Section: Alfa Romeo
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 16th, 2008 11:00 AM
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Chrysler has been front and center in the news this week, announcing a product-sharing deal with Nissan, as well as looking at expanding its partnership with Chery Automotive in China.
Now reports from Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper are claiming that Chrysler is in an advanced state of talks with Fiat, with an eye to teaming with the Italian automaker for possible production in the U.S. Fiat has been looking for idle capacity at auto plants as it plans Alfa Romeo’s American return, and has discussed cooperation with BMW or Detroit Three companies.
Meanwhile, Fiat chief technology officer Harald J. Wester revealed to Handelsblatt that the much-celebrated Fiat 500 minicar will be offered for sale in the U.S., though no time frame was given. Wester said that the American market 500s would be built either in the U.S. or at one of Fiat’s existing facilities in South America.
+ Motor Authority: Fiat in talks with Chrysler, confirms 500 for U.S.
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Written By: Carrie Roca
April 2nd, 2008 2:00 PM
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After less than a year at the design helm of Alfa Romeo, a company whose long anticipated return to the United States is now imminent, the multinational Frank Stephenson is stepping down.
The forty-eight-year-old designer, who was born in Morocco and educated at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, made his mark on the automotive world as the designer of several iconic vehicles including the Mini Cooper. He is responsible for the BMW X5, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, and the Maserati Quattroporte. Most recently Stephenson worked on Alfa Romeo’s 8C Competizione and Mi.To.
Stephenson, who reported to Lorenzo Ramaciotti, head of Style for Fiat Group Automobiles and Maserati, was working on turning the 500 into a production model when he said bade arrivederci to Torino.
No reason was given for his departure. Stephenson will be replaced by forty-year-old Austrian Christopher Reitz.
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 31st, 2008 9:00 AM
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Alfa Romeo is getting more specific in its ongoing search for an American manufacturing location, and is considering two distinct possible solutions.
Sources familiar with the project disclosed the possibility of using one of any number of closed automotive factories formerly in use by one of the Detroit three companies. Another scenario has parent company Fiat expanding an existing Case New Holland agricultural machinery plant. Fiat is the owner of Case New Holland, which owns and operates 11 plants within North America.
The Fiat group is also reported to be talking with several U.S. states about incentive and tax abatement packages, though no state in particular was mentioned in the report.
+ Automotive News: Alfa searches for a U.S. factory (subscription required)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 26th, 2008 10:00 AM
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Since the news was announced that Italian manufacturer Fiat was seeking partnership for its production of Alfa Romeos in the U.S., most of the speculative matches have involved American carmakers.
But daily publication MF has cited sources close to Fiat that indicate that BMW is just as likely an ally as any of the U.S. domestic manufacturers. The daily claims that while the lion’s share of the attention has been focused on U.S. companies, with Ford being the name mentioned most often, a European company with production facilities in the country would seem to serve Alfa’s purposes as well.
Would a Euro marque in the U.S. make the most sense for Alfa’s American needs? Have your say in comments.
+ Automotive News: Alfa could partner with BMW in U.S. (subscription required)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 25th, 2008 5:00 PM
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This simply lovely Alfa Romeo GT 1600 Junior seems to have come through what sounds like an exotic existence relatively unscathed.
Having originally been owned by a fighter pilot stationed on the exotic island of Cypress, we’re not sure how the Alfa made its way to California, but the car only managed to cover 39,000 miles in the process. That reasonable travel has left the car in excellent shape for a daily driver, with the DOHC 1.6-liter said to be fit mechanically, and the body true and rust-free. The seller does note that the interior shows slight tearing on the seats, and could stand to be cleaned up just a little. A well-worn interior is certainly something that we could live with if it meant putting this coupe in our dream garage.
Take a look at the stunning green Alfa Romeo in our gallery below, and then give us your impressions of the car in comments.
+ eBay Motors: 1973 Alfa Romeo GT JR 1600
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 25th, 2008 9:00 AM
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A strengthening euro and weakening U.S. dollar are complicating Alfa Romeo’s planned return to the American market next year. The changing exchange rates mean that exporting European models to this country will be a considerably more expensive prospect for the Italian manufacturer.
To help keep these costs down Alfa officials are considering the prospect of building a production facility in Mexico, which would be capable of supplying the U.S. with car’s like the upcoming Mi.To hatchback, as well as Alfa’s 149 and 159 models.
Fiat executive Sergio Marchionne recently spoke with Financial Times about North American production for subsidiary Alfa saying, “I’ve always had the view that we had to produce in America.” Marchionne went on to reveal that Alfa is hunting for a U.S. production partner, noting that the company is likely to lose money in North America until such a relationship is formed.
