Planets In Alignment - Alfa Romeo's Return in 2009

ConsumerAffairs.Com ^ | July 19, 2006 | James R. Hood

[PurpleMan]

"Alfisti rejoice! Legendary Italian automaker Alfa Romeo confirms it is returning to the North American market after more than a decade's absence. A trio of contemporary new models will lead the charge.

Although the sleek Italian jobs won't roll down the ramp until the end of 2009 (coinciding with the company's 100th anniversary in 2010), Alfa Romeo's new lineup is already winning rave reviews in Europe and elsewhere, where the new models have been rolled out of the last year."

[PurpleMan]

Couldn't be more pleased. Intel has it that they will be sold through Ferrari dealerships. I wonder how long it will take for dealer mechanics to get ahead of the expertise curve on the new ones since they haven't been imported since '96. Sheesh. Once they start working on them, Alfa owners will flood them with work. ALFA - Translation: "Always Looking For Another"

[dighton]

The parent company is Fiat, “Fix it again, Tony.”

[Gay State Conservative]

The breathtaking incompetence that the French and Italians demonstrate in car building reminds me of the European definitions of heaven and hell..

In European heaven,the French are the cooks,the Italians are the lovers,the Swiss are the bankers,the Germans are the mechanics and the British are the police.

In European hell,the British are the cooks,the Swiss are the lovers,the Italians are the bankers,the French are the mechanics and the Germans are the police.

[So Cal Rocket]

I always thought the grill on this model to be rather Edsel-ish looking:

[peyton randolph]

I always thought the grill on this model to be rather Edsel-ish looking:

---

Definitely has that commode seat 'style.'

[RightWhale]

One thing about Fiats is they can go anywhere, even where mountain goats hesitate. Plus, if they get stuck they can be picked up and moved by the passengers.

[Rummyfan]

On a business trip to Italy last year my rental was a little Alfa sedan with a turbo-diesel that ran on the autstrada like a bat out of hell!

Don't know about their reliability though.....

[Mr. Mojo]

The new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione:

400 HP

[reagandemo]

I have a 1974 Fiat Spyder that has almost a 100,000 miles and looks great. The wife I love driving it on nice summer nights with the top down. I would not trade it for the world.

[Vaquero]

no thanks....I will wait for this.

[monkapotamus]

[gridlock]

The first rule of car pron threads is "Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!"

[clintonh8r]

I'll believe this when I see it.

[dighton]

The law of averages makes you personally responsible for some other guy’s Fiat that’s always in the shop.

;-)

[1rudeboy]

Anybody remember the Italian car (Fiat maybe?) that looked like an egg?

[blau993]

I had an Alfa in the early 70s. It was the "pre-Graduate" Spyder, with a tapered rear instead of the chopped-off rear. When it ran, it was a dream.

I took to carrying a spare fule pump in the glove box, because it burned them up at a prodigious rate. The mechanic recommended I switch to a Bosch, but the Bosch was four times as expensive as the stock Alfa pump, so I just made sure always to have a spare Alfa pump on hand.

Among its many lovable quirks was that you had to disassemble the entire fuel injection system to get at anything on the engine. A masterpiece of Italian engineering.

But man, did it purr.

[PurpleMan]

Mechanically, to I agree to a degree. I have more FRED (Fairly Reliable Electronic Devises) episodes on mine than I care to speak of. Then again, Detroit's trash is doing so well that Toyota is ahead of Ford (Fix Or Repair Daily) and barely behind GM (Maybe GM will bring back the "No Go" NOVA?)

That being said, stylistically they are and have been decades ahead of any of the crappola produced by the Big Three.

And they are great fun to drive. If you have a car that isn't fun to drive, why own it?

[1rudeboy]

http://www.fiat500club.nl/images/fiat-500.jpg>Not the one I'm asking about, but close.

[Jordi]

The breathtaking incompetence that the French and Italians demonstrate in car building reminds me of the European definitions of heaven and hell..

Interesting that Renault is about to buy GM, while Fiat's market value is higher than Ford's...

[frogjerk]

Ford (Fix Or Repair Daily)

FORD - Found On Road Dead

GM - General Maintenance

DODGE - Dead Or Dying in Garages Everywhere

FIAT - Fix It Again Tony