Had things gone a little different, Alfa Romeo could have been under the ownership of the Volkswagen Group.
While Alfa Romeo is now a happy member of Stellantis following the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, Volkswagen actually approached FCA about purchasing the Alfa Romeo brand in 2018.
A report from Autocar claims that former VW boss Ferdinand Piëch had a long interest in Alfa Romeo. In fact, he said that it could flourish under VW ownership back in 2011 and while he was no longer leading VW in 2018, the publication claims that he still wanted to see it become part of the VW family, especially after long-time FCA shareholder ADW Capital Management suggested Alfa Romeo could be spun off in a similar manner to Ferrari.
Read Also: Stellantis Chairman To Drive 1000 Miglia In 1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 Sport Spider
Sources claim that VW boss Herbert Diess met with incoming FCA boss Mike Manley in June 2018 to discuss a possible purchase of Alfa Romeo. A source states that Diess “considered it his duty to follow through on Piëch’s request.”
Diess ultimately asked Manley if the Alfa Romeo brand was for sale but Manley simply stated that it wasn’t. As such, no deal was done.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to think about what could have happened were Alfa Romeo brought within the VW Group. Given that VW was in the midst of an EV push in mid-2018, it’s possible the brand would have looked to electrify the Alfa Romeo brand. It also would have injected some ‘German-ness’ into the brand and while that may have benefited Alfa Romeo models, it could have diluted some of their beloved Italian appeal.
