Alfa Romeo To Enter Chinese Market

 industry news, new cars  No Responses »
Dec 092011
 

Fiat has announced that it will be producing its famed Alfa Romeo brand for the Chinese market in partnership with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd. The joint venture was also announced by Zeng Qinghong, the president of the Chinese automotive group. The joint manufacturing effort will be called Guangqi Fiat and is scheduled to start production in July, 2012.

The venture will begin by producing Fiats, but Qinghong said, “Besides the Fiat brand, after talks between the two shareholders, we will introduce the Alfa Romeo brand to the venture company.” His comments were given during the Guangzhou auto show. The partners are still discussing a timetable for the production and sale of Alfa Romeos in China.

Guangqi Fiat will have an initial capacity of 140,000 units. The joint venture was developed with the intent of offering multiple auto brands and an array of products being manufactured at any one time. Chrysler Group, currently managed by Fiat, has openly said that it was going to aggressively seek a means to build more vehicles in China. The Guangqi Fiat organization could be a convenient venue for them to do so.


The Chinese auto market is seen to be the largest under served venue in the world at this time. The problem that Alfa Romeo will face is that it will be a johnny-come-lately to the luxury segment of that market. Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW have already established themselves and growth in the luxury segment has been slowing. Fiat and Chrysler may have success with their smaller family cars, but it could be a struggle for Alfa.

 Posted by jcoffey at 6:19 am  Tagged with:

Alfa Romeo – The Illustrated History – Part 1 “In the very beginning”

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Dec 032011
 

Rejoice, Alfa Romeo fans! The time has come to look into the past and see for yourself all the key stones that have made Alfa Romeo become the legend it is.  The following set of articles will cover all the major turning points in the development of the celebrated brand.

In the very beginning

As of now, the legendary brand of Alfa Romeo has passed over the verge of a century. That first 100 years of its history was marked by a great many of obstacles, racing victories, as well as several times when the company was on the brink of going bankrupt. Nonetheless, all this time, the Italian designers, madly in love with the cars they created, managed to produce some of the most unforgettable, and heart-throbbing legends, be it an Alfa Romeo Juliette or Alfa Montreal.

However, a careful look requires a serious examination of the history, chapter by chapter. In the beginning there was only Alfa, (no Romeo), when in 1906, a Frenchman and a true pioneer of automobile construction Alexandre Darracq decided to build a car factory in the South of Italy to produce low cost version of the French affordable car Darracq.  Darracq-8-10-HPHowever he was soon to find out that the hot-tempered Italian drivers would not buy his cheap carts equipped with 1600cc engines. On top of that, the affairs in the head office in France were totally getting out of hand.  In the beginning of the 20th century the car market was already slowing down.  As the result, towards the end of the year 1909 the branch of the Darracq factory, erected in the industrial suburb of Portello, in close vicinity to Milan, was sold to a group of local investors, who chose to call it ‘Anonima Lomarda Fabbrica Automobili’. The further abbreviation to ALFA, on the 24th of June 1910 is regarded as the benchmark, whom which the history of the brand starts its count.

It was now the time to produce something of their own and the first non-Darracq car manufactured by the company in 1910 happened to be the 24HP, designed by Guiseppe Merosi and his team. The name of 24 was derived from a rather strange designation of tax schedules, where the engine displacement was combined with horse powers. The thing which will later be called the “Alfa Romeo Spirit” was already present in that first car build from the ground up by Alfa engineers. This mid-size model 24HP had ground breaking single overhead camshaft, aluminum oil pan of the crankshaft, and the rpm could go as high as 2400rotation per minute- this was truly innovative. As the result the 1910 model was able to produce an impressive for the time 42 horse powers and top the speed of 100 km an hour. And not stopping on the achieved  A.L.F.A. entered the world of motor racing, with two of their drivers Franchini and Ronzoni who competed in the 1911 on two 24 HP models.

To be continued…

 Posted by Leonard at 1:11 pm

What To Check Before Buying A Used Alfa Romeo Spider

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Nov 302011
 

2006 Alfa Romeo Spider

Alfa Romeo brought renowned automotive style salon Pininfarina to makeover the GTV Spider in 1998, thankfully. At the time the $60,000 price tag was a lot to ask for what seemed to be an underpowered and ungainly car, but, as with all cars, a used Alfa Romeo Spider has depreciated, becoming a much more reasonable priced ride.

As with all used cars, you can not just dive in head first and hope you have bought the right car. There are many things to keep in mind when shopping for a used Alfa Romeo. First, if you opt for a pre-2000 convertible, the tops were known to have an issue with the teeth. Check for smooth action as the top is opened and closed.

