- Filed under: Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Fiat
Alfa Romeo Spyder concept by Pininfarina - Click above for high-res image gallery
Fiat is a few months away from awarding 200 Fiat-branded retail outlets to select Chrysler dealers. The first vehicle those new stores will sell will be the Fiat 500, and there won't be any Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep-branded models in sight. But that doesn't mean Fiat will have those dealerships to themselves for very long.
According to Automotive News, company CEO Sergio Marchionne announced at an event in Toledo, Ohio that those Fiat stores will also sell Alfa Romeo vehicles by late 2012. Marchionne has already announced that the first Alfa to hit North American shores will be the Giulia sedan and wagon, followed at some point by a midsize SUV, a subcompact, a hatchback and even a roadster. That's a lot of Alfa, and the Italian automaker will need all of those models to be at least moderately successful if it has any shot at reaching its lofty goal of 500,000 Alfa Romeo sales by 2014.
Before we get to 2012 and the return of Alfa Romeo on our shores, we need to get a clearer picture of what Fiat's plans are for the U.S. AN reports that the Fiat forecast will clear up soon, as the Turin, Italy-based automaker plans to educate Chrysler dealers during an August 30th briefing.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]200 Chrysler dealerships to sell Alfa Romeo by late 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials, Alfa Romeo, Fiat
According to Automotive News Europe, Volkswagen is keen on continuing its hungry, hungry hippo march through the automotive world. The report says that the German manufacturing giant has its eye on snapping up Alfa Romeo, even though parent-company Fiat has no intention of turning the brand loose.
The news comes courtesy of two unnamed, high-ranking VW officials who claim that the company has developed a serious taste for Italian as of late. Meanwhile, a similarly shadowy figure in the upper echelons of the Fiat kingdom says that Fiat won't sell Alfa Romeo to the Germans.
While the two companies appear to be drawing lines in the sand, Fiat has said that it wants Alfa Romeo to become a world-class luxury manufacturer. That includes selling upwards of 500,000 units per year by 2014 - nearly five times what the company managed to move in 2009.
So why does VW want Alfa Romeo? Nabbing the brand would be an easy way to help the carmaker in its quest to take down Toyota as the world's number one automaker. Dipping into the Alfa Romeo stable would also give VW access to a wealth of new front-engine, front-wheel-drive chassis options as well.
[Source: Automotive News Europe]Report: VW wants to buy Alfa Romeo, Fiat unwilling to part originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Car Buying, Concept Cars, Motorsports, Classics, Misc. Auto Shows, Alfa Romeo
A Century of Alfa Romeos at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - Click above for our high-res image gallery
It might be hard to believe, but Alfa Romeo is a century old. Check that - A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, or Lombardy Car Manufacturing Company) is 100, having been established in 1910. That was the year that a group of Milanese enthusiasts decided they could build cars better than the stuff they were getting from foreign automakers. ALFA wasn't very successful at first - at least not financially - but during World War I, the company was taken over by a young engineer, Nicola Romeo, and the rest, as they say, is history. 100 years later, we have some of the most incredible and memorable sports and racing cars of all time wearing the cross-and-serpent or the Quadrifoglio.
At the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, the automaker received a warm welcome, with two dozen or so of their most significant models on hand for the festivities - many from the factory museum. Those 24 cars represented just a small sample of the sports and racing cars that made the company famous - everything from one of their first 1910 A.L.F.A. 24-hp Torpedo model, to the bio-mechanical 2010 Alfa Romeo Pandion Bertone Coupé.
It was a great gathering of incredible cars to honor this legendary automaker as it enters its second century, a century that will thankfully see its return to the United States market. It's hard to say if today's models will stand the test of time like the classics gathered at Pebble, but we think that the 8C Competizione will look sensational out there on the 18th fairway in 40 years, just like it does today.
Photos Copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips, Frank Filipponio / AOLMonterey 2010: Pebble Beach honors Alfa Romeo on its 100th birthday originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Alfa Romeo
2010 Concorso Italiano celebrates Alfa Romeo centenery - Click above for high-res image gallery
The year 2010 marks the 100th birthday of Alfa Romeo, the great Italian automaker that has given us some of the most lust-worthy road and race cars of, well, the last century. It was fitting, therefore, that Concorso Italiano celebrated the occasion with gusto. They even let the Alfas spell out the annual message to the heavens: a simple "100." It would have been interesting to see them try to use 100 cars to do so; goodness knows there were at least that many Alfas on hand.
