Straightline

After all the speculation that Alfa Romeo would share platform architecture with next-generation Chryslers and mount a return to the United States, Alfa never came up during today's 8-hour Chrysler-Fiat briefing.

Finally, a journalist asked, "What about Alfa?"

And Sergio Marchionne's reply? "We have Alfa in the 2014 sales numbers. But it's not much. Alfa needs to make a case for itself here, though."

That would be here, as in here in the U.S. But 2014 will apparently be no ordinary year. That's the year by which Fiat claims that Chrysler will more than double its current worldwide sales volume, topping out at 2.8 million units. That could happen, right?

Reporting by Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Auto Observer: Marchionne Disarms Alfa-In-U.S. Speculation, Calls Cost of Coming 300 Platform 'Shocking'

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Fiat

Inside Line has learned that Fiat plans to resurrect the Alfa Romeo 166 sedan (1998-2007). The new sedan, known internally as Project 169, would switch from front-wheel-drive architecture to a rear-drive setup and share its basic structure with the next-gen Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger.

All three sedans would be sold primarily in North America and Chrysler's Brampton, Ontario, plant seems most likely.

The Alfa version would apparently use unique powertrains and have significantly different suspension tuning.

Sources close to the project suggest the new platform architecture might also spawn the next Alfa Romeo Brera and even a resurrected Alfa Spider, but this is unconfirmed.

And, yes, we're again hearing that Chrysler will borrow Fiat's A-segment (Fiat 500/Panda, Alfa MiTo), B-segment (Fiat Grande Punto) and C-segment (Fiat Bravo, Alfa Milano, Alfa Giulia) platform architecture to develop a new line of small and midsize cars. The Milano and Giulia would replace the Alfa 147 and 159, respectively, and if all goes well, those could be built in the U.S. alongside Chrysler and Dodge versions.

Yes, indeed, if all goes well...

IL Exclusive: Alfa 166 Replacement To Be U.S.-Built

So that's the old Alfa 166 in the above picture. Follow the jump to watch Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear road test of the 166.

Continue reading Alfa Romeo 166 Successor Likely to Be Built in North America.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Dodge,Fiat

Photo: Fox Syndication

The Alfa Romeo 8C has been trickling into the U.S. for months now, but its minuscule numbers have largely kept it a secret. This version should help raise its profile a little.

Continue reading It's All About the GTA Alfa Romeo 8C Gets an Upgrade.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Luxury Cars,Motorsports,Sports Cars,Tuners and Modifications

International forecasting firm IHS Global Insight has released a detailed report on how it thinks the Chrysler/Fiat alliance will shake out over the new few years. 

A few highlights:

-    Alfa Romeo 169 moves to the LX platform

-    Jeep-badged Panda debuts in July of 2011

-    Dodge Caliber, Dodge Journey, Chrysler Sebring and Jeep Liberty move to Fiat's C-EVO platform
 
-    Dodge Hornet starts production in 2011 on Fiat 199 platform

-    Fiat 500 goes into production in Mexico for July 2011 release in the U.S.

More details after the jump.

Continue reading IHS Global Insight Predicts Jeep Panda and Fiat-based Caliber, Journey and Sebring.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Coupes,Crossovers,Dodge,Fiat,Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks,Jeep,SUVs,Sedans,Sports Cars

This is the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA concept. It has a 240-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sends its power to the front wheels, and it's likely to see production in Europe next year.

And if that whole Chrysler/Fiat thing goes just right maybe we'll have a shot at it, too. Sure beats settling for a John Cooper Works Mini. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

Full gallery after the jump.

Continue reading 2009 Geneva Auto Show: Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA Concept.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Coupes,Geneva Motor Show,Hatchbacks

Only 84 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione coupes are destined for North America, so you might think all of them are already spoken for right? Well not exactly. Between the slightly soft market for big buck exotics and the, shall we say, enterprising nature of most exotic car dealers, there are plenty of 8Cs on the open market.

We found not one, but three currently on Ebay. They have a grand total of zero bids. Someone made on offer on one. It was declined.

The low starting bid is $243,900 for a lovely example in St. Louis. Then there's a pre-owned car with a mere 28 miles in Houston with a "Buy It Now" price of $295,000. And finally, there's a Minneapolis dealer asking $330,000 for his heavily optioned model.

