1982 Alfa Romeo Gt V6 Balocco T1236026 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Fiat gets into the classics game with 'Reloaded by Creators' program

Classic vehicles help modern buyers make new connections to a carmaker's modern offerings. That's why in little more than a month we've seen Jaguar announce a continuation run of the D-Type, Porsche get a show at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, Land Rover plan to restore a Series I, and Jay Leno celebrate the 1942 Dodge Carryall. Fiat Chrysler already has a heritage division, but the vintage department takes a new step into its history with the "Reloaded by Creators" service. Said to be inspired by retail programs at museums, Reloaded by Creators will see FCA Heritage source and buy noteworthy classics from the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia brands, restore them to original spec, then sell them to collectors. When Roberto Giolito, head of FCA Heritage, broke the news at Retromobile in Paris, he also revealed the first five offerings: three "ultimate classics" in the Alfa Spider IV serie (1991), Lancia Fulvia Coupe Montecarlo (1973), Spidereuropa Pininfarina (1981), and two custom cars in the Alfa Romeo SZ (1989) and Lancia Appia Coupe (1959). The ultimate classics represent the last of their kind to be built, not necessarily according to model year, but with respect to design and engineering - no major model changes followed. The Lancia Fulvia Coupe ceased production in 1976; the limited edition 1973 Montecarlo model celebrated the car's victory in the 1972 Montecarlo Rally and still wears the original license plates. The 1981 Spidereuropa Pininfarina comes from the beginning of the end of production; after building the Fiat 124 Sport Spider for US-only sale from 1975 to 1983, Pininfarina resumed manufacture in Europe in 1982 and bestowed the new name. The Alfa Spider went out of production in 1993, the 1991 Series IV example for sale here has been in FCA's collection since it was built, used for technical testing. As for the custom cars, Lancia built a variant of its third-generation Appia as a coachbuilt chassis. Pininfarina bodied the 1959 model for sale here, and Fiat showed it first in Paris. Fiat used the funky, Zagato-designed, thermoplastic-composite-bodied, 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ for testing at the carmaker's Balocco circuit. Only around 1,000 SZ models emerged from the factory during a two-year production run. Each vehicle will come with a certificate of authenticity and be guaranteed by FCA, plus be featured on the FCA Heritage site.

Alfa Romeo brings back the Quadrifoglio Verde

With a history as rich as Alfa's, the brand has a wealth of symbology to draw on. Of course the Alfa Romeo logo itself has its own clout and allure, as do nameplates like Giulietta, Giulia and Spider. But another symbol from the marque's 104-year history is the Quadrifoglio Verde. The green clover leaf has adorned the most hardcore performance Alfas since 1923. The emblem was brought back to distinguish the top versions of the MiTo and Giulietta in 2009, both of which are now headed to the Geneva Motor Show in even more enticing form. The new three-door MiTo QV packs a 1.4-liter turbo four driving 170 horsepower to the front wheels through Alfa's six-speed dual-clutch transmission, giving it a 0-62 time of 7.3 seconds and a 136-mph top speed. The latest five-door Giulietta QV, meanwhile, packs a 1.75-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower – the same engine and six-speed DCT as the 4C, only turned around to drive the front wheels from the front end. It's good for a 6.6-second sprint to 62 and a 150-mph top speed. Both models come with a host of upgrades both inside and out, details of which you can read in the press release below. But one of the most enticing parts is the matte grey finish which Alfa is offering on both models, and which only makes us anticipate the marque's eventual return to the North American market that much more. The 'Quadrifoglio Verde' is back on Giulietta and MiTo - The legendary 'Quadrifoglio Verde' that has identified the top performing cars by Alfa Romeo since 1923 is back on the new versions - Giulietta celebrates its 60th anniversary with a new 'Quadrifoglio Verde' - True expression of Alfa Romeo's DNA, this car marks the debut of the new 240 HP 1750 Turbo Petrol engine with all-aluminium direct injection - State-of-the-art 'Alfa TCT' 6-speed twin dry clutch transmission - It's the same engine/transmission as the Alfa Romeo 4C supercar - Giulietta's flagship model can exceed 240 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds - New intake system highlighting Alfa Romeo's typical full, enveloping engine sound - New steering wheel, new instruments with dedicated graphics and QV logo and new leather and Alcantara seats, wraparound and sporty, with built-in headrest - New matt Magnesio Grey body colour exclusively created for the 'Launch Edition' special series produced in a limited edition of only 500 vehicles.

Here are all the vehicles sold by the 12 brands of the Fiat Chrysler PSA merger

Sven Gustafson and Ronan Glon contributed to this report. Whether or not the formal merger between Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and European conglomerate PSA Group means the return of Peugeot to the U.S., one thing’s for certain: The combined company will have a truckload of different brands. Sorting out what the deal means for all of them, including where they are sold and built, and whether and where there is product overlap, will be a key question for the two companies as they formalize the merger over the next 12 to 15 months. So far, both sides have steadfastly insisted that no job cuts or plant closures will result from the tie-up. WeÂ’ll see about that. In the meantime, weÂ’ve compiled an alphabetical list of all the vehicles currently sold in Europe and in North America by the various FCA and PSA brands, along with the years they debuted. We've gone into more detail about the European vehicles you might be less familiar with. The joint empire also has an antique store's worth of heritage-laced models and dormant brands, like Plymouth, Imperial, Simca, and Panhard, and it would have been even bigger had FCA not spun off Ferrari in early 2016. Alfa Romeo A legacy Italian sports car brand with roots in racing, Alfa Romeo has been struggling with declining U.S. sales. Giulia (2015): AlfaÂ’s rear-wheel drive sports sedan competes against German luxury sedans in North America and Europe. 4C (2013): The lightweight mid-engine rear-wheel-drive sports car is being phased out. Stelvio (2016): The Stelvio is a small luxury performance crossover that competes against the likes of the Porsche Macan and BMW X3 and is sold in both Europe and North America. Giulietta (2010): Sold in Europe, this compact hatchback is AlfaÂ’s entry-level model. After initially planning a rear-wheel drive 2020 update, the Giulietta is reportedly being nixed as part of FCAÂ’s latest product plans.   Chrysler Despite lending its name to its parent company, questions abound about the future of this legendary but faded brand, which is not offered in Europe. 300 (2011): Despite rumors of its pending demise, the four-door sedan lives on mostly unchanged for the 2020 model year, at least. Pacifica (2016): The successor to the Town & Country is ChryslerÂ’s bestselling model by a long shot and comes in gas-only and plug-in hybrid versions. Voyager (2019): ChryslerÂ’s newest minivan launches as its entry-level minivan for the 2020 model year.