Marchionne gets Nasty, Tells VW Boss Piech to go and Fix SEAT Instead of Eyeing Alfa Romeo

.fullpost { display: inline; } Speaking at the J.D. Power and Associates International Automotive Round-table in San Francisco, Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne bluntly reiterated that the Italians won’t sell Alfa Romeo to the Volkswagen Group, or anyone else for that matter. “As long as I am CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, Mr. Piech will never have Alfa Romeo. It's hands-off. I

Alfa Romeo MiTo with GTA-Like Aero Kit by Lester

.fullpost { display: inline; } While Alfa Romeo enthusiasts are awaiting for the Italian company to release a punchier variant of the MiTo in the form of the production version of the 240HP GTA Concept, tuners across Europe are presenting their own proposals for the stylish sport hatch. What Lester lacks in under-the-hood performance upgrades, the Italian tuner tries to compensate with a

What Were They Thinking? When Alfa Romeo Rebadged a Nissan to Create the Arna

.fullpost { display: inline; } When the Nissan Versa was launched in Australia as the Tiida, many automotive watchers were excited by the prospect of blending Renault’s European flair with Nissan’s Japanese reliability. “Here,” they said, “Is a car that’ll please everyone.” What they got was a narrow-bodied subcompact with so-so styling, a plasticy dashboard, a shocking lack of equipment

Alfa Romeo Rumored [Again] to be Planning a KTM X-Bow-based Sports Car

.fullpost { display: inline; } At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo may take the audience by surprise with a lightweight, mid-engine and rear-wheel drive coupe concept that will eventually become the Italian maker’s next affordable halo car, reportedly named 4C GTA. According to an Automotive News Europe [ANE] report, a Fiat spokesman has confirmed that development is underway,

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Specifications

Add captioAs a sedan, the 3rd generation Alfa Romeo Giulietta for the 2011 model year is a fantastic ride for a sedan that lives up to the Alfa Romeo name. A front-wheel drive model, the dynamics of the new Giulietta are superb as well as the interior features and standard equipment offered. Fans of Alfa Romeo and followers of the Giulietta may be looking for a new facelift and redesign,

Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The Performance Car Show that will take place in Birmingham, UK, 14-17 January 2010, Autodelta will unveil the world’s first tuned Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Alfa Romeo’s awesome Alfa 8C Competizione supercar has scooped the award for Best Design of the Year in Auto Express’s 2008 New Car Honours.The announcement came after more than 4000 Auto Express readers voted in the category, putting the

Alfa Romeo Focuses on the Giulietta and 2011MY MiTo at the Geneva Show

.fullpost { display: inline; } The Fiat Group will have a particularly strong presence at the Geneva Motor Show this year, as it’s planning to reveal a bevy of new models and concept cars. Alfa Romeo’s offering at the Swiss salon will be centered on the Giulietta compact and 2011MY MiTo subcompact models, with two of each scheduled to go on display. And for those of you wondering, Alfa's press

Alfa Romeo UK Adds New Diesel with 140HP and 62.8 MPG to Giulietta Lineup

.fullpost { display: inline; } A newly developed 2.0-liter JTDM engine has made its way under the hood of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in the UK. The four-cylinder turbocharged diesel unit, which delivers 140HP at 4,000 rpm and 320Nm of peak torque in 'Normal' mode and 350Nm in 'Dynamic' mode, gets the latest generation JTDM-2 MultiJet Common Rail system that is already present on the 105HP 1.6

Alfa Romeo Celebrates Support of UK Athletics with New MiTo Sprint

.fullpost { display: inline; } Automakers find all kind of excuses to create special edition versions of their cars, and by special edition we actually mean better equipped models. For Alfa Romeo, the raison d'être of the new MiTo Sprint is "the continued support of UK Athletics (UKA)". Wonder what they'll think of next... Well, in any case, the new UK market MiTo Sprint is available in

Fiat’s Future in Italy Could be at Stake Due to Disagreements with Unions

As previously reported, Fiat hasn’t been able to secure agreements with all Italian unions regarding a key productivity deal to help the automaker to keep its turnaround strategy on track. With a hard-line union planning a strike later this month, the country’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi claims Fiat will have a good reason to quit Italy if the deal falls through.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne agreed with Mr. Berlusconi saying that the future of the company in Italy could be at stake and he might be forced to move all production to lower-cost countries.

