“We will admit that we have made mistakes in the past, but…” Similar words have been uttered frequently by seniors in the car business, often about companies at the early stages of another false dawn.
Alfa Romeo is one of those brands that has always promised, but never really delivered. Lots of products have already shown signs of garnering lifelong fans, but to be truly successful, you need to sell to the majority of car buyers, not a loyal minority – or curious people. find out.
Stellantis has several brands that show promise, Alfa being one (DS and Maserati the others). However, in my nearly 30 years of writing about cars, there have been plenty of ‘this-and-this’ moments, but I can’t remember any Alfa being the complete package; nice (always), great to drive (usually), good (eh…).
Stellantis’ boss, Carlos Tavares, has put one of his most trusted lieutenants in charge of Alfa: Jean-Philippe Imparato. He worked miracles at Peugeot, especially about his particularism: quality. He has brought to the French brand a combination of style and craftsmanship that rivals the best of mainstream manufacturers and has won the favor of buyers.
Now is the time to turn the obsession with quality to Alfa Romeo. Being the Frenchman in charge of this most Italian car company is another challenge, but Imparato’s knack for vision and passion for products makes him a leader you want to emulate. .
This week, our man John McIlroy caught up with Imparato at the construction plant Alfa Tonalea car would be sold without Imparato making changes to the quality of the car.
Imparato is always a good interview; frank and forthright. He knew what was wrong with Alfa, and what it took to make a long-held promise a reality.
Our man McIlroy can be hard to impress, but he liked what he saw with Tonale. Perhaps this is the moment for Alfa Romeo to really shine.
Click here for our review of New Alfa Romeo Giulia Estrema…
