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Listen carefully; the susurration you hear faintly in the background
is the collective happy humming of millions of Alfisti
everywhere. Alfa Romeo is coming back to the U.S.—we
think, hope and pray. We’ve heard the promises before,
starting in 2000 with a proposed appearance by 2003. But
financial problems at Fiat—and also at part-stakeholder
GM—along with concerns about dealership setup kept moving
the return date back—and back. This time around we’re
fairly positive Alfa will stay true to its proposed timeline
(we’re still maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism to allay
any disappointment). In July 2006, Alfa officials confirmed
plans for a U.S. return in late 2009 with four 2010 models,
and in November of the same year at a financial-analyst
presentation in Turin, Alfa executives reaffirmed their
commitment to North America. (It’s been eerily quiet
since then ...)
Alfa left the U.S. in 1995 due to insurmountable quality
issues, but the bugaboos of its past are long gone—the Alfa
Brera won “European Car of the Year 2007” in Japan, and in
2006 the Spider was chosen “Cabrio of the Year” at the
Geneva motor show. Also in 2006, the all-new The Alfa 159
received a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, indicating Alfa
can easily meet (and exceed) U.S. crash and safety rules.
Alfa’s timing couldn’t be better. Alfa Romeo is in the
midst of a styling Renaissance, with one beautifully sculpted
car after another appearing in showrooms across Europe and
the world. There isn’t a single vehicle in Alfa’s lineup that
wouldn’t enhance any garage’s cachet. While we’d love to
own one of the limited-production 8C Competizione, a
Brera, a Spider or a 159 Sportwagon would suit us just fine.
And with the recent addition of Frank Stephenson (he of
MINI Cooper design fame and most recently of Ferrari) as
the Alfa Romeo Style chief bodes well for the marque’s
styling future.
The late 2009 intro as 2010 models is part of the Italian
company’s 100th anniversary celebration, marking a century
of passion-inducing macchine belle. The U.S. will see only
four models in 2009, but what models they are: 8C
Competizione, Brera, Spider and 159 sedan. An all-new 169
(a 166 replacement) and the compact SUV Kamal, if
approved for production, will reach our shores in 2011/2012.
Sadly, the smaller, oh-so-fun-to drive 147 isn’t planned for
the U.S. However, there is speculation that either a threedoor
compact or a sporty coupe will be offered in the future
to attract younger buyers. Alfa will use 47 existing Maserati
dealerships as its entry points into the U.S. market. What follows
are brief overviews of the Alfas we can expect to drive
in less than four years.
For more on this article and much more grab a copy of Auto Aficionado Magazine on newsstands nationwide!
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