The next item to check for is the maintenance record. If the seller doesn’t have one on hand, do not buy the car. Alfa’s are finicky cars and if they are not properly maintained, they will fail. As you look over the maintenance record be sure that the oil was changed every 5,000 miles. The manufacturer recommended every 10K, but the cars use too much oil for that interval. Semi-synthetic oil should have been used each time. Listen for a rattle that sounds like a diesel engine when the car is started. It may clear up after a couple of moments, but it means that the hydraulic variator is bad. That means a new engine.

Other items to look for are: cambelts should have been changed every 35,000 miles, rotors and brakes, the high pressure air conditioning line frequently leaks near the evaporator, and a squeak in the rear suspension means a dry bushing. The bushing is integrated into the control arm, meaning a fairly expensive repair.

After checking any used Alfa Romeo over in person, pay for a vehicle history report. No need to be surprised by crash or weather damage that has been covered up. If you take care, you can enjoy your used Alfa Romeo Spider for years to come without spending a fortune in repairs.

 Posted by jcoffey at 12:40 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Alfa Romeo Highlights From 2011 L.A. Auto Show

 auto show, new cars, rumours  No Responses »
Nov 252011
 

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne spent his visit to the 2011 L.A. Auto Show alternating between proudly displaying Alfa Romeo offerings and denying rumors that the storied brand was up for sale. He did both with his trademark smile and the good humor that usually marks his press interactions.

First the rumors that Alfa Romeo and/or Ferrari were going to be sold in part or whole. ”Oh please,” he said ”I think we’re going to hold tight and fight.” The rumors have been swirling as Fiat as a whole has been struggling to remain profitable. Also, Ferdinand Piech, CEO of Volkswagen, has made it abundantly and publicly clear that he would love to acquire Alfa Romeo. Piech is going to have to wait for a very long time according to Marchionne.

Now, for the centerpiece offering that Alfa had at the show. The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept was rehashed in L.A. The car is expected to go into production at the end of 2012 and will be marketed as a 2013 model. It is going to feature a 1.8L four cylinder engine strapped to Alfa’s six speed TCT twin clutch automatic. That will put 200 horsepower at its owner’s command. The 4C will weigh in the neighborhood of 1,875 lbs. Alfa is accomplishing the low weight with a composite body and aluminum frame. MSRP is targeted at $60,000. This is meant to be the new flagship car for Alfa Romeo.

It is good to see Machionne in good humor and deflecting rumors of a sale, especially to Volkswagen. It would be almost disgusting to see a company known for underpowering everything it builds take over Alfa. From the looks of the 4C concept, Alfa Romeo should see sales increase in the near future. Maybe that will quiet all of the rumors.

 Posted by jcoffey at 12:12 pm  Tagged with: , ,

This Is How Novitec Does A Giulietta

 new cars  No Responses »
Nov 182011
 

2012 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Novitec

In the olden days of racing, Alfa Romeo was king. Long before Enzo Ferrari thought of making his own cars, he tuned an Alfa. That is a bygone era. Today Alfa is better known for hatchbacks than supercars and Ferrari is a sister company instead of a competitor. Fortunately, not everyone is happy with that. Novitec and a few engineers at Alfa believe it is not a sin to make power available to the masses.

Let’s have a look at the engine upgrades first. Novitec has installed its proven Powerjet 2 tuning modules in the turbocharged gasoline Giulietta. This module features a simple plug-and-play installation that boosts the 1.4 TB 16V model to 141 hp, up from the standard 120 hp. When you look at the power output of the 1.4 TB MultiAir engine, the Novitec manipulations produce 195 hp. Any complaints so far? The 1.8L can produce peak torque of 284 ft/lbs and 261 hp. This helps propel the car from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds.

The tuning doesn’t just stop in the engine compartment. What good is a fast car if it doesn’t look sleek and handle well? Novitec added 18, 19, or 20 inch wheels. The Big Daddy 20 inchers are available with a silver or matte-black finish and completely fill the fender wells for a lowered look that adds aggressiveness to the stance of the Guilietta. In addition to the wheel changes, there are sport springs to consider. The Novitec versions lower the ride height by 1.25 inches. Then there is the stainless-steel coil-over suspension with adjustable ride height and damper rates. The adjustable suspension can lower your car between 1.25 and 3 inches, which gives the car a firmer setup.

The Novitec makeover goes on to add aerodynamic pizzazz by adding spoiler corners, a centrally mounted cup spoiler, side skirts, and a rear fascia with diffuser that is designed to allow for the upgraded Novitec exhaust system, which gives the car a throatier, more aggressive sound.

Novitec and Alfa Romeo are doing their best to shed the ho-hum attitude that many have toward the Guilietta. It may be a hatchback, but with the right tuning, it can be an aggressive performer.

 Posted by jcoffey at 10:59 am  Tagged with: ,
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