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Alfa Romeo should return to Formula One ASAP

Alfa Romeo should absolutely return to Formula One. It would benefit the company, and it would benefit the sport. By extension, it would benefit enthusiasts. Let's break it down: Self-Interest: Alfa is struggling to reboot as a viable modern automaker. Americans love the idea of an Alfa but sometimes associate it with the movie The Graduate, which is nearly 50 years old, and the vague notion of sporty convertibles. It's mythic, but murky. Still, this is a big name in automotive history. If you asked a random person on the street: Do you want to drive an Alfa Romeo? They'd almost certainly say yes. F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. By competing in the World Championship and even better – winning – Alfa could legitimately claim it's not a museum piece, but a company on the edge of technology. And in this case, history is in Alfa's favor. Its drivers, Giuseppe Farina (shown above in 1950) and Juan Manuel Fangio, won the first two Formula One titles in 1950-51. This is a company that's won at LeMans, Mille Miglia, and Targa Florio. Sure, those are some dusty trophies, but the people who would consider buying an Alfa are connoisseurs. They appreciate the bloodlines. F1 Would Be Better: This doesn't matter to Alfa, but the sport would be more interesting with Alfa on the grid. Can you imagine an Alfa in a pitched fight with a Ferrari (say with Sebastian Vettel as the wheel) at Monza? F1 could use some new storylines and rivalries. Simply having an Alfa Romeo team on the grid would spice things up. Use engines from Ferrari. That makes the most sense, and Ferrari already sells its units to other teams. Some of them might as well go to another Italian outfit that still probably wouldn't have the same resources as the Scuderia. Enzo Ferrari started out at Alfa, by the way. It's A Win-Win For Enthusiasts: Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has said a lot of curious things lately, but he's spot-on with the notion of Alfa returning to F1. If that happens, it would make Alfa's new models, like the Giulia and 4C, seem sportier. It would remind collectors just how special the old ones are. And it would make Formula One a more compelling sport. Yes, F1 is wildly expensive. But FCA can find money to do Hellcats and hybrid minivans. It should double-down on Alfa's return to F1. Related Video:

B.A.T. Alfa Trinity, some of the world's most famous concept cars, are up for auction

Of the cars that never saw production, there are a handful that nevertheless have had an outsized influence. Among the most famous are the wild Berlinetta Aerodynamica Technica (B.A.T.) concepts commissioned by Alfa Romeo in the mid-1950s. Three B.A.T. Alfas were created by Italy's Bertone design house and were unveiled at succeeding Turin auto shows in 1953, '54, and '55. The cars are now coming up for auction for the first time as a group at RM Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Auction in New York on October 28. The first of the trio was B.A.T. 5, which like its successors was built on the Alfa 1900 Sprint production chassis. The goal of the B.A.T. 5 was aerodynamic efficiency, and the car boasted a cD of 0.23. Aiding the cause were covered front wheels, a greenhouse with steeply curved side glass, and twin tail fins. The second concept was B.A.T. 7, from 1954. It has the wildest styling of the trio, with sharply curved tail fins. It also has the lowest drag coefficient, at 0.19. B.A.T. 9, from 1955, was the most production-feasible of the group. It features an Alfa Romeo shield grille at the front and exposed headlights with clear covers. All three are credited to Franco Scaglione, working with Nuccio Bertone. They were seen together for the first time at the 1989 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. They would appear together again at Pebble Beach in 2005 and at Bertone's 80th-anniversary celebration in 1992. The cars were acquired by a single owner sometime after their first Pebble Beach appearance. The ability to acquire all three at once is part of what makes this an extraordinary opportunity. The B.A.T. Alfas are being sold as a single lot and are expected to bring between $14 million and $20 million.

Alfa Romeo Giulia to get Ferrari-related engine

Alfa Romeo has a long, proud history of using V6 engines in its coupes, sedans, and sports cars over the years, but as the new Giulia sedan approaches, the Italian marque is allegedly turning to Ferrari for its next six-cylinder. This is obviously not the first time a Ferrari-sourced or derived engine has been found under an Alfa's long hood. While 8C Competizione famously used a version of Ferrari's F136 V8 during its short run, the Giulia's new V6 will be offered on a much larger scale, slotting in above an entry level, four-cylinder turbo (likely the next-gen version of the 4C sports car's 1.75-liter engine). According to Autocar, the new V6 will be "specially developed for Alfa Romeo," and will be built at the Termoli engine factory alongside the new turbo four-cylinder. As for the rest of the Giulia, Autocar has been able to shine a light on a number of other details about the new midsizer. It will, thankfully, be rear-wheel drive, and designed to counter the "mostly cold and clinical" and soulless cars of the German competition, Maserati chief Harald Wester told AC. Some of the new sedan's structural elements will even be shared with Maserati's entry level model, the Ghibli. Most notable of all, though, is what the Giulia means for American consumers. After the limited-run 8C and the niche 4C, the new sedan will lead Alfa Romeo's long-awaited, large-scale return, where it will combat the popular BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, not to mention rivals like the Cadillac ATS and Lexus IS. Look for more on the Giulia next week when it's officially revealed in Milan.