Almost every car nut in the United States wept the loss of Alfa Romeo in 1995.  Alfa was supposed to have returned to America just four years ago with the 8C, but it didn’t happen due to the impending recession and a spotty dealer network (The 8C was sold through Ferrari showrooms, which are, admittedly, few and far between).  However, the 4C was recently given the green light, and Alfa (and Fiat’s) top brass have announced that this car will be the car to bring Alfa Romeo back to the U.S.  This time, I think it will work.

First and foremost, the 4C is a darn good way to get the ball rolling.  It’s a small, mid-engined two-seater sports coupe, which is aimed directly at the Audi TT and its rivals, a market that the Germans have been constantly competing in, as well as the likes of the Lotus Elise from the UK.  The 4C is an absolutely stunning piece of automotive craft that, with the announced 1.8L turbo direct injection engine (230hp for a lightweight car), dual-clutch transmission, and low curb weight target, has the right idea already.  It’s also much more accessible than the exotic 8C was, which makes Alfa much more visible.

Fiat owns Chrysler and has already launched the 500 in the United States.  That car’s  June sales figures just came in, and things are looking up thus far, with 1,803 sold just last month, bringing the total to a fairly healthy amount of 4,944 units thus far.  Fiat’s been using Chrysler’s huge dealer network lately, something that Renault tried to do with AMC’s network thirty years ago.  Fiat’s products, however, seem to be robust and trendy, which Alfa can easily use to their advantage.  In addition, Alfa’s premium brand status could potentially bring more-affluent buyers into these showrooms, increasing the chance of selling Chryslers and Fiats, which is always welcome for Chrysler dealerships.

Fiat also strategically picked areas where the 500 will get traffic into dealers–Alfa can capitalize on this as well, since they have also announced a plan to offer a crossover SUV (I’m not going to say I like this, but I’ll hold judgment until it arrives), as well as the Guiletta compact, which has, in Europe, given Alfa Romeo its first legit player in the C-segment market in eons.  In all, if Alfa plays its hand in the States the right way, this could be their best idea in years.  And please don’t forget the Spider–the world could always use another Miata fighter.

-Al