When talking about Italian excellence, Alfa Romeo certainly appears to be an icon in the world of sports cars. Recently, however, this excellence has been at the center of a political debate led by Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister. The issue? We know it well by now: the name of a new SUV launched by Stellantis, the automotive giant that owns Alfa Romeo.
The name controversy: “Alfa Romeo Milano”: political tensions and struggle over authenticity
Alfa Romeo’s new SUV was launched with the name “Alfa Romeo Milano” And this, as we all know, raised a fuss because of its production in Poland-and not in Milan as the name might suggest. This violated an Italian law that prohibits companies from misleading the public about where products are produced.
Meloni and her right-wing government raised the issue, arguing that the name “Milano” gave the wrong idea of where it was produced. This was regarded an affront to Italian excellence and as a way for the automotive giant to exploit Milan’s image while disrespecting the roots of the country.
“Milano” naming: impact on Italian car production
The old name “Milano” given to Alfa Romeo’s new SUV has stirred controversy as it may mistakenly suggest that the vehicle is manufactured in Milan, a historic city for Alfa Romeo. In reality, production takes place in the Polish city of Tychy.
Alfa Romeo was acquired by Fiat in 1986 and is now under the control of Stellantis, a company formed by the merger of Fiat-Chrysler and PSA. Although the Agnelli family, former owners of Fiat, holds a significant stake in Stellantis, the group’s headquarters are located in the Netherlands, not Italy.
Giorgia Meloni has criticized Fiat and the Agnelli family for moving their fiscal and legal headquarters abroad, accusing them of a lack of loyalty to Italy. This has fueled tensions between the Italian government and Stellantis, highlighting an ongoing conflict.
Meloni has now expressed that she wants to increase car production in Italy from 700,000 vehicles per year up to a minimum one million, claiming importance of manufacturing domestically for promoting image of quality and authenticity Italian products.
Political and economical implication – Stellantis’ response
This collision points up the complexity of the relationships between politics and business in Italy. Alfa Romeo is a symbol of Italian engineering. The SUV name change represents a significant step in this struggle to preserve the authenticity and excellence of Made in Italy.
Initially, Stellantis rejected the pressure, claiming that the name did not violate any laws. Carlos Tavares, the head of Stellantis, had initially reacted with a firm response. He argued that there was nothing wrong with calling the car “Milano” and added that if Italians want it to be produced in Italy, they should consider that this could increase the selling price by about 10,000 euros to 41,500 euros.
However, faced with increasing political pressure and the risk of damaging the brand’s image, they decided to change the SUV’s name from “Alfa Romeo Milano” to “Alfa Romeo Junior“.
The name change of the Alfa Romeo Junior SUV has been more than just a business decision; it was a signal of the fight for protecting Italian excellence by globalization.