1980 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce on 2040-cars

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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:

Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it

For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand's sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of "Mr. Piëch, drop it." According to a report in Ward's Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.
Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn't comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that "There is no substance in the news." If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there's Alfa's recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata - a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.
The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn't own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne's plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.

Alfa Romeo franchises 86 dealers across North America

Alfa Romeo's return to North America has been a long time coming, which has given us plenty of time to wonder: Will the now-merged Fiat-Chrysler let Fiat dealers sell Alfas, or will the shapely Italians be available in Maserati dealers? The answer we've been waiting for? Both. Auburn Hills has just released the list of 86 initial dealers that will be authorized to sell the Alfa Romeo 4C (Autoblog senior editor Seyth Miersma is driving one today in San Francisco, incidentally), setting the groundwork for a larger Alfa Romeo lineup to follow. The list includes 82 dealers across 33 states and four more in Canada. Though the vast majority are expanding upmarket from Fiat studios, a few are branching downmarket from Maserati dealers - not a one of them, in case you were wondering, having expanded from a Ferrari showroom. The highest concentration of dealers will be found in California, Texas and Florida, but while you might have thought Little Italy would be a prime location, there won't be a single dealer in Manhattan. Not in any of the five boroughs, in fact, so if you live in New York, you'll have to trek out to Larchmont in Westchester or Somerville, New Jersey, to place your order. Of course, that's at least the case for now, as Alfa plans to eventually expand to over 300 dealers in North America. In the meantime, you can check out the full list in the press release below to see how close you are to a new Alfa dealer. ALFA ROMEO FRANCHISES AWARDED TO 86 DEALERS IN U.S. AND CANADA - Alfa Romeo dealer network established in U.S. and Canada - Initial pool of 86 dealers drawn from existing FIAT and Maserati brand dealers - Additional Alfa Romeo franchises to be awarded later this year June 10, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - An initial group of 86 dealers have been awarded Alfa Romeo franchises in the United States and Canada. In the U.S., 82 Alfa Romeo dealers are located in 33 states, with California, Texas, and Florida having the largest concentration of dealerships. There are four Alfa Romeo dealers in Canada in this first group. These 86 dealers will be the first to sell the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C coupe and limited-edition 4C Launch Edition when the iconic Italian sports car brand returns to the North American market this year. "This group of dealers represents the first phase in the Alfa Romeo dealer network selection process," said Peter Grady, Vice President of Network Development, Chrysler Group LLC.