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Argentinians find stash of never-registered, brand-new 30-year-old Italian cars

While much of the world is sheltering in place, several new, never-registered Italian and French cars exited a 27-year confinement in Argentina. They were left for dead in an abandoned dealership that sold Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Peugeot models in a city named Avellaneda near Buenos Aires, the country's capital. Details surrounding the dealership are murky. Argentina's Autoblog (no relation to us) reported it closed at some point during the 1990s after the owner and his son died in violent circumstances. Automotive archaeology tells your author it likely shut its doors in 1993, because that's the only year in which the first-generation Fiat Ducato launched in 1981 and the post-facelift Fiat Tipo, axed in 1995, overlapped. Both are clearly visible in the photos. What's certain is that someone finally inherited the property in 2020 and wanted the cars gone as quickly as possible in order to sell it. The anonymous owner asked Kaskote Calcos, a local body shop that also runs a used-car lot, to haul them away via Instagram. We're guessing the firm didn't need to be asked twice.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Axel By Kaskote (@kaskotecalcos) on Mar 24, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT Many of the cars hidden in the dealership were made by Fiat; the photos show several examples of the Tipo, an Uno, a Tempra, and the aforementioned Ducato. An Alfa Romeo 33 wagon and a Peugeot 405 were also stashed in the trove. Most were stored indoors so they weren't damaged by sunlight or humidity, and images of the cars taken after they were pressure-washed confirm they're in like-new condition inside and out. We're told some even started, though for the love of valves and pistons we hope they got a new timing belt before being fired up.  Kaskote Calcos hasn't revealed what it will do with the cars. None are particularly sought-after, they're economy cars that were mass-produced and mass-destroyed, and their current values reflect that. You can get a post-facelift Uno for the price of a few Peroni pints in Italy. The fact that they're new, never-registered examples will undoubtedly increase their appeal, even if registering them could require slashing through jungles of red tape. As a side note, finding a 405 beached in a Fiat dealership isn't as random as it might sound.

2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia gets Nero and Carbon editions

It feels like the Giulia was only recently introduced, but for 2019, the Alfa Romeo Giulia will get a number of updates. While the engine range remains unchanged – the base Giulia and the Giulia Ti continue with the 280-horsepower turbo four and the Quadrifoglio's engine remains the twin-turbo V6 with 505 horses – there are new packages and specifications for the 2019 model year. To begin with, the Giulia Ti Sport gets 19-inch wheels with a five-hole design as standard, and the Quadrifoglio gets a 40/20/40 folding rear seat as standard, with a third headrest. Heated rear seats are also available for all trim levels, and leather is standard. There are new paint colors for four-cylinder Giulias, consisting of two different greys. But the new packages are interesting, as there's now a "Shadowline" style Nero Edizione available for all Giulias. This clothes the Giulias with dark accents on the Scudetto grille, mirror caps, headlamp bezels, window trim, exhaust tips and wheels. For some model lines, brake calipers are available in red, black or yellow. In addition to Nero Edizione, another new package is the Carbon. It's only available for the Ti Sport and Quadrifoglio, and on the Ti Sport it lays everything full of carbon fiber from the grille to the side skirts, and adds a leather-wrapped dashboard. For the Quadrifoglio, the Carbon is an exterior package, which gives the car a carbon grille, mirror caps and badge. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA Alfa Romeo Luxury Performance Sedan alfa romeo giulia

Robert Kubica moves from Williams to Alfa Romeo F1 reserve

LONDON — Robert Kubica has joined Alfa Romeo as their 2020 reserve driver, the role the Pole carried out 14 years ago when he made his Formula One debut with the Swiss-based team then known as BMW Sauber. The deal announced on Wednesday also sees Polish oil company PKN ORLEN, who backed the 35-year-old's comeback last season at former champions Williams, become a co-title sponsor of the team in a multi-year partnership. Kubica's big break came in 2006 when he became Poland's first F1 racer, replacing Canada's 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve at BMW Sauber and going on to win with them at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. The Pole, who suffered a near-fatal rally accident in 2011 that partially severed his right arm, scored tail-enders Williams' only point last year in a remarkable personal comeback clouded by the team's inability to provide a competitive car. He announced in September that he was leaving and has since been replaced by Canadian Nicholas Latifi, the team's 2019 reserve. "I'm starting a new chapter in my career by joining Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. This is a team that has a special place in my heart and it'll be nice to see the familiar faces I still remember from Hinwil," said Kubica in a statement. "Time and circumstances are obviously different, but I am convinced that I will find the same determination and hunger to succeed." Kubica had also been linked to the Haas and Racing Point teams who had considered him for a role as a tester and simulator driver. Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo's race drivers this year are Finland's 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, an unchanged lineup from 2019. Team principal Frederic Vasseur welcomed Kubica, who before his accident raced for Renault and was close to becoming a Ferrari driver, back to the Hinwil factory. "He is a driver that needs no introduction: one of the most brilliant in his generation and one who displayed the true meaning of human determination in his fight to return to racing after his rallying accident," he said. "His feedback will be invaluable as we continue to push our team towards the front of the grid." Alfa Romeo finished last season in eighth place with 57 points. The team said PKN ORLEN branding will feature on the C39 car and all "trackside assets". Related Video: