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Weekly Recap: Chevy and Alfa plot comeback strategies

Chevrolet and Alfa Romeo were two of the 20th Century's most iconic automotive brands. Chevy embodied America's post-war power and confidence. Alfa was the definition of the stylish Italian sports car. They reached halcyon heights in the 1950s and '60s, before declining precipitously amid new competition, changing consumer tastes, and uneven corporate management. Both say 2015 is the start of something better, and this week Chevy and Alfa laid out ambitious plans and showcased new cars that they hope will make them more relevant this year, and in the coming years. Each brand sits at its own crossroads, and their paths forward are as different as the Chevy Cruze and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Chevy is still a sales beast, as evidenced by its volume of 4.8 million vehicles sold around the world last year. Chevy executives are fond of saying one of their cars is sold every seven seconds, which illustrates the strength and reach of a car brand that is the fourth largest in the world. "Make no mistake about it, we are a brand for the people," said General Motors North America president Alan Batey. But he wants consumers to want to buy a Chevy for its design and technology, not simply because it's affordable. That starts with all Chevys now featuring a distinctive a family look, with sporty cues from the Corvette or strong lines that riff on the Silverado pickup. "We want people to fall in lust with our cars," said Mike Pevovar, executive design director for Chevy passenger cars. "That initial emotional attraction has to be right on the exterior, and that's where form comes into play." Chevy is also loading up its cars, like the freshly unveiled 2016 Chevy Cruze, with technology to appeal to a younger crowd that prizes connectivity. The Cruze will offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with its MyLink infotainment system, and OnStar with 4G LTE and wifi. Seeking out younger buyers is also sound business practice: Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers as the largest single age group in the United States. Younger buyers also can improve a brand's image, which is another area where Chevy would like to improve. Chevy ranks 82nd on Interbrand's Best Global Brand's list, behind 11 other automakers. Apple is No. 1. "We need our own variation of the Genius Bar," Batey said. 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia View 3 Photos Meanwhile, Alfa is in different shape.

Fiat Chrysler trademarks Kamal, likely for small Alfa CUV

We have Alfa Romeo news to share, and for once it's not about a product delay. Fiat Chrysler has trademarked the name Kamal and we think it will be used on one of two crossovers planned to follow the (delayed) Stelvio. Fiat Chrysler trademarked the name Kamal last month. Because trademark filings are intentionally vague, there is no specific brand attached to the application, only parent company FCA. The link to Alfa comes from a small CUV concept that used the name way back in 2003. If we had to wager, we'd say this one will be smaller than the midsize, Giulia-based Stelvio and could use a version of the same platform or whatever will underpin the brand's (eventual) small hatchback. It probably won't come in gold like the concept. We hope not, at least. Interestingly, there's no trademark for Stelvio in the US Patent and Trademark Office's database. That name was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne in February, but anyone familiar with recent Alfa news knows things change. And then they get pushed back and change again. About that waiting, though. Alfa's product plans have been made and amended, the gorgeous Giulia has been delayed, and now things seem to be on track. Maybe. If the latest trademark filing is any indication, the brand is at least thinking about what's supposed to come next. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 1979 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce

During the middle-to-late 1970s, things got pretty grim for American car shoppers wishing to drive a (non-exotic) new European two-seat convertible. British Leyland would sell you a 1979 MGB, Spitfire, or TR7 at a good price, but you got only 67.5, 52.5, or 88.5 horsepower, respectively, in those cars (yes, BL claimed the half-horse in official ratings, because that's how the Malaise Era was) plus the Prince of Darkness riding shotgun. Fiat offered the 124 Sport Spider for a bit more than those British machines in '79, but that car had a mere 86 horses under the hood. That's where the Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce came in; for a bit more money, you got 111 fuel-injected horsepower and a car that still looked futuristic more than a decade after its introduction. Alfa Spider prices have gone way up in the last decade, so I don't see many of these cars in the self-service car graveyards I frequent. That makes today's Junkyard Gem, found in a yard near Denver, a fairly rare find. Someone yanked the cylinder head off, probably years ago, and then never finished whatever engine work had been planned. This is a common sight with vintage sports cars in junkyards. The 1994 Colorado State Parks pass shows that at least this Alfa was running 28 years back. Inside, there are many receipts for extensive mechanical work done during the 1980s. These cars were better-built than their British Leyland and Fiat rivals, but that doesn't mean they were easy to work on. How about getting a head-gasket job plus a bunch of other work done for just over 500 bucks? Even with inflation, that's a deal! At some point, someone sliced up the factory radio faceplate to install this 1980s Blaupunkt cassette deck. This looks like a CR-2001, which was high-end factory equipment in Porsches and BMWs around the time this Spider was new. The interior has some parts that look nice enough to be worth buying, so let's hope that some Front Range Alfa Romeo enthusiasts show up and score some nice pieces for their project cars. The MSRP on this car was $11,195, or about $45,700 today. The Fiat 124 Sport Spider went for $7,090, while the TR7 convertible cost $9,235. Meanwhile, a new 1979 Chevy Corvette with the optional L82 engine listed at $11,425 and had 225 horsepower; it also weighed 917 pounds more than the Alfa and had much more ponderous handling.