Alfa Romeo is preparing to sell a sporty coupe in the U.S. The model is likely to be offered at dealerships that are co-owned with Fiat. At the Geneva Auto Show, the Fiat Group subsidiary displayed a production-ready version of the 4C Coupe Concept with rear-wheel drive and a rear-mounted engine. To bring down the weight of the 4C to less than 1,800 pounds, it has been built with carbon fiber and aluminum. Fiat dealerships in the U.S. have slowly started to sell the Fiat 500. The brand is planning to sell more 500 versions in the U.S., starting with a convertible later this year. Chrysler Group said that the Alfa franchise is likely to be paired with many Fiat dealerships.
The Alfa-Fiat partnership is seen to be a more profitable prospect, says Autonews. Chrysler seeks for most of its 130 Fiat dealerships to start operating by this fall. At the Geneva Show, Alfa CEO Harald Wester said that the 4C will be sold in the U.S. He didn’t say when sales in the U.S. will begin but he said that global production starts in late 2012.
This is also when CEO of Fiat and Chrysler Sergio Marchionne expects the Alfa vehicles to arrive in U.S. dealerships in significant volumes. In 2009, Alfa sold 84 Competizione coupes and 35 Spiders at Maserati dealerships in the U.S. These models, which are priced at about $300,000 each, are now out of production. Alfa is planning to produce only 15,000 to 20,000 units of the 4C coupe in over five years, two sources said. An additional 5,000 to 10,000 units of a 4C roadster will be produced for Fiat's sporty Abarth subbrand.
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