The dispute with the FIOM union, which represents workers employed at Fiat’s historic Mirafiori plant, concerns the introduction of more shifts and reduced benefits. The automaker supports that implementing these changes is crucial if the company is to make further investments and build new models in Italy.

Talking with reporters in Berlin after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Silvio Berlusconi commented: “We think that what has been happening in this case is absolutely positive, with the possibility of an accord between the unions and the company, in the direction of greater flexibility”.

“It's obvious that if this didn't happen, clearly the company and business people would have a good reason to move to other countries. Let us hope this has a positive outcome”, Berlusconi added.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Reuters

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Alfa Romeo Shows Concept Designer Bags Inspired by MiTo

In what could be seen by many as further proof that Alfa Romeo is steadily losing sight of its core values (whatever is left of them, that is...), the firm's UK division unveiled two concept designer bags for its MiTo subcompact as part of the company’s centenary year celebrations and to help support young British fashion talent. We might be wrong, but we think it would have been more appropriate for the Italian firm to show its support to young British car designers...

In any case, for the creation of the bags, Alfa Romeo UK held a special competition for students from the MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins College, London. A total of 15 graduates submitted sketches inspired by the MiTo for initial consideration, but only two made the cut.

"After being critiqued and judged by some of the leading faces in British fashion, the bags created by CSM students William Hendry and Tamara Elliot were chosen for the limited run," said Alfa Romeo UK in a statement.

According to the Italian firm, the two bags are prototype designs for Alfa Romeo UK, which is now looking to produce a limited range of both in the near future.

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Alfa Romeo Giuseppe Merosi Design Study for a RWD Sports Coupe

From the creator of the Alfa Romeo Vittorio Jano Sedan and Sport Wagon concepts comes this new design study for a classy-looking GT. Named after Giuseppe Merosi, a famous Italian automobile engineer Giuseppe Merosi who worked for Alfa Romeo (then named A.L.F.A.) in the beginning of the previous century, the prototype presented by Marco Procaccini from MPcardesign is a four-seater sports coupe designed to feature a much missed by Alfa Romeo fans, rear-wheel drive layout.

The styling of the Giuseppe Merosi has a similar feel to Marco's previous work, the Vittorio Jano, combining hard edges with curved surfaces and a pronounced Alfa Romeo grille. According to the designer, the car would measure around 4,300mm in length, 1,810mm in width and 1,320mm in height.

Source: MPCardesign

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Poll: Should Fiat Cut Loose Alfa Romeo and/or Sell it to Volkswagen?

Like Saab and countless other brands before, Alfa Romeo is at a tipping point. The famed Italian automaker, which once stunned the world with its gorgeous styling and motorsport victories, is now losing an estimate €200 million (US$265 million) per annum. It’s hard to believe that the company that brought us cars like the GTA, the Spider and the 158/159 Alfetta could be reduced to such a sad state of affairs.

Sergio Marchionne, the unwavering CEO of Fiat and its subsidiaries, is determined to turn the ailing automaker around. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is sniffing around for more brands and smells a potential winner in the Milanese company.

