1959 Alfa Romeo Giuletta Spider on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo 4C production to continue until at least late 2020

Maserati will end production of the GranTurismo and the GranCabrio in November 2019, and it will retool the historic Modena, Italy, factory that makes both models in preparation for a new sports car due out in 2020. But Autoblog learned production of the Alfa Romeo 4C made in the same facility will continue even after the retooling, debunking rumors of the model's immediate demise. "Production of the 4C will continue in the same production plant/line until late 2020 for the NAFTA and APAC regions," an Alfa Romeo spokesperson told us via email. The factory will close during the retooling, so "there will just be some weeks of technical interruption" during the process, according to the same spokesperson. Production will resume as soon as the overhaul is completed, and Alfa's carbon fiber-intensive two-seater will be built alongside Maserati's next sports car. North American enthusiasts still have time to put a new 4C in their garage. Available only as a convertible, the 4C recently entered the 2020 model year with a limited-edition model named Italia that gains an array of visual add-ons, like piano black trim on the front end. Just 15 Italias will be built, but the standard 4C remains available as a regular-production model. It's powered by a mid-mounted, 1.75-liter four-cylinder engine turbocharged to 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine's displacement wasn't chosen at random; Alfisti will know right off the bat that it echoes the 1750 engine Alfa offered in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. European enthusiasts aren't as lucky. Autoblog also confirmed an earlier report claiming 4C production for the European, Middle Eastern, and African markets ended in August 2018. While the GranTurismo will be replaced by a new model in 2021, what the future holds for the 4C is up in the air. Alfa Romeo's product plan doesn't currently include a second-generation 4C, which is too bad. It's one of the purest, most undiluted sports car on the market; may it live long. Featured Gallery 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Italia Auto News Alfa Romeo Convertible

Scrapyard Gem: 2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Alfa Romeo first applied the Giulietta name to its cars in 1954, producing that legendary generation through 1965. The name was revived on a wild-looking sedan for the 1977-1985 period, just before Fiat bought the company, and then returned on a compact hatchback for the 2011 model year. Today's Junkyard Scrapyard Find is one of those first-year third-gen Giuliettas, found in a self-service yard in Yorkshire, England. Copart-owned U-Pull-It has two stores in Great Britain, one in England and the other in Scotland. I have documented quite a few not-available-on-our-side-of-the-water vehicles found during my trip over there, including a 2005 Smart ForFour, a 2002 BMW 320td, a 2005 Vauxhall Tigra TwinTop, a 2008 Mitsubishi i, a 2007 Mitsubishi Colt, a 2006 Peugeot 307 CC, a 2006 Hyundai Matrix, a 2006 Ford StreetKa, a 2000 Honda HR-V, a 1994 Rover 620 Si, a 2010 Peugeot Bipper, a 2009 Alfa Romeo Brera S, a 2010 Citroen C4 Picasso, a 2005 MG ZT 190 and a 1963 Bentley S3. This generation of Giulietta stayed in production through 2020, after which it was replaced by a Jeep Compass-related crossover that you can buy in the United States today. This car's closest U.S.-market relative was the 2013-2016 Dodge Dart, which was built on a widened version of the Giulietta platform; the 2015-2017 Chrysler 200 lived on a longer-wheelbase variation. The current Chrysler Pacifica still rides on a descendant of that chassis. Alfa Romeo managed to get the Giulietta into a starring role in Fast & Furious 6, back in 2013. There was talk in the early 2010s that the new Giulietta might be sold in the United States, but those tales turned out to lead nowhere. Instead, the 4C ended up being the first new Alfa Romeo available here since the last Spider Veloces and 164s were sold as 1995 models. I couldn't get the bonnet open on this car, quickly losing patience thanks to fingers frozen solid by Yorkshire January weather, so we'll just have to speculate about the engine beneath. Giulietta shoppers in the U.K. market could get the '11 with one of eight engine choices, ranging from the base 1.4 MultiAir straight-four petrol-burner and its 120 horsepower all the way up to a screaming 1.75-liter straight-four with 235 horses. Fiat Multijet diesels in 1.6- and 2.0-liter form were available as well. This one has the base six-speed manual, which Dart buyers could get bolted into their cars (few did so).

Alfa Romeo abandoned the Spider to focus on crossovers

As much as enthusiasts like to forget or deny it, automakers are in the business of making money, and sometimes that means doing things that seem counter to a brand's image or history. Alfa Romeo, for example, is attempting to make a comeback in the US. The make has a long history of making sporty vehicles, so news that Alfa has ceased plans on some new cars in order to focus on crossovers should be disappointing, but far from surprising. The new Fiat 124 Spider, based on and build alongside the Mazda Miata, was originally supposed to be a new Alfa Romeo Spider. A while back, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne has said that as long as he's in charge, Alfas will be built in Italy. That seemed to be reasoning enough for the new car's switch to Fiat, but Automotive News is reporting that the company actually abandoned the new Spider in order to build SUVs. The Spider isn't the only vehicle that appears to be off the table. While the new BMW 3 Series-sized Giulia is set to hit dealers later this year, larger sedans meant to compete against the 5 Series and 6 Series have been axed. Alfa's first crossover, the Stelvio, is expected to debut later this year. The company has plans for a Giulia-based crossover as well. A lot of this seems counter to Alfa and FCA's five-year plan that was announced fewer than three years ago. Then, the 400,000 annual sales target worldwide by 2018 powered by Italian-designed and -built engines. In actuality, the company has struggled to get even the Giulia to market, delaying everything else in its wake. Related Video: