Category: Alfa Romeo

The Italian magazine some spyshots and renderings of the future small Alfa due to be launched at the next Paris Motor Show.

Internally known as 955, the three-door supermini will based on the Grande Punto platform. A wide range of engines will be on offer, starting with a 105 bhp 1.4 litre Multiair four with variable valve timing, followed by a selection of turbocharged 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre units with outputs of 135, 180 and 230 bhp. The baby Alfa will also come with diesel engines, including the 1.2-litre JTDm with 120 or 150 bhp.

It hasn’t been yet confirmed if the car will be called ‘Furiosa’ after the naming contest organized last year or will be christened with another name.

Alfa Romeo expects a lot from the three-door supermini in term of sales. The company aims at selling 100,000 units per year.

Click here to see all the pictures

Alfa Romeo is seriously considering launching a small roadster on the American market in 2010. Dubbed Duetto, the Italian roadster will try to spearhead a revival of the eponym model launched in the sixties.

The future roadster would share its underpinnings with the 149 compact model which will be launched next year. Thus, the future Duetto would be able to offer a large choice of engines from a 150bhp 1.4-litre to a 185bhp 2.2-litre units. The roadster is said to be 4300 mm long which is longer than the Mazda MX5. However, the Duetto might be a front-wheel drive roadster which would betray the original Duetto.

Duetto evokes a lot of memories for all car maniacs. The 1966 original car is said to be the last work of art on wheels Battista ?Pinin? Farina has taken part of.

Source: Road & Track

In an interview Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has said that the future Alfa Romeo will share its platform with another car maker to cut cost. Fiat is in talks with several manufacturers and a decision will be taken in next January.

Due to go on sale in late 2009, the future 169 was originally thought to be based on the Maserati Quattroporte’s platform, but high manufacturing costs likely obliged the company’s executive to reconsider an alternative. As Marchionne has already said in a previous interview, Fait was interested in Jaguar and Land Rover for their American dealer network but also for the Jaguar platforms. Indeed, the platforms would have enabled the 169 to get a rear-wheel drive platform with front longitudinal engines while sharing costs. But Fiat’s situation prevent it to enter the bid.

However as a adviser to Tata which is likely to win the bid, the Italian group might be in a very good position to get the Jaguar’s platform and the future 169 might be derived from the XF saloon.

Source image: alfasport

H&H Classic Auctions will auction a 1935 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara Spyder that belonged to Benito Mussolini on February 27 next year.

The spyder was built to special order of the Italian dictator. Sporting the chassis number 700635, the car was based on the 6C 2300. The 6C 2300 was an evolution of the 6C 1500. Its creator Vittorio Jano wanted to improve the reliability of the car and therefore designed an engine with light alloy cylinder heads with chain-driven hollow camshafts for better lubrication. The engine also featured seven main bearings for rigidity. With a 70-mm bore and 100-mm stroke, the 6C 2300 continued the long stroke that gave Alfa’s engines high-end torque for drivability.

Built by Carozzeria Touring, the car was modified before delivery to receive a dickey seat and the engine was tuned to increase the power to 95bhp from 68bhp on the standard version. The car competed at the 1936 Mille Miglia and finished 13th overall. It was driven by Mussolini’s chauffeur Ercole Boratto.

The car is also a witness of the period as it retains traces of the partial alcohol fuelling system it is believed to have operated during the Mille Miglia, when the fascist regime was promoting the use of alternative fuels.

The 1935 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara Spyder is expected to weigh in at about £600,000-800,000.

Antonio Baravalle left Alfa Romeo to become CEO of the Mundadori media group. Fiat refused to comment on his departure, but it is rumoured that Baravalle left on his own. It is rumoured that Alfa Romeo is Fiat’s biggest money loser according to Automotive News Europe. A change of CEO might not be the best news for the Italian brand. Aware of the problem, Fiat is looking for a replacement within the company.

Born on December 23 1964 in Turin, Antonio Baravalle graduated in Mathematical and Physical Sciences before taking a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the SAA in the same city. After several sales jobs between 1989 and 1992, he joined the Diageo to become sales manager of one of its distribution channels. He joined Fiat in 1999 and became sales coordinator for several European markets in the Alfa Romeo Business Unit in 2002. He became Alfa Romeo marketing manager in September 2003, but moved to Lancia to succeed Luca De Meo as Lancia Brand & Commercial Manager. He came back to Alfa Romeo as CEO to replace Karl-Heinz Kalbfell in September 2005.

Mundorario media group is owned at 51.2% by Fininvest, the conglomerate owned by Silvio Berlusconi.

In conjunction with a few leading European car magazines, Alfa Romeo launched a naming contest for its future supermini six weeks ago. The emotive marque allowed users of national websites to choose their favourite name among a shortlist of 12 names. In the end, Furiosa came out on top. It does not mean that the next baby Alfa will get this name. Indeed, according to Autocar, one of the company’s sources said that “it [Furiosa] doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?”

Alfa Romeo is poised to shake up the supermini market and the tiny Alfa might become its biggest-selling model. Internally known as 955, the three-door supermini is based on the Grande Punto platform. A wide range of engines will be on offer, starting with a 105 bhp 1.4 litre Multiair four with variable valve timing, followed by a selection of 1.4 and 1.8 turbos with 135, 180 and 230 bhp. The ‘Furiosa’ will also come with diesel engines, including the 1.2-liter JTDm with 120 or 150 bhp. The Alfa upmarket supermini will be unveiled at the next Geneva Motor Show.

The final list in order of popularity:

1. Furiosa
2. Ventura
3. Sparvo
4. Mod
5. Eno
6. Nevo
7. Fira
8. Agea
9. Solea
10. Velvetta
11. Milo
12. Everso

The 8C Competizione is indubitably one of the nicest supercars in the world. Alfa Romeo succeeded in designing a supercar that does not look like a monster and pays tribute to the best of Italian design. But up until now have not known how much it costs. Now, thanks to Autoblog.com, I am sure that I cannot afford one: the 8C Competizione carries the impressive price tag of £108,000/€159,300/$220,000.

Alfa Romeo unveiled the 8C Competizione as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car was so acclaimed that the Italian carmaker decided to produce it at a limited volume of 500 units. The final car was launched at the latest Paris motor show. It inherits the Ferrari/Maserati-derived 4.7-litre V8, which has an output of 450 hp/443 bhp.

The last 50 models will be built exclusively for the American market in order to “celebrate” the Italian’s return.

After the 8C Competizione, expect to hear more in the future about its open-top derivative, the 8C Spider, which will cost around €180,000/$245,000/£120,000.

According to the Italian magazine Quattroruote, Alfa Romeo will produce the magnificent 8C Spider that appeared for the first time at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Five hundred are scheduled to be built from 2008 and sold at €180,000/$245,000/£120,000.

Derived from the current 8C, the spider version will inherit the Ferrari/Maserati-derived 4.7-litre V8, which has an output of 450 hp/443 bhp.

Originally the spider version was not planned by the Italian carmaker but built upon the request of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance organizers. The latter intended to display the last G1 1921 and the incredible Bertone BAT concepts and thought that a modern Alfa car with the same pedigree would be an ideal addition to the set.