Alfa name confusion

08th December 2009

The name of Alfa Romeo’s replacement for the 147 has been revealed as the Giulietta – but the plot thickens about why there was an embarrassing 11th-hour switch from Milano.

Despite issuing official pictures of the car featuring the proposed name, Alfa made a last-minute call to say there was a U-turn on the badge. But the firm has admitted the change of heart was linked to internal politics. The Milan suburb of Arese has been Alfa’s home for decades, but a recent decision to close the site – leaving nothing of Alfa in Milan and everything in Turin – has provoked picketing and protests on the local motorway.

An Alfa spokeswoman told Auto Express: “The name Milano was chosen months ago, but since then the Milan plant has closed. So it was felt to be insensitive to launch a car with that badge.”

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