Alfa Romeo to delay U.S. return to 2010?
The well-regarded Italian magazine Quattroruote published a good news/bad news story Tuesday. In a story about the difficulty Alfa Romeo will face in (re)establishing itself in the competitive American market, the magazine confirms the brand will be seen in the U.S., but adds the caveat "even if not before 2010." Earlier statements (see our post here) had suggested a return as soon as late 2007.
No sources are cited, so it's difficult to chase this story further - we'll just have to wait for official word from Fiat or Alfa Romeo.
One part of the article with which we wholeheartedly agree - Quattroruote encourages Alfa to bring the gorgeous 8C Competizione (shown above) to the U.S. as the brand's halo car, saying (in Google translation-speak) its "Italian style" will offer "an alternative to the excesses of BMW's Bangle and to the anonymity of the Japanese models." Hear, hear!
Here's a link to an English translation of the Quattroruote article. The original Italian version is here.
[Source: Quattroruote via Gear6]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ryan 11:40AM (5/31/2006)
"its "Italian style" will offer "an alternative to the excesses of BMW's Bangle and to the anonymity of the Japanese models." Hear, hear!"
-Well, that would make sense if 1/2 the front end did not look like a Subaru B9 Tribecca.
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Rob Lowe 11:59AM (5/31/2006)
Why don't they just delay re-entry into the US market until the 22nd century then they can save money on press releases concerning the next delay.
Only a consortium of European car makers working together and setting up a network of multi-branded show rooms with Fiat, Citroen, Peugot and Renault participating and sharing marketing and administrative costs has any hope of cracking the US market. Everything else is a pipe dream.
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MacroEQ 12:15PM (5/31/2006)
What a TVR ripoff. Talk about punching a man while he's down.
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Simone 12:23PM (5/31/2006)
I'll never understand why people say the US market is competitive. Lucrative yes, but competitive no. We probably have the fewest brands to choose from and most models are boring clones anyway that we have been forced to accept because we have no other options. Does that sound like a competitive market?! I think not!
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Albert 12:58PM (5/31/2006)
Only a consortium of European car makers working together and setting up a network of multi-branded show rooms with Fiat, Citroen, Peugot and Renault
---
Just imaging how the part/service department would be in this kind of setting.
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Steve J 1:13PM (5/31/2006)
"Well, that would make sense if 1/2 the front end did not look like a Subaru B9 Tribecca."
Even if it did (which it does not), the design of this concept pre-dates the B9 by a year or two. Not to mention, the center triangle has been Alfa's signature, like BMW's double kidneys, for only 70 or 80 years now. (Incidentally, Subaru's design chief came from Alpha; apparently he's unable to design without some sort of center wedge.)
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Ryan 1:25PM (5/31/2006)
"Even if it did (which it does not), the design of this concept pre-dates the B9 by a year or two."
Not in the USA it does not! :-)
"Not to mention, the center triangle has been Alfa's signature, like BMW's double kidneys"
"(Incidentally, Subaru's design chief came from Alpha; apparently he's unable to design without some sort of center wedge.)"
And you still don't think the lower front end on this thing looks like a B9 Tribecca?!
:-) Just playing.
-Don't forget Pontiacs "signature" double kidneys
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MikeInNC 1:29PM (5/31/2006)
Steve J, I think Ryan was making a thin reference to the website "The Truth About Cars" review of the Tribecca(and the mess with BMW that ensued). At least I hope he was! Otherwise he's a complte dolt. Hey Ryan, come back and set the record striaght because I really suspect you're being clever (ha ha).
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Ryan 1:43PM (5/31/2006)
#8
"BMW Can't handle the truth!!!" :-)
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Ryan 1:46PM (5/31/2006)
I love it when they said the Tribecca looked like a flying vagina! But honestly, the Tribecca looks as if it could be the "Porsche SUV" to Alfa without much cosmetic change, to me it could (if they had an SUV, such as Porshe) pass for being the same "corporate" face as this. But hey, no big deal. I thought the BMW situation is however, quite funny.
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long Tran 1:49PM (5/31/2006)
You guys are really over using the word "caveat".
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Steve J 1:51PM (5/31/2006)
"And you still don't think the lower front end on this thing looks like a B9 Tribecca?! "
Ha, no. Although when I first saw Subarau's new fronts, knowing that their design chief came from Alfa, I just rolled my eyes at the obvious "Hey, let's just flip it upside down" sort of discussion that must have gone on.
There is one key difference: The B9 Tribeca is one of the fugliest cars I have ever seen.
The 8C Competizione is one of the most gorgeous cars I've ever seen.
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Ryan 2:04PM (5/31/2006)
"The 8C Competizione is one of the most gorgeous cars I've ever seen."
(I think so also)
-Yeah I think I could "manage" having one :-)
This is a key section of the post I have a hard time with:
""an alternative to the excesses of BMW's Bangle and to the anonymity of the Japanese models." Hear, hear!"
1st off, the above-listed sell, and sell very well at that weather or not there is excess BMW's or bland Japanese models they sell well. 2nd, these are not the only two options available to us, there is the Lotus brand which gives off the same "aura" if you ask me. But yet they don't sell quite as well as a BMW or Asian brand.
Either way though, the more options available in the USA the better! :-)
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Iain 2:55PM (5/31/2006)
My god that car is one hot pile of sex!
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Clarence 4:10PM (5/31/2006)
There is no car currently sold in the USA that really says "lucious" quite the way the C8 says it. This car almost affects me sexually. If Alfa can bring this kind of style to our market, I am ready to make the sacrifices.
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koizboy 4:35PM (5/31/2006)
It's worth the wait.
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Ebm14 5:11PM (5/31/2006)
Bring over the other Alfas, and we can wait for the 8C
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Myspace Layouts 6:51PM (5/31/2006)
that thing is hot damn!
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dtrapp 8:10PM (5/31/2006)
This new AR looks a whole lot nicer than the early 90's cars they were putting out. I can't say it's exciting, or I would buy one, but it's great to see that at least AR is considering a return.
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Henry Gibson 3:07AM (6/01/2006)
If you want to see where the 8C gets its inspiration, go to the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese outside Milan. You can trace the bloodline there....and like any thorobred line it has its ups and downs, but latterly they are all upsups. Check out the Brera too! So sorry you guys don't get Alfa, but then that leaves more for us Europeans. Henry G.
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