Check out the gallery and you'll see a small sampling of the great variety of Alfas on display. As much as we like the new 8C Competizione, we have to say our favorite Alfa Romeo at Concorso was probably John Shirley's 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B. Just take a look at that rear!
Photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio / AOLMonterey 2010: Alfa Romeo centenary celebrated con brio originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Classics, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Design/Style, Lancia
2010 Concorso Italiano - Click above for high-res image gallery
Monterey coverage continues with one of Friday's staples. Concorso Italiano has been one of Monterey's largest gatherings of primarily Italian vehicles for years. Laguna Seca Golf Ranch played the hospitable host, giving throngs of Italian-car lovers the opportunity to get up close and personal with hundreds of le belle macchine.
Lamborghini, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, DeTomaso and Ferrari, were well represented - long lines of each marque appearing almost mirage-like down the fairways of Laguna. You know those shots you've seen of exotic cars lined up outside the factory? Multiply those by ten. It is absolutely crazy. Special gatherings honored the Ferrari F40, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary of U.S. citizenship. The Italians were never really that great at dates, as the F40 was originally intended to be a 40th anniversary treat for Enzo himself to celebrate the company's 1947 birth. Unfortunately, it appeared around 1990 instead. Don't even get us started on the F50.
Concorso has hosted several smaller manufacturers over the years as well. Not just the oddball makes that few people have ever heard of, but also fledgling companies that have sometimes risen to prominence - or fallen infamously. This year, Superformance showed off the new Zagato-penned Perana Z-One. The European GT styling combined with Corvette power reminds us of the classic Italo-Amercan mashups from DeTomaso, Iso, Bizzarrini and the like. The Z-One is gorgeous, and we were blown away by its build quality. We're negotiating some seat time to give you the full rundown, but for now, check out the gallery and you'll see why Concorso Italiano has become one of the world's greatest events for lovers of Italian machinery.
Photos by Frank Filipponio / Copyright (C)2010 AOLMonterey 2010: Concorso Italiano celebrates all things Italia originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Hatchback, Alfa Romeo, UK
Alfa Romeo MiTo Touring Sport - Click above for high-res images
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." George Orwell may have thought he was writing about the pitfalls of communism, but though he may not have known it, his words were eerily prophetic in the context of the auto industry. Take, for example, the latest special edition from Alfa Romeo.
Created specifically for the UK market, the MiTo Turismo Sport is another example of a special edition that's hardly any more special than the model it's based on. In fact, all it seems to do is limit selection - to three colors (black, white or red) and two engine options (gasoline or diesel, each producing a paltry 95 horsepower). What's "special" about it is that it bundles several popular options - alloys, cruise control, Blue&Me infotainment system, etc - into one package that sells at a value. So it's special, as long as you would have ordered yours within those parameters anyway, or don't mind limiting your choices.
All special editions are special, but some are more special than others. This particular example, then, is more the former than the latter. Details in the press release after the jump.
Gallery: Alfa Romeo MiTo Touring Sport
[Source: Alfa Romeo]Continue reading Alfa MiTo Touring Sport is more equal, less special than others
Alfa MiTo Touring Sport is more equal, less special than others originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Etc., Alfa Romeo, Design/Style
Chopard GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo (above) and table clock (below right) - Click either image for high-res image gallery
In a field of automotive-inspired wristwatches, one marque stands above the rest as the connoisseur's choice: Chopard. From its ongoing sponsorship and participation in the annual Mille Miglia revival rally to exquisite timepieces like the LUC Engine One Tourbillon, Chopard's made a name for itself among lovers of classic cars. And this year they celebrate their 150th anniversary, conveniently in the same year as Alfa Romeo marks their 100th.