“I can suffer the loss initially, as long as I know I’m going to be producing enough,” said Marchionne.
+ Motor Authority: Fiat in talks with Detroit 3 over Alfa Romeo production
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 15th, 2008 5:00 PM
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An Alfa Romeo hatchback, with styling based on the flawless 8C Competizione, powered by a range of turbocharged engines, and headed to the U.S. You can consider us pretty excited too.
Alfa has let go with some new high-resolution images of its Mi.To model, which drew such rabid response earlier in the month when our own Matt Davis reported that it would be headed our way. The Italian automaker’s press release tells us nothing that might dampen our excitement for the sexy coupe, only that we’ll have to wait for June for the international media reveal, and July for introduction (gradual, but hey) into all major markets. Enjoy the gallery below.
(Click through the jump to read the full Alfa Romeo press release.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 7th, 2008 4:30 PM
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Automotive fashion magazine Intersection presented an interesting project to a group of couture designers; create a car cover that isn’t boring.
Six designers responded to the project in ways that were as varied as they were strange. From a perfectly black box that hovers two inches off the road, to a sort of patchwork quilt created from used mechanic overalls. Our favorite though has got to be the offering from German designer Bless, which isn’t really a car cover at all, but rather a sort of Alfa Romeo-shaped couch.
Click on the thumbnails below to explore this strange gallery of couture car covers, and then pick your favorite in comments.
+ Intersection: car covers
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Written By: Evan McCausland
March 6th, 2008 10:30 AM
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Usually an extreme form of punishment, decapitation - for Alfa Romeo’s 8C Competizione - is a gift to all Alfisti who desire top-down motoring. We had a chance to look over the drop-top halo car at this week’s Geneva Motor Show, and if you think the coupe looks good, the ‘vert certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Granted, precious little changes between the fixed-and drop-top cars, which is a great thing. Without a doubt, Alfa created a stunning design with the 8C, and we’d argue that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. That said, without the buttresses of the fastback roof, the fenders now flow with little interruption to the tail - something that makes the three-quarters rear view, at least with the top down, quite breathtaking.
As much as we look forward to the coupe’s arrival within the U.S., we’re jumping at the bit to blast through the countryside with the wind in our hair from within the cockpit of an 8C. What say you - do you prefer the car with or without top? Send your thoughts in the comments section below.
Written By: Chris Paukert
March 4th, 2008 11:00 AM
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We were finally beginning to accept the notion that we would never join the Alfa Romeo 8C owners club, and then this hot little number showed up. The single-seat electric kiddie car is definitely just the thing for aspiring Fangios, and in point of fact, it’d look pretty nice sitting in the corner of our Ann Arbor offices, too.
How about it, Alfa?
+ WINDING ROAD: 2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competitizione road test
Written By: Matt Davis
March 2nd, 2008 5:00 PM
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Alfa has impressed us wildly with their 8C Competizione supercar and now all enthusiasts’ eyes are on the MiTo, a name just confirmed to us by our contacts deep inside the Turin offices. The Mini and future Audi A1 (and next Volkswagen Polo sharing with the A1) ought to watch their backs for this speeding and stunning little Italian. Alfa is making it no secret that the priorities for the MiTo are to get uttered in the same breath with Mini as a B-segment leader worldwide, and then to spoil the launch party later this year for the A1/Polo.
Sources also confirm to us that development on the MiTo has been maniacally painstaking in order to arrive in exactly the form Alfa would like in order to make the biggest impact right away. The key words in Turin have been comfort, performance, and sophistication. That means being seen as premium and image-conscious with the hippest car-buying crowd.
(Click through to read more about the Alfa MiTo and see another illustration.)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
February 25th, 2008 7:30 AM
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Even amidst the financial quagmire surrounding Italian design firm Bertone, we were hoping to see the firm’s presence at the upcoming 2008 Geneva Motor Show - especially since we were teased with sketches of the B.A.T. 11 concept. That unfortunately won’t happen, as word from Car Design News is that Bertone will be notably absent from the Swiss auto show.
Days after unveiling some details of the new B.A.T, an Alfa Romeo - based concept which was slated to appear at Geneva, the company’s P.R. staff had the awkward position of announcing that neither the car or the firm would attend the show. That’s unfortunate, as we were interested in seeing if the B.A.T. 11 looked better than its 8C Competizione cousin in the flesh.
Such a comparison may be a long time coming, as Bertone continues to struggle to overcome massive debts and to find a new owner. With losses totaling close to $55.4 million and a host of other European styling firms facing similar woes, neither solution may prove to be a probable reality for Bertone.
+ Car Design News: Trouble at Bertone
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