🎄 Christmas meals: the survival guide to defending Italian cars with your family

Christmas is all about turkey, logs... and debates that get out of hand. This year, forget politics and ecology: the real tensions come when we talk about cars. And if you own an Italian car, get ready: you're going to have to defend your side. Here are the phrases you're going to hear... and the answers you'll need between cheese and dessert.

"Italian cars are beautiful, but they break down all the time".

Family translation: 👉 "I heard that in 1980 about an Alfa Romeo Alfasud."

• Diplomatic answer: "Like all brands, it depends on the generation. Today, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Maserati use the same industrial standards as other groups. And strangely enough, there's less talk of German recalls..."
• A piquant reply: "And your DS car, hasn't it already been to a garage for an airbag or a timing belt?"

"The new Italian cars are just rebadged Stellantis".

Translation: 👉 "Your Alfa Romeo is a Peugeot."

• Diplomatic answer: "Yes, there are common platforms. Like Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan or BMW-Mini. The difference is design, tuning and identity. An Alfa Romeo doesn't drive like a Peugeot.
• Spicy reply: "Otherwise, your Audi A3 is just another Golf...".

"A Ferrari is useless and indecent".

Critical moment: 👉 We're two sentences into a debate about the rich.

• Diplomatic answer: "Ferrari is above all a technological laboratory. Many of its innovations are then applied to production cars. And it's also an Italian industrial showcase that inspires dreams the world over."
• Pungent reply: "Anyway, no one here is going to buy one tonight, so we can relax."

"Fiat, no longer the stuff of dreams".

Translation: 👉 "I confuse 'dreaming' with 'social status'."

• Diplomatic answer: "Fiat is above all a popular, urban brand that has powered Italy and part of Europe.
• Piquant answer: "That's true... but strangely enough, everyone recognizes a 500 at first glance."

"Italian cars were better before".

Translation: 👉 Someone who has never tried a recent model.

• Diplomatic answer: "Like music, cinema or soccer: we idealize the past. But try a Giulia, a 296 GTB or even a recent Fiat 500... and we'll talk."
• Spicy answer: "Yes, like anything we haven't tried again in 20 years. We usually call them memories."

"They discount too much

Translation: 👉 "I look at the resale value before I even turn the key."

• Diplomatic answer: "The discount depends above all on the model and the market. Some Italian cars stand up very well, especially when they have a real identity."
• Spicy answer: "Yes, but at least you get to spend a few years loving your car."

To be served with dessert

Talking about Italian cars at Christmas is like talking about cooking or soccer: it's divisive, but passionate. And when it comes down to it, there's a good reason why Italian cars are so popular: they never leave anyone indifferent.