BREAKING: Alfa Romeo In Top-Level Negotiations With Audi For Pending Sale

Let the Alfa-purist crying begin.

Yes, rejoice cold and remorseless fanboy of the characterless VW group,which buys companies and turns them in to cold imageless parts-sharing appliances in the name of profit.. Screw Italy it's manufacturing identity for making emotional designs. Time to go the way of Lamborghini and become an Italian shell with German parts, who has not replaced the gallardo in 10 years. Get ready for a "new" spin on the Jetta lol.

I'm not rejoicing, but don't blame Volkswagen or Audi for ruining the Italian's precious flair for design without practicality or prudence. If anything, they should be credited for appreciating it and keeping it alive. God knows Fiat, who's needs more money for their American car company, couldn't do it. They're the one's who're pimping them out. I'm not keen on everything VAG does, but they've done a reasonably good job at blending different design philosophies without homogenizing. If you want a real example of car companies buying other car companies without preserving character, look no further than GM/Saab or Ford/Volvo/Jaguar.

Audi will take Alfa where it always has wanted to go but never could.

Look what they did for Lamborghini.

Agree, do not want Alfa to end up like Lancia.

But look at Porsche.

Porsche is owned by the Volkswagen Auto Group NOT by Audi. Audi is also owned by the Volkswagen Auto Group.

What did they do? Raised the value of the used, "real" Porsches? ;)

Not this Audi is own company bit. Open up a hood and see how many VW bits are there. Audi may manage but VW is pulling the strings and dishing out the coin.

Very strange and there would need to be some obvious victory for Marchionne in all this. I guess though the money could be used to buy the rest of Chrysler and lose a factory that is running at a loss and they wouldn't have to invest so much money in new product.

My question is what will happen to the Ferrari V6 engine that was being developed and the new MX5 based Spider? Would they transfer to Audi? Or could we end up with an MX5 based Fiat and/or Abarth roadster? Also will the long delayed Giulia go ahead or will Audi need to start from scratch.

VW own Guigiaro and its rumoured they have a full line up of cars designed and waiting to go. Not sure how I feel about it all.

Alfa will end up replacing Seat in the VW lineup.VAG wil simply use the Golf modular platform to build future A,B, and C size models. The engines will come from VAG.The styling will most likely use the expertize o Ital Design so the car looks Italian.Alfa will be nothing more than a "recloathed" VW Golf, Jetta, Passat etc.I hope I'm wrong> If VW really wanted to build memorable Alfa's they would enlist Porsche to design RWD platforms off of the smaller platform from the baby Panamera but that will not happen. If this sale goes through Alfa is done!!!.I always said that marchionne is a "money" man.From a financial case for Fiat it makes sense to sell Alfa and the Pomigliano plant.If the money is right it allows Fiat to buy all of Chrysler.Alfa is not a high end marquee like Lamborghini. It is a volume Italian brand slightly upscale from Fiat.Therefore VAG will nurture it with VW platform and engine technology. Alfa R.I.P.

VAG - the auto singularity...

We shall fight it with gusto... and buy Toyotas ;)

To be fair though the Mito is based on the old GM small car platform which isn't great, and when I drove one recently though I did like it the steering wasn't old school Alfa at all. Plus Fiat have had so long to resolve all the issues and failed every time. I drive Alfa's and if Fiat can make it work great, they made all the right noises recently. However VW have the deep pockets to deliver cars that will be a success, so I don't feel too negative about it overall. Who knows perhaps if VW do build an F1 engine eventually they'll use the Alfa Romeo name so they can take on Ferrari again!

Odd. When I was in Europe in 2003, I kept thinking that Audi and Alfa were good for each other. I have no idea why, but it's a thought that just stuck with me the entire time and even after I returned to the States.

The continuation of the demise of the Italian motor industry

Don't think it will make sense unless Seat is getting the axe?