Future Models - Alfa Romeo 2010 Spider

Pininfarina and Bertone preview future Alfas

Spider bite: Pininfarina celebrates Alfa's centenary with a Spider concept to be shown in Geneva.

Spider concept provides a glimpse of the next in a long line of Alfa ragtops

1 February 2010

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS

ITALIAN design house Pininfarina will unveil a new Alfa Romeo concept car at the Geneva motor show in early March.

Details are scant, but the design study – said to be built on an existing Alfa platform but not earmarked for production – is to celebrate a duo of anniversaries during 2010: Alfa’s centenary and 80 years of Pininfarina.

The latter’s association with the Fiat-owned Italian marque goes back to the 1933 8C 2300, and has included the styling and manufacturing of the famous 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 Duetto, as well as the design of its 1995 916 Spider replacement – which Pininfarina also eventually made from 2000 to 2006.

Interestingly, though Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign was behind the current Brera range that spawned the latest Alfa Spider, Pininfarina has looked after the production side of things since the series commenced in 2006.

“The Pininfarina new concept (sic) is meant to be part of the tradition of successful spiders born from the relationship with Alfa Romeo, among the most significant and long-lasting ones in the automobile history, and interprets the innovative vision of an antique theme strongly present in the Pininfarina roots, the two-seater spider,” Pininfarina said in a press release issued late last month.

Left: Alfa Romeo Spider.

Meanwhile, another Italian coachbuilder – Bertone – will showcase its own Alfa concept at the Swiss show, using the 8C Competizione supercar for its underpinnings. But again the Italians are staying tight lipped, so stay tuned for more on that one.

It appears Alfa’s 100th anniversary will also be its Year Zero as far as the troubled marque’s standing within the Fiat portfolio is concerned.

After losing millions of euros over the past few years, the brand is “under review” according to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne. The findings will be unveiled in April or May, and may include a tie-up with Fiat’s recently acquired Chrysler Group, or even a freeze on all model development after the Giulietta small car is unveiled at Geneva.

As we reported last week, in January the Fiat boss also announced that new Alfa head Harald Wester will oversee the integration of the Milanese company with Maserati and Abarth.