To celebrate, Chopard has rolled out not just a single model, but a whole line of timepieces honoring Alfa Romeo. The range includes the Gran Turismo XL Alfa Romeo and the GT XL Chono Alfa Romeo (available in either stainless steel of carbon-coated steel), both of which feature COSC-certified in-house automatic movements, 46-hour power reserve, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, 44mm cases and Chopard's signature vintage Dunlop-inspired rubber straps. Only 500 of each of the three variants will be offered, along with a table clock in PVD-coated steel and a black leather, red-stitched case, and an additional travel alarm clock.
All in all, not a bad way to celebrate a birthday. Read about 'em in the press release after the jump and take a closer look in the gallery below.
[Source: Chopard]Continue reading Happy Birthdays: Chopard celebrates Alfa Romeo with special line of timepieces
Happy Birthdays: Chopard celebrates Alfa Romeo with special line of timepieces originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Coupe, Europe, Alfa Romeo, Rumormill
Connoisseurs of historic Alfa Romeos - which seem to be coming out of the woodwork now that the firm is celebrating its 100th anniversary - will recall that the original Giulietta came in a number of variants. A hatchback like the reincarnated model wasn't one of them, however.
The first of the Giuliettas was actually the Sprint, a two-door coupe that debuted in 1954. The sedan and Spider convertible (like the one we drove in Montreal) came along later. So with the new Giulietta hatchback already hitting markets around the world, speculation is already surfacing of a revival of the Sprint in a new coupe variant.
If you're thinking a two-door Giulietta would step on its baby brother's toes, you're not far off. The Mito was envisioned as part of a two-pronged approach to replacing the old 147. But with the Alfa GT in need of replacement, a Giulietta Sprint could help Alfa capitalize on the new platform which is also set to underpin a new crossover as well.
[Source: Autoblog.it | Image: Theophiluschin.com]Rumormill: Alfa Romeo planning Giulietta Sprint coupe? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Kamal concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Alfa Romeo, in case you hadn't noticed, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. And it seems like rumors of an Alfa CUV have been floating around for just as long. But the wait may finally be over as the Italian automaker reportedly plans on making it up to its customers with not one, but two new crossover models.
With its sights set firmly on Audi's Q5 and upcoming Q3 compact crossovers, the two-pronged approach may help Alfa launch into the CUV market. The smaller of the two is tipped to be based on the new C-Evo platform developed for and recently launched on the Giulietta, while the larger model could borrow Jeep underpinnings, substantiating earlier reports. Expect the first to come along in a couple of years and the second to follow a couple of years after that, with North American sales a distinct possibility.
[Source: Autocar]Kamal-Back: Alfa Romeo reportedly cooking up two new crossovers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Alfa Romeo
The Alfa Romeo brand is a tough one to pin down... or perhaps it's parent company Fiat that's elusive, or maybe just CEO Sergio Marchionne that refuses to be a fixed target. New Alfa-Abarth-Maserati CEO Harald Wester has said that Alfa's long-term sales target is 500,000 vehicles by 2014. That's a mountainous 400,000-unit increase over 2009 sales, yet the route to the peak of that mountain isn't any clearer than it was in January when Alfa wasn't coming to the U.S., except that Alfa finally has "the right conditions, the right products and the right synergies to get there," according to Wester.
A brief summary of the timeline: in January Marchionne says Fiat can't come to the States unless it makes a business case - which, at that point, hadn't been made; later that same month Harald Wester takes his consolidated CEO position; in February Marchionne says Alfas will be sold in the U.S. by 2012; and in April Fiat's five-year plan is unveiled with Alfa slotting in six new models, some based on Chrysler platforms.
The only detail we're missing is why Alfa Romeo thinks it will work this time, this well. Alfa has been underperforming in Europe in spite of the models its been releasing, and we don't know why Chrysler platforms would change that. True, Alfa is only relying on the U.S. market for that growth, but an average year-on-year increase of 80,000 cars, starting this year, is an order of the tallest kind. And that's before any talk of Alfa having to battle Lancia for market share and marketing dollars.
Audi may have big U.S. targets too, but Audi won't need to fight the perceptions of a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. market two decades ago in order to meet them. We've been expecting Alfas product assault to be good. But with these numbers, we'll expect it to be phenomenal.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]Alfa Romeo planning to reach 500,000 annual sales by 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Alfa Romeo, UK
Audi celebrated itself at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year, and the sign it hung out front as advertisement was a 135-foot statue with a 1937 Auto Union at one end and R8 V10 at the other. This year Alfa Romeo will be doing the major celebrations, blowing out 100 candles for its centennial soiree, and it has unveiled its statue on the Goodwood lawn. If tradition holds, the statue was designed by Gerry Judah and according to Motor Trend, called "the most stylish and memorable sculpture ever crafted for the event." Hmmm...
