Alfa Romeo: Massive Growth in 2023

The Tonale seems to have turned the tide: In fact, it also pulled the other Alfa series upwards – in the early 2020s, Alfa Romeo in Germany was floundering with extremely weak sales figures, which makes the comeback now all the stronger. In the past twelve months, according to the KBA, 6,198 Alfa Romeo Tonale, Giulia, and Stelvio were newly registered. The premium brand, part of the Stellantis group, performed significantly better than the overall German market, for which the KBA calculated an increase of seven percent.

Giulia: The facelift catapulted the "old lady" back up

The development of the Giulia, already introduced in 2016, was surprising: In 2023, it convinced more than twice as many new car buyers as in the previous year 2022. The Alfa Romeo Tonale, the brand's first electrified model, increased by 81 percent and, in terms of overall registrations, is similarly popular as the Alfa Romeo Giulia (both nearly 2,200 registrations). The Alfa Romeo Stelvio also contributed to the brand's strong upward trend with a plus of 33 percent (nearly 1,900 registrations). Alfa Romeo's positive image was also confirmed by prestigious awards from the specialist press.

Niccolò Biagioli, Managing Director Premium Brands Stellantis Germany, was pleased:

"2023 was an extremely successful year for Alfa Romeo. A 70 percent increase in new registrations underscores the growing attractiveness of our premium products for German customers. I would also like to thank our dealers and my entire team for this success. We are now fully committed to making 2024 just as positive a year. We are particularly looking forward to the new Alfa Romeo Milano. With the fourth series, we will also have a purely electrically powered model in the portfolio from 2024. The first Sport Urban Vehicle in our history will give Alfa Romeo additional tailwind in Germany as well."

The world premiere of the new Alfa Romeo Milano is scheduled for April 2024. The small car, with which Alfa Romeo returns to the numerically largest vehicle segment in Europe, will also be available in a 100 percent electric version as well as with hybrid drive. The model name is a homage to the city of Milan, where Alfa Romeo's history began on June 24, 1910.

Many Alfa Romeo classics are also celebrating anniversaries in 2024

From 1910, Alfa Romeo made a name for itself worldwide with sports cars and luxury vehicles. Seventy years ago, a new era began for the traditional brand: With the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (small Giulia), the brand brought unprecedented sportiness to the compact segment. The beginning was made in 1954 with the Giulietta Sprint designed by Nuccio Bertone. A year later, the Giulietta Berlina sedan and the Giulietta Spider roadster followed. An outstanding feature of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was the engine, designed with racing know-how, with an aluminum block and cylinder head, two overhead camshafts, and dual carburetors. The engine, famous among fans as the "Doppelnocker," was used by Alfa Romeo with displacements of up to two liters over the following four decades – it was always an acoustic delight.

Alfa Romeo pursued a similar platform strategy with the Alfetta model. With the technology of the sedan, the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT coupe came onto the market in 1974. The wedge-shaped body design, overseen by Giorgetto Giugiaro, is unmistakable. The Alfetta GT started with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder. From 1979, Alfa Romeo also offered one of the first turbocharged gasoline engines in a mass-production vehicle. The top model, from 1980, was the GTV6 with a six-cylinder engine, with which Alfa Romeo won several titles in touring car racing, among other achievements.

The Alfa Romeo 90, designed by Nuccio Bertone, replaced the Alfetta in 1984. Since Alfa Romeo was already short on cash at that time, it mainly relied on a new (somewhat divisive) exterior design, with the boxy rear being quite polarizing. However, an innovative feature was the electrically extendable spoiler lip under the front bumper. At a speed of 80 km/h, it lowered to optimize aerodynamics. Inside, there was a glove compartment that could be taken as a suitcase. The Italian luxury tax on large-volume engines prompted Alfa Romeo to offer a six-cylinder engine with only two liters of displacement for the model 90.