Maybe buyers are waiting to see what happens with the impending Fiat-Chrysler deal to see if it spurs another U.S. allocation. Or maybe $300,000 for an Alfa Romeo is still a tough pill to swallow for Americans who still remember the Milano.

Ebay

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Coupes,Luxury Cars,Sports Cars

In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne said that Chrysler must meet the terms of federal loans and, "stand up on its own two legs."

"If it doesn't, we won't play," Marchionne added.

That could present something of a problem for the deal considering that some on Capitol Hill are wondering aloud why federal money should go to Chrysler, which would be 35 percent owned by the Italian automaker. The U.S. Treasury has already lent Chrysler $4 billion and the company is asking for an additional $3 billion.

Adding further discontent is the speculation that Fiat will eventually own up to 55 percent of Chrysler. The additional 20 percent stake would cost Fiat $25 million as outlined in the two companies' proposed deal. That, Marchionne told the Free Press is not a given, saying that that scenario is "a long way off."

Marchionne reassured that there would be "no seepage of liquidity" between Chrysler and Fiat and said, "Fiat will not take any cash out of Chrysler not on the basis of the deal that we structured today, and certainly not until all taxpayer funds have been repaid."

In contrast to Chrysler President Jim Press' comments earlier in the week, Marchionne doesn't see any other options for ailing U.S. automaker, "I haven't seen a lineup of people at the door trying to take us out of this deal." Press acknowledged that Fiat was the only entity Chrysler was currently talking to about an alliance, but said that "we have other options."

If the deal is successful, Marchionne said, the Fiat 500 and one Alfa-Romeo could be on sale in Chrysler dealerships in about a year. Those would have to be imported from Europe, while the alliance worked to reconcile building other Fiat Group and Fiat-based Chrysler models at North American production facilities.

Detroit Free Press

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Fiat,Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks

Only a week after the two companies announced their intentions to enter into an alliance, word is leaking out about the specific products that will be coming to the U.S., should the Chrysler-Fiat tie-up be approved.

Automotive News is reporting that the companies will bring seven new vehicles to the U.S. market, four wearing badges from a division of Chrysler and three as Fiats or Alfa-Romeos. Those vehicles would be built in North American Chrysler plants and sold through Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers, according to the trade journal's anonymous source. There's no indication when the final plan will be in place, but teams from both automakers are apparently shooting for an April 30 deadline.

Not unexpectedly, Fiat will produce the 500 retro dumpling for sale in North America in Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant where the Dodge Journey and Chrysler PT Cruiser are built.

But Chrysler clearly needs more than just a mini-car to revive its weak passenger-car lineup. In fact, save for the next generation 300C and Dodge Charger, there won't be much in the future Chrysler car lineup that won't be a Fiat at heart. Join us after the jump for the full slightly speculative round-up.

Continue reading Chrysler-Fiat's product-sharing scheme: 7 Fiats headed to the U.S..

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Fiat,Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks,Sedans

In the coming days you will be hearing much -- possibly too much -- about the Fiat Group's lineup of cars. The alliance between Chrysler and Fiat Group should open the American market to a flood of new small cars, both branded as Chryslers and Dodges but also, one would hope, Fiats, Alfa-Romeos and a couple of others.

We'll spare you the dissertation on the global implications of the Punto -- at least for now. No, now is the time where we provide our wish list of Fiat Group products. What follows is based on no particular market reality nor any other form of reality, other than the one projected from our heads.

First a note: The Fiat Group includes Ferrari and Maserati in its holdings. Those brands already have a presence in the American market. You can safely assume the cars from those two rate high on our wish list under any circumstances.

Join us, will you, after the jump for a few more we'd like to see on our highways.

Continue reading The Fiat Group Wish List.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Chrysler,Dodge,Ferrari,Fiat,Maserati

As we (and Automotive News) speculated yesterday, Chrysler has worked out a strategic alliance with Fiat, the company announced this morning.

Some details of the deal are yet to be determined but the broad outline is as expected: Fiat will give Chrysler access to its small-car platforms and power trains in exchange for a 35 percent equity stake in Chrysler. The small- and mid-size car segments have been an area of particular weakness for the Auburn Hills-based car maker. What this means for product-sharing arrangements with Nissan, which for example was to provide the platform for the Hornet small-car, is not clear.