On the left is one of the only two P2 racers left, and this particular example won the 1925 Gran Prix World Championship. On the right, an 8C Competizione. In the middle is... well, something red and swoopy, which we'll suppose is a fitting enough representation of 100 years of Alfas.
[Source: Autocar]Alfa Romeo unveils its statue at the Goodwood Festival of Speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Performance, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Rumormill
Anyone who's spent time in a desert climate knows all to well how fast a scorpion can move, and the same can be said of the reborn marque that bears the scorpion as its badge. Not just in terms of the vehicles it produces, but the busy pace which Fiat's tuning division keeps.
With only two core models in its line-up, Abarth always seems to have something new in the works. The latest debuts were hot versions of the Fiat Punto Evo and 500C. A new purpose-built roadster is reportedly in the works again. And now reports have it that the recently revived tuning studio is preparing to branch out beyond Fiat's own catalog and take on some offerings from Alfa Romeo.
The development follows the unification of the two Fiat Group brands under common management, a move which has already bred the Maserati edition Alfa MiTo. No word yet on exactly which Alfa models could get the Abarth treatment, but while the MiTo might seem a logical starting point, reports suggest that - with the Quadrifoglio Verde (Cloverleaf) model already on the market and a GTA still rumored to be in the works - the stylish little hatch will be immune to the scorpion's sting.
[Source: Autocar]Abarth to tune Alfa Romeos? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Classics, Alfa Romeo
1949 Alfa Romeo Villa d'Este Berlinetta - Click above for high-res image gallery
The 28th Annual Dana Point Concours d'Elegance took place this past Sunday, once again adorning the Monarch Beach Golf Links at the St. Regis Resort with some of the most beautiful pieces of rolling sculpture ever created. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010 is Alfa Romeo, so it was only fitting that this maker of some of the most incredible Italian sports and racing cars be one of the featured marques at this year's concours.
It's odd to think that this quintessentially Italian firm actually started out as a French company way back in 1906, but its SAID (Società Anonima Italiana Darracq) ancestor quickly dropped off the map when the Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (A.L.F.A.) opened its Milanese factory doors on June 24, 1910. It wasn't until 1915 that Nicola Romeo came on board and the company we know and love finally started to flourish after the war, with its return to car building in 1920 under the Alfa Romeo name. It wasn't long before Enzo Ferrari and other drivers were establishing the racing prowess of the marque, eternally cementing the legacy of the automaker.
The Alfa Romeo turnout at most concours is usually pretty healthy, so with the special centennial this year, it wasn't surprising to see such a spectacular display of Alfas at Dana. Check out our gallery below and you'll see some of our favorites, from the Villa d'Este above, to the pair of Giulia Sprint Speciales, to the audacious '65 TZ2 GT Coupe of General Lyon.
Photos by Frank Filipponio/ Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.2010 Dana Point Concours: 100 Years of Alfa Romeo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Hatchback, Alfa Romeo, Police/Emergency, Australia
NSW Police-spec Alfa Romeo MiTo - Click above for high-res image gallery
If your aim in choosing a new car is to get noticed, there's no shortage of attention-grabbing wheels to pick from, but few cars get noticed as quickly as a police cruiser. Sure, the flashing lights and blaring sirens might help, but not as much as the looming threat of being ticketed. Still, Australia's New South Wales police department seems to think it needs some help getting noticed.
That's precisely why Sydney-area law enforcement has taken delivery of an Alfa Romeo MiTo. Noticeably bereft of emergency lighting, the MiTo will be used for community outreach and safety awareness programs. Whether the wee Alfa will prove more effective in its assignment than a Hummer H3 or Holden Commodore remains to be seen, but it might help the authorities catch up with the next F1 champion who tries spinning donuts on city streets.
