Friday 8th December 2017

PH Footnote: Alfa's return to the top

The Italian marque is heading back to F1 circuits next year, but that's not all it's doing to get back on track...

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This probably won't be the first time you've read that the DB11 was a make or break car for Aston Martin. Just as it has for almost every single one of its 104 years, the British marque has sailed extremely close to the wind in recent times, but today it's a profitable concern with a very promising future.

In fact, Aston Martin isn't just a profitable car maker. It's arguably one of the most exciting car brands on the planet, thanks to unutterably wonderful machines like the Vulcan track car and the Vantage AMR run-out specials. The DB11 is a cracker, the all-new Vantage looks extremely promising and, most notably, Aston Martin has teamed up with Red Bull and walking-talking hyper-brain Adrian Newey to build the £2.5m Valkyrie, which looks set to completely redefine the performance parameters for anything that doesn't have sponsor decals on its sides.

All this from a company that was peering over the precipice a few short years ago. To me, it demonstrates how a handful of excellent cars and a sensible business strategy can revitalise an ailing marque. But this piece isn't really about Aston Martin. It's actually about another famous old car manufacturer that has sailed extremely rough seas in recent times: Alfa Romeo.

It's been almost two decades since the marque posted a profit, but earlier this summer group CEO Sergio Marchionne predicted Alfa Romeo would sell 170,000 cars globally in 2017. That would mark a huge increase from the 73,000 units it shifted the year before, mostly thanks to the arrival of the very commendable Giulia saloon and the equally competitive Stelvio SUV.

So sales volumes look to be up. And in its latest Quadrifoglio models, Alfa Romeo has produced a pair of class-leading performance cars. On top of that it is returning to Formula 1 in 2018, albeit as a title sponsor to the back-of-the-grid Sauber team. Just like Aston Martin - which, incidentally, is making its own F1 return next season as Red Bull's title sponsor - Alfa Romeo is starting to get its mojo back.

Gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling, doesn't it? I was on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio launch in Dubai earlier this month and found myself sat opposite Alfa Romeo and Maserati engineering boss Roberto Fedeli over dinner. For the uninitiated, Fedeli is the former technical director of Ferrari, overseeing development of the 458 Speciale and the LaFerrari during a 26-year spell. Apparently, he was known as 'The Prince' back in Maranello. No wonder.

Following an 18-month stint at BMW, Fedeli moved back to Italy early last year to take the engineering reigns at Alfa and Maserati, tasked with steering them away from their relative impending crises.

Over barbecued fish and roasted vegetables he spoke candidly about a revised version of the sub-par 4C sports car, which he wants to overhaul with revised steering and suspension, and perhaps even a new engine. Alfa Romeo needs a halo car, he says, especially as it makes its return to motor racing's premier category, and an improved 4C will most likely be it. We can expect to hear more in March.

He also hinted at additional body styles for the Giulia - how about two-door Quadrifoglio, or a 510hp estate? - and a Porsche Cayenne-rivalling SUV. On a less happy note he did declare the manual gearbox to be dead, at least as far as Alfa Romeo and Maserati's performance cars are concerned. But let's not end on a downer. The most encouraging thing Fedeli said all evening was that, henceforth, his brands wouldn't even entertain bringing a new performance car to market unless he was absolutely certain it would be the very best car of its type. A very bold claim indeed. But, let's not forget, that is exactly what Alfa Romeo has just done with the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglios.

Massively improved sales volumes, some genuinely brilliant cars, a return to Formula 1. But more significant than any of that is the newfound bolshy confidence, one that borders on arrogance. All of those things were unthinkable not so long ago. Alfa Romeo, like Aston Martin, looks to be back on track.

[Andy665]

Good product is nothing if not supported by good customer service and a strong dealer network

Having had to have a deposit returned on a 4C because the advertised deal was not going to be delivered upon and the lack of feedback from another dealer for a test drive on a Stelvio I fear that it may be a false dawn in the UK

Alfa Romeo in this country need to act quickly before this golden opportunity is wasted by lazy, lying and incompetent dealers