Alfa Romeo’s cars have not always lived up to its stellar brand. That is changing

IN 1995 Alfa Romeo ignominiously pulled out of America, having managed to sell only 400 cars there that year. Yet this month the sporting Italian marque, which is celebrating its centenary, was the star of the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, a show for classic and concept cars. Alfa brought over seven cars from its museum in Milan, but none of its current offerings. It is testimony to the enduring power of a brand that has a wonderful history but which for many years has over-promised and under-delivered. There are signs, however, that this may be changing.

Last year even Sergio Marchionne, the boss of Fiat, which owns Alfa, seemed to be running out of patience. Mr Marchionne had set Alfa a target to reach sales of 300,000 cars a year by 2010, but in 2009 it sold barely 100,000. In December he ordered a review of Alfa’s operations, which according to Max Warburton of Bernstein Research were losing up to $575m a year. …