Alfa Romeo Coming to a US Dealer (Not) Near You
After a two-decade absence lusty Italian brand Alfa Romeo is coming back to the United States but not all Fiat dealers will be allowed to sell these exotic sports cars.
The brand’s mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive 4C two-door will be its first model to go on sale in America; it should arrive on our shores by the end of June. But limiting its availability the car will only be offered at Maserati dealers; in short Fiat’s best-performing stores will be allowed a crack at this hot new Alfa Romeo.
But why limit the brand’s exposure in the marketplace? Wouldn’t it be better to come out guns a-blazin’ by selling Alfas at every available dealership? That’s a valid point, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne commented on this, saying they need to effectively represent the brand and they only want to offer Alfa Romeos at their best stores, the cream of the proverbial automotive crop.
The brand’s American revival has been delayed time and time again. Alfas were allegedly going to wash up on our shores back in 2012, which obviously never happened. Then they were supposed to go on sale last year. Again, they were a no-show. Now we’re promised June.
With dramatic styling and shocking performance the 4C is almost guaranteed to turn a lot of heads. But will it have what it takes to compete with cars like the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray or the Porsche Cayman? This is one question we cannot wait to answer and hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer.
GALLERY: Alfa Romeo 4C
[Source: The Detroit News]
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Born and raised in metro Detroit, Craig was steeped in mechanics from childhood. He feels as much at home with a wrench or welding gun in his hand as he does behind the wheel or in front of a camera. Putting his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism to good use, he's always pumping out videos, reviews, and features for AutoGuide.com. When the workday is over, he can be found out driving his fully restored 1936 Ford V8 sedan. Craig has covered the automotive industry full time for more than 10 years and is a member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
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