History repeats itself

Twenty years ago, Alfa Romeo revealed the Alfa Romeo 8C Concept to evoke a great sports car tradition of which the name was part. 8C Competizione was a clear reference to Alfa’s racing history. The press said that with this new model, Alfa’s stylistic language took a further step forward, and enhanced the brand’s DNA. With six different models available, that year Alfa’s global sales dropped to 180,000 units, or the worst results in six years.

Two weeks ago, we saw the presentation of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. It is as impressive as useless. That’s how I see the presentation of this one-off Alfa in the light of the situation and the plans of the brand.

It’s impressive because they were able to come up with this Resto-Mod (Restoration -Modified) of one of the most iconic cars ever. In just 16 months the engineers and designers developed this €1.5 million supercar making use of the gorgeous Maserati MC20 for some its mechanical parts and its twin-turbo V6 engine. There will be an electric version with more than 750 hp, making it the first ever fully electric Alfa Romeo. The specs? You know them better than me. In any case, it’s an outstanding car from the design, mechanical and performance points of view. Chapeau to Mesonero and his guys.

On the other side we have a product that won’t change much of the current situation or the brand. As impressive as it is in terms of specs, it is as useless to grab the attention of the masses and make them buy the regular Alfa Romeos. I know, the 33 Stradale is a halo car that helps to improve the brand’s image by telling the world what Alfa Romeo is capable.

The brand claims that the 33 Stradale is “a project that respectfully celebrates the brand’s history and takes it forward into the future” and “anticipates certain details from the brand’s future”. Or in other words, it’s an Alfa Romeo that looks back in order to go forwards. But haven’t we heard pretty much the same claim every time there is a new Alfa Romeo presented?

When the Tonale was presented in February 2022, the press claimed that it was “the first step towards the future of Alfa Romeo”. Seven years earlier, at the reveal of the Giulia, the claim was that it “launched the brand into a new era”. Basically, the same story.

If the arrival of the 33 Stradale is really the beginning of a change for good, then it should precede a series of competitive products that should arrive as soon as possible. They should be not only competitive but innovative. They must come one after the other one, not every 3 years, but at least every year. And this of course, excludes one-off supercars like this.

Many thanks to Daniele Gaglione for some of the photos. He was the exterior style leader for the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Concept. His design proposal was chosen among many other designers.