Alfa Romeo had hoped to sell 400,000 cars: here's what Alfa Romeo fans in Italy, France, Germany, and the U.S. are proposing to save the brand

A few days ago, we were wondering on the future of Alfa Romeo. After dreaming of 400,000 annual sales during Sergio Marchionne’s tenure, the brand may have to settle for about 60,000 this year. With a Giulia and a Stelvio at the end of one's career, a Tonale in difficulty and a Junior Since it now accounts for a significant portion of the volume, the question was simple: what should be done? Alfa Romeo Now?

Clearly, the topic has inspired you. French, Italian, German, Dutch, and American readers, as well as those living in Switzerland and Spain, have responded in large numbers. And behind these sometimes very strong opinions, a few major trends are emerging.

First request: Let an Alfa be an Alfa again

This is probably the message that comes up most often among Italian readers. For them, the main danger would be turning Alfa Romeo into nothing more than a custom body style mounted on components from other Stellantis brands.

Andrea summarizes this sentiment quite well: anyone who buys an Alfa wants an Alfa, not «a Peugeot or some other similar vehicle.». Marco He takes it even further with a very vivid comparison: taking a Peugeot, changing the headlights, and putting an Alfa Romeo logo on it would, in his view, be like having just anyone wear Messi’s jersey in the hope of winning the World Cup. Giovanni, who learned to drive in a Alfa Romeo 75, also looks back fondly on that era when the brand offered a truly unique design, featuring rear-wheel drive, a transaxle, and a De Dion axle. For him, the question is almost philosophical: Would he buy an Alfa Romeo SUV today—one he considers to be nothing more than a Peugeot with a different body? His answer is no.

Many French readers echo this sentiment: Italian engines, Italian design, and distinctive handling are often considered the three essential ingredients.

Not everyone dreams of owning a Giulia, though.

That’s where the debate gets more interesting. Because while enthusiasts are eager for a rear-wheel-drive model or a successor to the Giulia, others believe that Alfa Romeo must first become more affordable again. A Dutch reader believes the brand has been stuck for too long in the market for overly expensive cars. In his view, what Alfa Romeo really lacks is a car like the MiTo, capable of attracting a broader audience. An American reader reaches exactly the same conclusion, but from a different perspective. MLopez believes that the main obstacle to Alfa Romeo's return to the United States is price. In his view, offering a Giulia Quadrifoglio for around $90,000 made the brand unaffordable for the vast majority of buyers.

CyberGene puts the paradox another way: even if Alfa Romeo were to build the perfect car for Alfisti today, many of them simply couldn’t afford to buy it new. They’d have to wait several years for it to hit the used car market. Ultimately, this ties back to an old weakness of Alfa Romeo’s: the brand has an extraordinarily passionate community, but passion doesn’t necessarily mean purchasing power.

A new Giulietta—and, most importantly, an estate car

On one point, the French, Germans, Dutch, and Americans seem surprisingly in agreement: there is a lack of more traditional body styles. Several readers are thus calling for the return of a Giulietta, while others also want a new MiTo. An American reader sums up his opinion bluntly: SUVs now look just like every other car, so Alfa Romeo should get rid of them and bring back the Giulietta.

But the greatest regret is undoubtedly the Giulia Sportwagon, which never actually existed. A German reader says he still drives an 18-year-old Alfa Romeo 159 2.4 JTDM today, with 350,000 km on the odometer. After owning two 156s and a 159, he explains that he doesn’t know what to replace his car with. In his view, Alfa Romeo made a major mistake by not offering a Giulia station wagon. Several French readers echo this sentiment: compared to the BMW 3 Series Touring, Mercedes C-Class station wagon, or Audi A4 Avant, the lack of a Giulia station wagon has cost Alfa Romeo a significant European customer base.

In the United States, the problem isn't just cars

However, the American testimonies highlight another problem: the network. Patty explains that his family owns a Stelvio and a Giulia and really loves both cars. But when warranty service is needed, the nearest dealership is about 200 miles away—more than 300 kilometers. The cars can then remain there for several weeks. For a vehicle used daily, the situation becomes difficult to accept when BMW, Mercedes, and other European brands have a much denser network.

A reader living between Switzerland and Spain describes a similar experience with the European customer service: he loves the car, but support falls short when it comes to handling an issue that spans multiple countries. In other words, simply building an excellent Alfa Romeo isn’t enough. It must also be easy to buy, finance, maintain, and repair.

What if the solution were actually much simpler?

Judging by all these testimonials, Alfa Romeo may not need yet another spectacular plan promising a global revival.

Readers seem to be asking for something concrete above all else: cars that are immediately recognizable as Alfa Romeos, a bold design, credible engines, affordable prices, a compact model, possibly a station wagon, and a dealer network capable of meeting customers' needs.

Some people still dream of a new Alfetta. Others would like to see an evolution of the Giorgio platform shared by Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Still others would be perfectly happy with a MiTo based on the 208 or a Giulietta similar to a Peugeot 308, as long as the result has enough Italian character.

And perhaps that’s where the challenge lies. Alfa Romeo must share technology to survive, but it must never give the impression that it’s interchangeable with the group’s other brands. It needs to cut costs on what the customer doesn’t see, without cutting corners on what makes them want to buy an Alfa.

If Alfa Romeo is reading this article, here is a list of complaints in order of priority:

1. Restore a true Alfa Romeo identity to the cars.
2. A return to more affordable cars.
3. Replace the Giulia with a range of body styles. Stop relying almost exclusively on SUVs.
4. Rebuild the sales network and after-sales service.
5. Leverage Stellantis' synergies without drawing attention to them.
6. Finally finalize the product plan.