Alfa Romeo is back! Those are the words we need to hear from Chrysler sooner rather than later, and that one simple phrase will return a true Italian icon back to American roads.
Alfa Romeo has been building cars since 1910 and is renowned for some of the most beautiful cars in automobile history. Not a single Concours d’Elegance event around the world can occur without an Alfa in attendance. In fact, Enzo Ferrari himself once worked for Alfa, and the company has a long history of race victories at events like the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia, Le Mans and Formula One. There is one important rule in the car world: “In order to be considered a true gear head, you must own at least one Alfa Romeo”.
Now that Chrysler is teaming up with Fiat, who owns Alfa, there is a better than good chance that we will start seeing great cars like the new Giulietta. Instantly recognizable by the Alfa grille, this car is powered by a choice of three hot little turbocharged engines, making up to 235 horses and is designed around a new architecture called “compact” designed which improves road holding, agility and safety. The suspension is a mix of MacPherson front suspension and multi-link rear suspension all controlled by a “DNA” selector, which allows dynamic, Normal and All Weather driving. The overall design is similar in style to other Alfas but in a smaller, more compact body.
Essentially a 5 door companion to the Alfa MiTo, this car wears a nameplate that comes with almost 5o years of history. The original Giulietta coupe was introduced in 1954 and instantly became a classic. This car may not make it to that status, but it would be fun to see it here. Plus, Alfa seems to always be in a situation where its future is unclear, so an open US market could help secure the brand. I know I’ll be first in line to buy one.
Article courtesy of Chris Raymond