Are There Enough Hard Core Fans To Turn Alfa Romeo Into A Player In The U.S. Luxury Market?

A 44-year-old Alfa Romeo Montreal sports coupe that sold new for $6,000 brought $176,000 at a classic car auction in Arizona. Some older Alfas are commanding auction prices more than 10 times higher than just five years ago.

There is no doubt that Alfa Romeo fans -- the Alfisti -- are passionate. But there is enough doubt that there are enough of them to bring the brand back to life after a 20-year absence in the U.S.

Looking at Alfa Romeo’s history in the United States, you’d probably conclude the brand’s chances are slim of reaching Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ annual target of 150,000 vehicle sales in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the NAFTA region, by the end of 2018.

Read Article

MDarringer - 6/3/2015 3:38:01 PM

+4 Boost

The simple answer is NO.

First of all the pool of hardcore Alfa Romeo fans was always small to begin with because sane people shunned Alfa Romeo for their abysmal quality and horrible reliability. That pool of fans is also largely past 50. Very few young professionals know what an Alfa Romeo is and few of them are likely to abandon Mercedes anyway.

Alfa Romeo will have to have compelling product that is priced advantageously that does not break down and which comes with a Lexuslike level of customer service and satisfaction from the start. A "Hyundai" warranty would be a good move.

Marchionne is aiming wrong. Alfa Romeo should have been cast as a near-premium brand like Acura/Subaru/Buick/Genesis rather than a BMW/Mercedes brand. That is what Maserati is for.

Delaying the minivan, Ram, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, and Wagoneer to fast track Alfa Romeo is sheer stupidity.

TheSteve - 6/3/2015 4:26:14 PM

+3 Boost

It's not just the number of "hard-core fans", it's the number of Alpha Romeo fans that are ready to buy the product. I believe the answer is no.

My recollection of Alpha Romeo is, like MDarringer says, "abysmal quality and horrible reliability". I gotta agree with his post, above.

TomM - 6/3/2015 6:02:07 PM

+2 Boost

Forget that idea

FCA is already running well behind in lots of other projects too

I doubt that they will have the Product to even take a run at 50,000 sales by 2018

MDarringer - 6/4/2015 11:39:31 AM

+1 Boost

@TomM I suspect you're right. The counterintuitive thing is that the Dart, Cherokee, and 200 were derived from the Giulietta and yet there are no Alfa versions in the USA.

Chrysler is now FCA's "Toyota" level brand, thus putting bespoke Alfa Romeo styling over the Dart, Cherokee, and 200 and putting some fire-breathing horsepower under the hood to create an Italian Subaru. We know the C-Evo platform can do AWD because it does so with the Cherokee.

The Dart could have produced a Giulietta sedan aimed squarely at the WRX STI / EVO X / Golf R crowd. They could have been co-developed.

The Giulia sedan could have been the same treatment to the 200. These could could have been co-developed with the Dart/Giulietta because the 200 is literally an inflated Dart.

The "Milano" could have been the Cherokee version again with the WRX STI / EVO X / Golf R mentality in mind.

Throw in the Alfa Miata and Alfa Romeo could have had a rather delightful and most likely profitable range.