I just spent a week in Barcelona on business and got to see a lot of Alfas we didn't get here - 33s, 145s, 147s, 155s, 156s, 166s, GTVs, etc. I even tried to stop by a local Alfa dealer and see if they would let me get touchy/feely with the cars. After a subway ride and a 15 minute hike to get there the dealership was closed for remodeling - just my luck. Anyway, what I could see gave me mixed feelings about Alfas return to the states. Of their current offerings, I really liked the 147, wasn't particularly impressed by the 156, and I only saw one 166 but I think it has a nice presence to it. The styling of the 147 is absolutely perfect. The way the rear doors disappear into the C pillar on the 5-door is especially artfully done. I looked closely at one for a couple of minutes before realizing it wasn't a 3 door!
As much as I like the 147, I think it would have a tough row to hoe in the US. 3 years ago it might have been an easier sell, but the Mazda3 has set the bar pretty high for compact hatches, and it also has a sedan available - by far the preferred body style in the US. Without a sedan, I don't think Alfa can compete at the low end of the market with the current 147 - and as I said, I think it's the most attractive car they sell. On the bright side, Alfa does seem to have strong cachet, at least based on the number of Alfas I saw with their emblems ripped off...
The only other car that was commonly missing the emblem was Mercedes.
Maybe having a halo car like the Brera or 8c Spider would be enough to get traffic in the showrooms. Maybe Alfa will become the next Mini. Maybe Consumer Reports will rave about their phenomenal gas mileage and reliability. Maybe Snoop Dogg will buy a 169, throw dubz on it, and it will become the next Escalade / 300C / Bentley among the hip hop crowd (although I hope not!) But barring a major change I just don't think Alfa as currently constituted has a great chance of succeeding in the cutthroat US market. I hope I'm wrong, though.
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