QOTD: Alfa Romeo's Time Come Due?
An article posted yesterday on these renowned pages really got me thinking about how certain brands seem to not have much of a future in the automotive landscape of 2020 — and beyond. If you didn’t click the link there, you may be wondering which brand I’m presently speaking of. It is of course Alfa Romeo.
Let’s do some Italian-style pondering.
Throughout a history dating back to 1910, Alfa Romeo was a car maker of the sporty variety. Its creations went racing and its passenger cars were built with passion and flair. Almost always a loser of money for whomever owned it, the company stood on its own two feet for nearly two decades as debts went unpaid. By 1930, Alfa fell into the hands of the fascist Italian government. It stayed securely in those governmental arms until 1986, at which time it went to Fiat, where it continued to lose money. Alfa withdrew from the North American market after 1995, after it failed to sell enough of the beautiful 164 (above), which underneath was a Saab and a Fiat.
In more recent announcements, the company’s portfolio became slimmer than it was supposed to be. Venerable model names assigned for rebirth were returned to the dust bin. As FCA struggles with expenditures and heads towards a merger with PSA, one must wonder if a niche manufacturer with a poor track record of sales, profitability, reliability, and a spotty dealer network outside Europe is worth continuing. Keep in mind here that FCA has Maserati in its brand portfolio, which sells very similar vehicles but calls them luxury in order to score a higher profit margin.
But perhaps I’m thinking about it the wrong way. Perhaps a storied racing brand with Italian style is ripe for revival in today’s bland automotive landscape of crossovers. Though I haven’t yet made up my mind one way or the other, I’m leaning towards axing the brand with the green grass snake on its crest. Cut bait and sell it to an investor, where it can join the MGs of the automotive world.
Let’s see how many of you agree with my pessimism. Off to you in the comments, commandatorio.
[Image: Alfa Romeo]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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Sometimes you have to have the nerve to go talk to Giulia the pretty girl in class rather than hang around with your sister Lexus.
As an owner of an Alfa Romeo I suppose I reluctantly agree. I am not interested in the new models. I like the 4c of course but would never buy one. I'd like a 1967 Giulia sedan, but not the modern equivalent.