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Marchionne to make Alfa Romeo a separate company within Fiat

According to a report in Automotive News that quotes "people familiar with the matter," the next big play in Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan for Alfa Romeo is to break it off from Fiat Group Automobiles and set it up as a separate company within the Fiat empire, giving it the same structure as Ferrari and Maserati. The idea, say the sources, is that a transparent, standalone Alfa Romeo that has to justify its every move could clearly prove its success in the public financial statements it would have to report, finally achieving Marchionne's aim of making Alfa Romeo "a credible business proposition."
That, of course, assumes that Alfa Romeo will make a success of it. The brand hasn't made a profit in any year of Marchionne's decade at the helm; sales last year fell to numbers not seen in almost half a century and its new product offensive might not include the two vehicles currently responsible for 99 percent of its sales. We're told that the brand's six new models will begin arriving in 2016 - a roadster, a midsize sedan and large sedan, a compact SUV and large SUV, and a large coupe.
Marchionne aims to expand Alfa's global appeal in several ways, the first by stressing that they are Italian products that 'belong' to Italy. This is the stance that appears to have put the kibosh on the roadster twinned with the coming Mazda MX-5/Miata. Alfa Romeos will all be made in their home country, and if they take off they'll help bandage Fiat's problem with underused plant capacity, a bugbear that is just as problematic culturally and politically as financially. Top-tier trims would use V6 engines developed by Ferrari, and global access would get a boost by selling Alfa Romeos in Jeep's 1,700 international dealerships.

Alfa Romeo shows off Giulia and Stelvio GT Junior special editions

Alfa Romeo has announced a pair of new special editions commemorating the 1966 GT 1300 Junior. The Giulia and Stelvio GT Junior series are only available in Europe, and were inspired by the beloved predecessor to the legendary GTV. The Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior was part of a larger series of coupes from the 105 and 115 family. Built on a shortened Giulia chassis of the same era, lightweight aluminum-bodied GTAs and GTVs became a force in road racing, as well as GTC cabriolets and versions modified by carrozzerias. Possessing all the style of the Giugiaro-penned top-spec versions but with a less powerful engine and more affordable price tag, the GT 1300 Junior was by far the best seller of the range. It was a bona fide hit, and Alfa Romeo moved over 90,000 units from 1966-76. As the name suggests, the GT 1300 Junior had a 1.3 liter four-banger. Its 89 horsepower was delivered through a five-speed manual to the rear wheels. Weighing only a little over 2,000 pounds, its excellent handling helped make it an iconic model for the Alfa Romeo brand. To evoke the GT 1300 Junior, the Giulia and Stelvio have been dipped in an exclusive gold color called Lipari Ochre, a modern take on one of the GT 1300 Junior's most memorable hues. Both modern Alfas come with five-hole wheels, 19 inches on the Giulia and 21 inches on the Stelvio. There are no performance modifications to either vehicle. The Giulia and Stelvio come with either a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine making 210 horsepower or a petrol 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder generating 280 horsepower. Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic via a carbon-fiber driveshaft. The Giulia can be optioned with a rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive drivetrain, while the Stelvio comes only in AWD flavor. Alfa Romeo says the GT Junior editions are the third in a trilogy of special editions that began with the 500-unit and wildly be-spoilered Giulia GTAm that debuted in May. That sold out almost immediately, and was followed by 6C Villa d’Este editions of the Giulia and Stelvio paying homage to 1949 6C 2500 SS. The company hasn't said how many units of the GT Junior will be sold, but they won't be coming to the U.S. anyway. Related video:

Alfa Romeo 6C could return in 2020

Keep your salt shaker handy, because you might need a grain or two for this rumor, as scrumptious as it may be. According to German tuner Pogea Racing, Alfa Romeo is planning to revive the 6C nameplate, with a production launch in 2020. The company posted its inside info on its Facebook page, citing "an absolute trustworthy and legit source" who is "very deep into the decisions of the management of Alfa Romeo." According to the post, we can expect to see the Alfa Romeo 6C introduced at one of the major auto shows in 2018 or 2019. If true, the rumor is exciting, but not totally surprising. FCA is growing its investment in the Italian brand, along with its lineup. We've already learned of Alfa's plans for an SUV larger than the Stelvio, which could offer seven seats and a mild hybrid system. The addition to the lineup of what we could assume to be a coupe larger and more expensive than the Alfa Romeo 4C, and meanwhile bringing back a classic nameplate, doesn't seem farfetched. After all, we've heard similar rumors before, with the 6C reportedly planned as a competitor to the Jaguar F-Type. Under the hood, the Giulia Quadrifoglio's 2.9-liter twin-turbo aluminum V6 — good for 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque — seems like the perfect fit for the 6C. The 6C nameplate has roots in six-cylinder road and racing cars beginning in the 1920s. To see it revived after decades of hibernation would not only be interesting for fans and potential customers, it would be symbolic of the company's continued growth under the FCA umbrella. Related Video: