Romeo has been a “hidden brand” and he now regards it as a fledgling brand until its low volumes are boosted by new models that are now in the pipeline.
“I see great opportunity with Alfa Romeo to grow the business,” he told GoAutoNews Premium exclusively from his new showroom, Brisbane Alfa Romeo Fiat.
“It may not be the easiest thing I’ve ever done, and I see challenges, but I believe in the product and more specifically, I believe in the way Steve Zanlunghi (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Australia CEO) and his staff are standing behind the product and supporting customers and dealers.
“Steve has been on the phone to me to ensure everything is okay with the showroom and with the cars. I can’t say I get that level of contact with any of the other brands I represent.
“The product plan for Alfa Romeo, the brand strategy and the back up from FCA Australia – that’s why I bought in at the ground level,” he said.
Messrs Roller and Burke – who own LMM Holding Group that has franchises including BMW and Ferrari – are partners with Sime Darby Motors Group in the Alfa Romeo and Fiat showroom in Brisbane.
The new, stand-alone building on Breakfast Creek Road has a 600 square metre showroom that can hold 10 cars, separated with four Fiat models and six Alfa Romeos.
Martin Roller (left) and Marvin Burke
There is a rear section for some prestige used vehicles and customer parking including vehicles in for servicing.
“There is no servicing on site,” Mr Roller said.
“However, we have a service reception in the building. It’s important that service customers have access to a nice lounge and coffee facilities, in a pleasant and modern area with an Italian theme.
“To me, this shows my commitment to them and to the brands.”
Vehicles in for service are ferried to a workshop complex about 800m away. This complex, which currently has four bays but the potential to expand to 20, covers 3500 square metres and also handles Ferrari and BMW.
Mr Roller said there are 10 staff dedicated to the Alfa Romeo and Fiat products – one manager, three sales consultants, a service manager-advisor, receptionist, administration clerk, two technicians and a car detailer – and all are have a strong history in prestige vehicles.
The back-end of the business, including Messrs Roller and Burke, has shared responsibilities across the other brands.
The single dealership replaces seven that represented Alfa Romeo and Fiat in the greater Brisbane area.
Mr Roller said he believed the day would come when the success of the Italian marques would be so strong that a second dealership would be required.
“I have driven a BMW M3 as a company car for a while,” he said.
“I admit to being initially sceptical about the Giulia QV. It sits in the same price bracket as the M3 but it is too early to have the same immediate appeal to performance buyers.
“But after a week I had the strong impression that this is a fantastic product. I haven’t read one article doesn’t put it alongside the Mercedes C63 and BMW M3.
“The Giulia QV has every right to sit at the same table as these two German rivals. That really changed my mind about the brand.”
Brisbane Alfa Romeo Fiat has traded for three weeks and Mr Roller said he is more than happy with the response by prospective customers.
“There appears to be three main buyer groups – those who may be ethnic and particularly Italian, those who are dyed-in-the-wool Alfa enthusiasts, and people who want something that is different, yet the same prestige,” he said.
“That’s a broad and passionate group of prospective buyers. Now we are starting a database from scratch and will begin a series of activities – events such as drive days and family days – as part of a whole approach to look after customers.”
Alfa Romeo sales year-to-date August are up 33.8 per cent and up 134.1 per cent for the month of August compared with 2016 in a passenger car market that has fallen 6.9 per cent this year.
The sole contributor to the growth is the new Giulia sedan, which has sold 405 units this year since its launch in February.
Its appearance in showrooms has countered the shrinking sales of the 4C (21 sales compared with 58 in the last corresponding period), Giulietta (263 compared with 453) and Mito – which is no longer on the market and sold four in the YTD 2016 period.
By Neil Dowling
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