Fiat Auto Nederland, the Dutch Fiat importer, will not be present at the upcoming Amsterdam AutoRai, which runs from 10th-20th February 2005.

The announcement was officially made earlier this week, during a meeting with the AutoRai organisation.

The decision, was taken during a Fiat Auto management meeting in Benelux last month, and means the absence of the Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands during this national motor show.

Fiat Auto have in fact decided to take similar action in avoiding the smaller European motor shows which will take place during 2005.

Fiat Auto Nederland are instead saving their budget for the launch of a series of new models that will come on stream during 2005.

These include the new Fiat Punto and Croma, and the highly anticipated Alfa Romeo 157, Sportwagon and GTV models.
 

The Alfa Romeo 157, which was scheduled to make its international debut at the Geneva Salon in March, will instead make a pan-European dealer debut in late May, one of the first decisions to be taken by the new Alfa boss Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, who is already stamping his mark on the brand's policies ahead of his official starting date on the 1st January 2005.

As a result, more of Fiat Auto Nederland's 2005 budget will need to be spent on advertising this important model than previously anticipated.

The International Dutch motor show takes place biannually, and is seen as a strategically important event in the Benelux motoring industry, and attracts an average of 400,000 to 500,000 paying visitors.

The AutoRai organisation is believed to be unhappy with the decision of Fiat Auto, who's last-minute decision has disregarded months of show-space planning.

With the final floor space layout supposed to be revealed this week, the Rai organisation are still considering how they can draw in the Fiat Auto brands for this event in a less official capacity.