While attending the local Cars & Coffee this Saturday, I found myself speaking with the rep for a new, local Fiat dealership. Yes, Chrysler franchisees that want to sell the new Fiat 500 and any other Fiat for that matter are building separate dealerships.
The rep "let slip" that the Fiat dealership will also start selling Alfa Romeos in the near future. According to him, that would take place in late 2011. While the time-frame is unlikely, Fiat has confirmed the return of Alfa to our shores. Technically, Alfa has returned already since it's been selling the 8C supercar. I've seen one - once.
To support the mainstream market re-entry, Alfa is not relying on one of its existing vehicles. Instead, the company has debuted an all-new model at the 2011 Geneva Auto show, the 4C.
Courtesy: Alfa Romeo
It's certainly pretty and sporty. Perhaps that's what the company is going after. It's difficult to change customer perceptions. Entering the market after a 17 year absence gives the company a chance to completely re-position itself. Sport and sex-appeal may be a winning combination. Not exporting some of its lesser models makes sense as well. While US enthusiasts love the idea of Alfa Romeo, that's mostly due to their design. In Europe, the enthusiasm for the brand is more tempered, due to reliability, handling and weight problems of its current models.
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