Thailand Factory Making Alfa Romeos

BANGKOK, Thailand AP reported that the General Motors' assembly plant in Thailand has begun making Alfa Romeo 156, the first time the luxury car has been produced outside Italy, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

The vehicle will be produced in cooperation with Fiat Auto (Thailand) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Italy's Fiat Auto SpA., which produces Alfa Romeos in Italy, said GM spokesman Chartchai Suwanasevok.

Initial annual commercial production of the car is expected to exceed 1,100 units, and will be increased to 4,000 units in 2003.

The first car to roll off the production line is scheduled to be unveiled later Wednesday. The next batch of cars will be ready this week, Chartchai told The Associated Press.

General Motors (Thailand) Ltd., a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors Corp. , has a $650 million assembly plant in the Rayong province near Bangkok.

Last year, it started producing the Zafira compact multipurpose van, building almost 50,000 Zafiras for export to 19 markets. In 2003, GM Thailand is scheduled to begin assembling Isuzu pick-up trucks.

Fiat established a strategic alliance with General Motors in 2000, with General Motors taking a 20 percent equity stake in Fiat Auto, and the Fiat holding company taking an approximately 6 percent stake in General Motors.

Fiat has also invested $15 million in the body shop, paint shop, general assembly and warehouse departments of GM's Thailand assembly plant.