Gallery: Australian Police Alfa Romeo MiTo
[Source: Car Advice via eurocarblog]Australian police hope to attract stares with Alfa MiTo cruiser originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo MiTo Kit-One by Magneti Marelli Elaborazione - Click above for high-res image gallery
Upon reading his own obituary, Mark Twain once famously quipped, "The report of my death was an exaggeration." Turns out, with apologies to the famous poet, that the same could be said of the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA. The project may or may not be dead, but what we can tell you for certain is the spy shots that surfaced a couple of weeks ago were not of the GTA.
What we were actually looking at is a tuning kit by Magneti Marelli. Those who recognize the name may know it as Fiat's electronics division and a major OEM supplier, which produces everything from ECUs to headlights. It worked with Ford and Microsoft on the development of the Sync and Blue&Me in-car computer systems, and developed the Kinetic Energy Recovery System for Ferrari. In fact, the company's scope reaches so far that they claim their parts are in just about every new car on the road today, wherever it's made. Now the company is launching its own tuning division called Magneti Marelli Elaborazioni. The MiTo spied - as astute commenter "adpb" pointed out - was actually their first product, called the Kit-One.
The modification package is comprised of stiffer springs than lower the car by 30 millimeters, the "Parco Chiuso" dual-exit exhaust system with bypass valve, 305mm Brembo disc brakes, a competition ECU good for an extra 31 horsepower, 18-inch matte black wheels and a rather divisive body kit made by Carrozzeria Castagna Milano (who you might remember for their Aznom Corvette and various Fiat 500s) of which only 200 sets will be made. Each item can be ordered separately, and the division has also got packages in the works for the Fiat 500 and Grande Punto. And with their new facility going up in Auburn Hills, Michigan, we wouldn't be entirely surprised to see them modifying Chryslers, Dodges and Jeeps in the near future. In the meantime you can check out the MiTo with the Kit-One in the gallery below.
[Source: Magnetti Marelli Elaborazioni]Alfa MiTo Kit-One from Magneti Marelli Elaborazione isn't the GTA originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 May 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Archive for the 'ALFA ROMEO' Category
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show, Supercars, Alfa Romeo
The saga of whether Bertone will or will not be at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show to debut its Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 11 concept is over. Automotive News Europe is reporting that the Italign design house will display the vehicle you see above in Geneva, just not at the Palexpo where the auto show is taking place. Bertone's Vice Chairperson Marie-Jeanne Bertone told AN that her mother Lilli, who is also Bertone's Chairperson, had cancelled the company's booth at the Geneva show. Unfortunately, it's not yet known where within the city limits of Geneva the car will debut. We assume it will be a shady part of town and a password might be required to get in. Despite the highly unorthodox unveiling, the B.A.T. 11 looks every bit as dynamic as the original B.A.T. concepts from which it takes inspiration. Being that it's based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione platform, it probably goes like stink, too. We'll do our best to infiltrate the Swiss underground scene and bring you back some live shots.
[Source: Automotive News Europe, sub. req'd]
Posted in World Cars, Automotive News, ALFA ROMEO, Concept Cars | No Comments »
Sunday, August 5th, 2007
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - Filed under: Sports/GTs, Videos, Alfa Romeo
When Alfa Romeo showed off the magnificent 8C Competizione coupe earlier this week, the gathered media got to look at it, photograph it, touch it and drool at the site of it. What we didn't get to do was drive it. Alfa did, however, provide some video footage of the 8C on the road attacking the sort of twisty mountain roads that would make a daily commute actually enjoyable. Alas we can but dream, and watch the video after the jump.
[Source: Alfa Romeo]
Posted in World Cars, Passenger Cars, Sport Cars, Automotive News, ALFA ROMEO | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 5th, 2006
Details info: Info: History:
1976-1983 Alfasud Sprint 1.3-1.5 Boxer,
1983-1987 Sprint 1.4-1.5 Boxer,
1987-1989 Sprint 1.4-1.7 Boxer
Posted in ALFA ROMEO | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 5th, 2006
Details info: Alfa Romeo Spider Roadster 2d
(1983 - 1990)
Posted in ALFA ROMEO | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 5th, 2006
Details info: Description:
Still looking great, the Spider is a classy offering from Alfa.
Version
2.0 16v Twin Spark
3.0 V6 24v
Posted in ALFA ROMEO | No Comments »
