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Alfa Romeo's first EV reportedly due out in 2024 as small crossover

The first series-produced electric Alfa Romeo model will allegedly make its debut in 2024. Official details aren't available, but a recent report claims that the EV will take the form of a small, entry-level crossover that will be closely related to the Jeep Avenger under the sheetmetal. Don't be alarmed if the nameplate "Avenger" doesn't ring a bell, or if you associate it with a series of Dodge models built from the 1990s to the 2010s. Across the pond, the emblem denotes a hatchback-like, city-friendly front-wheel-drive Jeep built on a platform that underpins several cars in the Stellantis portfolio. It's on these bones that Alfa Romeo will build its first EV, according to British magazine Autocar. The soft-roader could be called Brennero, a name borrowed from a mountain pass in Italy, and the publication wrote that current and past models will influence its design; the report notably cited the original Giulietta released in 1954 as a source of inspiration. Time will tell if that's accurate, and how designers will transfer 70-year-old styling cues onto a mass-produced crossover developed for young, urban buyers. On the electric side of the lineup, the model will share powertrain parts with its Jeep-badged sibling. For context, the subcompact Avenger (which stretches approximately 161 inches long and 60 inches tall) ships with a single, front-mounted electric motor that zaps the front wheels with 154 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Electricity is stored in a 54-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, and Jeep quotes a 250-mile driving range when tested on the WLTP cycle used in Europe (the EPA-estimated figure would likely be lower). Like the Avenger, the Brennero will be offered with a gasoline-powered engine in some markets. Again using a Jeep as a reference point, the piston-powered option is a turbocharged, 1.2-liter three-cylinder shared with the Peugeot 208, among others, and rated at 154 horsepower. If the report is accurate, the Alfa Romeo Brennero will land in showrooms in June 2024. Our crystal ball tells us that it won't be sold in the United States due in part to its small size; Jeep doesn't sell the Avenger here, after all. American drivers who want to put an electric Alfa Romeo crossover in their driveway will need to wait until the rumored second-generation Stelvio makes its debut at some point in 2026.

Junkyard Gem: 1979 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce

During the middle-to-late 1970s, things got pretty grim for American car shoppers wishing to drive a (non-exotic) new European two-seat convertible. British Leyland would sell you a 1979 MGB, Spitfire, or TR7 at a good price, but you got only 67.5, 52.5, or 88.5 horsepower, respectively, in those cars (yes, BL claimed the half-horse in official ratings, because that's how the Malaise Era was) plus the Prince of Darkness riding shotgun. Fiat offered the 124 Sport Spider for a bit more than those British machines in '79, but that car had a mere 86 horses under the hood. That's where the Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce came in; for a bit more money, you got 111 fuel-injected horsepower and a car that still looked futuristic more than a decade after its introduction. Alfa Spider prices have gone way up in the last decade, so I don't see many of these cars in the self-service car graveyards I frequent. That makes today's Junkyard Gem, found in a yard near Denver, a fairly rare find. Someone yanked the cylinder head off, probably years ago, and then never finished whatever engine work had been planned. This is a common sight with vintage sports cars in junkyards. The 1994 Colorado State Parks pass shows that at least this Alfa was running 28 years back. Inside, there are many receipts for extensive mechanical work done during the 1980s. These cars were better-built than their British Leyland and Fiat rivals, but that doesn't mean they were easy to work on. How about getting a head-gasket job plus a bunch of other work done for just over 500 bucks? Even with inflation, that's a deal! At some point, someone sliced up the factory radio faceplate to install this 1980s Blaupunkt cassette deck. This looks like a CR-2001, which was high-end factory equipment in Porsches and BMWs around the time this Spider was new. The interior has some parts that look nice enough to be worth buying, so let's hope that some Front Range Alfa Romeo enthusiasts show up and score some nice pieces for their project cars. The MSRP on this car was $11,195, or about $45,700 today. The Fiat 124 Sport Spider went for $7,090, while the TR7 convertible cost $9,235. Meanwhile, a new 1979 Chevy Corvette with the optional L82 engine listed at $11,425 and had 225 horsepower; it also weighed 917 pounds more than the Alfa and had much more ponderous handling.

Sell your own: 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider

Looking to sell your car? We make it both easy and free. Quickly create listings with up to six photos and reach millions of buyers. Log in and create your free listings. The relaunch of the Alfa Romeo franchise by FCA, while promising, is without the presence of Alfa's lovely Spider convertible. There is, of course, the mid-engine 4C Spider, but that's far more exotic and expensive. If you're looking for the charm of the original, at a more affordable price, you'll need to go back 20-plus years, when Alfa was last in America. What began as the boat-tailed Duetto in 1966, and evolved into the Kammback-profiled Spider around 1970, stayed in production with minimal changes through 1993. In 1983, U.S. bumper regulations began taking their visual toll, but that mod was minimized by the time this for-sale example was built. You won't find roadsters for under $15,000 with the charms of an Alfa Romeo. If it has a clean Carfax and credible pre-purchase inspection, this Spider could provide years of enjoyment. We doubt a '91 Spider will appreciate, but you can, well, still appreciate it. And it's in San Francisco, so make its purchase a vacation. Alfa Romeo Car Buying Used Car Buying Buying Guide Ownership Convertible Performance