200 Chrysler dealerships to sell Alfa Romeo by late 2012

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.]