Alfa 4c Aims at Stealing Geneva Limelight

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TURIN – Fiat Group Automobiles SpA CEO Sergio Marchionne is getting ready to send another message to his colleague north of the Alps, Volkswagen AG Chairman Ferdinand Piech: See what we can do with Alfa Romeo?

VW’s Piech late last year made public his desire to acquire Alfa, contending Fiat would be better off selling the struggling brand. Marchionne insists Alfa is not for sale, and the two executives have been trading barbs in the media for the past few months.

The latest retort, to be delivered at the Geneva Motor Show in March, comes in the form of the Alfa Romeo 4c concept car, which will boast a shape strongly inspired by the iconic Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The 2-seat coupe will feature a rear-mounted, 240-hp 1.8L 4-cyl. gasoline engine, carbon-fiber structure and rear-wheel drive.

There are no plans for producing the car, however. But it is conceivable that if the concept scores big in Geneva, a business case could be made for a limited run, similar to what happened with Alfa’s exotic 8c model.