In addition to the equity stake in the company, Fiat gets the U.S. presence and distribution it needs for a long-desired return to the U.S. market for Alfa-Romeo as well as Fiat-brand vehicles like the 500. Chrysler will apparently be able to take advantage of the Fiat's distribution network outside of the U.S., including growth markets as well as Europe, where Chrysler has never had a significant stake.

Not surprisingly, Chrysler believes that the tie-up is consistent with the terms of the federal loan agreements. In its statement announcing the tie-up the company stated:
"The proposed alliance would be consistent with the terms and conditions of the U.S. Treasury financing to Chrysler. Per the U.S. Treasury loan agreement, each constituent will be asked to contribute to Chrysler's restructuring effort including: lenders, employees, the UAW, dealers, suppliers and Chrysler Financial. Such steps would greatly contribute to Chrysler's long term viability plan. Completion of the alliance is subject to due diligence and regulatory approvals, including the U.S. Treasury."

There's no news yet as to possible management changes at the companies.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Fiat

This was quite a weekend for car afficienados across the country. On the left coast there was the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, an automotive extravaganza of epic proportions for automotive scholars, historians and the wealthy--as in really, really wealthy. And in the heartland, there was the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise, an equally impressive event, but geared to those of more mainstream intellect and of more meager means. Regardless, it was a good weekend for gearheads, no matter what your place in life happens to be.

As for Pebble Beach winners, a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta took "Best in Show." Built by Touring, this 8C 2900 is one of which maybe five were made. It has a supercharged straight 8 that put out 180 hp. Roughly 30 8Cs were produced by Farina and Touring between 1937-1939.

Full story here.

Here's Karl on Car's take: 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Monterey Historics Wrap Up

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Classic Cars

AutoObserver is reporting that Chrysler LLC is talking to both Tata and Fiat. Early indications suggest that "parnerships" are being discussed. Items being rumored are that Tata may help build and sell Jeeps; and that Fiat (and Alfa Romeo) are looking for a way to get back in the American market, and Chrysler may be of assistance here.

That does not, however, mean that other subjects are not also on the table, as in Cerberus looking for a way to get out of this Chrysler mess. As you might expect, nobody is talking, which of course helps feed the wild speculation.

Chrysler Shops Talks Partnerships with Fiat and Tata, Reports Say

Here's another story on this topic.

UPDATE: Might the next Sebring be a re-badged Altima, or perhaps a premium Fiat? Check out what Autoblog is posting here.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Auto Industry,Chrysler,Fiat,Nissan,Tata Motors

Well, it looks like Alfa Romeo and Mini are going to do the showroom tango, as a deal has been struck up between BMW (the parent of Mini) and Fiat (the parent of Alfa Romeo). so that Alfas can be sold via established Mini outlets.

My first response was surprise--but in a good way--as I see the two "nostalgic" brands being paired together as a natural union.

"We are currently examining with the Fiat Group possibilities for the joint use of components and systems in Mini and Alfa Romeo vehicles in order to achieve economies of scale and thus cost reductions," BMW executive board member Friedrich Eichiner said in a statement.

"The proposed cooperation with BMW is a significant cornerstone of our strategy of alliances. We are delighted to work with such an esteemed and respected partner in the automotive industry with the clear objective of improving the competitive position of both parties," Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

Full story here.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,BMW,Fiat,MINI,Sports Cars

Based off the Fiat Grande Punto, the oh-so-cute mini MINI-fighter, the Alfa Romeo Mi.To, is sure to be a hit when it hits showrooms. The base model will be powered by a 1.4L 79-hp engine that gives 0-62 times of 12.3 seconds. The top model will be powered by a 1.4L turbo producing 153-hp with a 0-62 time of 7.9 seconds.

Full story here and here ...

Continue reading Alfa Romeo Mi.To.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Coupes,Fiat

Yes, Alfa Romeo is returning to these shores. That's great news for fans of this storied Italian brand. The question is—will it be met with success or failure?

Now that may seem like a silly question to all the gearheads here, but the fact of the matter is Alfa is struggling in Europe...

Continue reading Will Alfa Romeo succeed in the USA?.

Categories: Alfa Romeo,Sports Cars