There are many arguments for and against selling Alfa Romeo to ze Germans. Here are the ones we’ve covered in our previous article:

The Case For Selling Alfa Romeo

• Alfa Romeo is valued at €1.5 to 2 billion. By selling what equates to their biggest loser, Fiat would emerge virtually debt free.
• The brand’s dismissal would save Fiat a further €1.5 billion that it would of spent product R&D over the next four years.
• Fiat would also save €200 million a year in losses.
• Alfa’s departure could potentially allow for Dodge to return to Europe as Fiat’s sporty brand, with Fiat remaining the first choice for entry level buyers and Lancia / Chrysler for those seeking something a little more upmarket.
• Volkswagen has worked wonders with Bentley, Seat and Bugatti. Can you think of a better mother hen for one of Italy’s finest?

The Case Against Selling Alfa Romeo

• If Fiat can survive until 2014, analysts predict it will emerge with no debt and fatter profit margins. And that’s with Alfa Romeo.
• Fiat could net the same amount of lira by selling three of its OEM suppliers: Magneti Marelli, Comau and Teksid.
• After Fiat’s expected 2014 recovery, the Milanese automaker is expected to account for 10% of Fiat’s sales.
• Fiat has plans to share platforms between Alfa Romeo, Chrysler and Jeep, helping all three brands. Without the platform sharing, Chrysler and Jeep will continue struggle and Fiat’s push into the Chinese and Russian markets will be delayed.
• With Fiat focusing primarily on small cars, it would have to develop new mid-sized and large car models to fill the gap left by the departing Alfa.

So there you have it: five points for and five points against. All that’s left now is to cast your vote, so get voting!

By Tristan Hankins

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Should Fiat Sell Alfa Romeo to the VW Group?

Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The Performance Car Show that will take place in Birmingham, UK, 14-17 January 2010, Autodelta will unveil the world’s first tuned Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Alfa Romeo’s awesome Alfa 8C Competizione supercar has scooped the award for Best Design of the Year in Auto Express’s 2008 New Car Honours.The announcement came after more than 4000 Auto Express readers voted in the category, putting the

Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The Performance Car Show that will take place in Birmingham, UK, 14-17 January 2010, Autodelta will unveil the world’s first tuned Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Alfa Romeo’s awesome Alfa 8C Competizione supercar has scooped the award for Best Design of the Year in Auto Express’s 2008 New Car Honours.The announcement came after more than 4000 Auto Express readers voted in the category, putting the

Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The Performance Car Show that will take place in Birmingham, UK, 14-17 January 2010, Autodelta will unveil the world’s first tuned Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Alfa Romeo’s awesome Alfa 8C Competizione supercar has scooped the award for Best Design of the Year in Auto Express’s 2008 New Car Honours.The announcement came after more than 4000 Auto Express readers voted in the category, putting the

2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Turismo Sport unveiled

2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Turismo Sport First Look

2010 Alfa Romeo MiTo Turismo Sport Pictures

Alfa Romeo with Disco Volante Sculpture

Designed by the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo with the accord of artisan Agostino Bonalumi, the carve is aggressive by the acclaimed Alfa Romeo 1900 Disco Volante (Flying Saucer).As a badge of appreciation, Alfa Romeo had the names of all those who contributed in the conception accounting in a appropriate applique beneath the art piece. In addition, anybody will accept a 1/43 calibration archetypal of

Alfa Romeo with Disco Volante Sculpture

Designed by the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo with the accord of artisan Agostino Bonalumi, the carve is aggressive by the acclaimed Alfa Romeo 1900 Disco Volante (Flying Saucer).As a badge of appreciation, Alfa Romeo had the names of all those who contributed in the conception accounting in a appropriate applique beneath the art piece. In addition, anybody will accept a 1/43 calibration archetypal of

Alfa Romeo 6C 3200 Cento Study 156 GTA Heart

Update: "1754 Fuori dell' ordinario" sent us this statement regarding the Alfa Romeo 6C Cento:"The 6C Cento is designed as a tribute for Alfa Romeo that fits between the Spider/Brera and 8C. There are no further plans to introduce a real concept car. However, if there’s interest in a real life version, we would not hesitate to build one!Currently our design team is working on a full 3D model of