Alfa Romeo sells roughly 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles per year today. That is a modest result for a brand with an outsized reputation and a history that has shaped European performance culture for more than a century.
It is also why the same question keeps coming up among enthusiasts and industry watchers: what if Alfa’s modern story had unfolded differently?
For more than a decade, one major automaker reportedly believed it could rewrite Alfa Romeo’s trajectory through acquisition. That company was the Volkswagen Group. And according to multiple accounts over the years, Volkswagen did not explore the idea just once but at least twice.
Ferdinand Piëch’s Vision For Alfa Romeo Inside Volkswagen Group
In early 2011, Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch openly expressed admiration for Alfa Romeo. The argument was simple and bold. Under Volkswagen’s industrial backing, Alfa could “blossom,” and its sales could quadruple within five years.
At the time, Alfa Romeo was selling about 112,000 vehicles annually. Piëch reportedly envisioned a clear positioning strategy that would place Alfa below Porsche, combining German engineering resources with Italian design and emotional appeal.
In that scenario, Alfa’s performance models could have benefited from parts sharing and powertrain access across the group. The concept was that Alfa could become a more attainable, more expressive alternative for buyers who liked the idea of Porsche but wanted something different in image and price.
The Italian response was direct. Fiat rejected the idea of selling Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne made it clear the Alfa Romeo brand was not for sale.
That ended the first attempt, at least for the time being.
A Second Approach Reportedly Followed In 2018
Years passed, leadership changed, and the broader industry shifted, but the interest did not fully disappear. In June 2018, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess reportedly met with incoming FCA CEO Mike Manley. According to the narrative that has circulated in European industry coverage, Diess revisited the same question that had lingered since the Piëch era: was Alfa Romeo available for purchase?
Once again, the answer was no.
Not long after, the merger process that ultimately brought PSA Group and FCA together led to the creation of Stellantis. Stellantis said it was not pursuing the sale or spinoff of any of its brands and reaffirmed its commitment to its full brand portfolio. With that, Volkswagen’s long-running Alfa Romeo ambition effectively ended.
How Alfa Might Have Fit Between Audi And Porsche
Volkswagen Group has a track record of acquiring heritage brands and scaling them with major industrial resources. Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, and Ducati are often cited as examples of brands that expanded under Volkswagen ownership while preserving recognizable identities.
In that context, Alfa Romeo could have been positioned as an emotional, sporty brand sitting between Audi and Porsche, sharing platforms and technology but aiming to keep an Italian personality.
Supporters of the idea imagine a larger, more complete lineup, potentially including a sports sedan aligned with group architecture, a premium SUV competitor positioned closer to the Porsche Macan, and a broader range of performance variants. With Volkswagen’s scale, a global sales target in the hundreds of thousands annually might have looked less far-fetched on paper than it does for Alfa today.
Identity Versus Standardization Remains The Central Question
The biggest unknown is whether Alfa Romeo under German ownership would still feel like Alfa Romeo. Industry history suggests that platform consolidation and engineering rationalization can improve quality and profitability but can also reduce the distinct character that makes a niche brand special.
Some critics argue that certain brands become more efficient but lose some unpredictability when integrated into a larger corporate machine. Others point out that financial strength and consistent product development are often what allow heritage marques to survive and grow in a modern market.
Alfa Romeo’s Uncertain Path Under Stellantis
Today, Alfa Romeo is undergoing another strategic transition under Stellantis. Earlier plans signaled a full pivot toward electric vehicles, but product timing and market realities have complicated the schedule. The next-generation Stelvio and Giulia have been delayed, and existing models such as the Tonale, Giulia, and Stelvio have effectively had their market lives extended as the brand refines its near-term plan and narrows its lineup.
That cycle of ambitious intent followed by uneven execution has now stretched across nearly two decades, which is exactly what makes the Volkswagen storyline so compelling. Volkswagen may have missed a major strategic acquisition. Or it may have avoided turning an Italian symbol into a perfectly optimized industrial product. Either way, Alfa Romeo remains one of the rare brands that has repeatedly inspired a rival’s interest without ever changing hands.
This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.