Alfa Romeo needs to bring back these 5 cars—here's how it could

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Besides having one of the sexiest-sounding names among auto manufacturers, Alfa Romeo is a storied brand, one with cars that have, over the years, invoked Italy’s spirit of la dolce vita, not to mention a long and rich motorsport history on the Continent.

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Unfortunately for North American enthusiasts generally and Alfisten specifically, the company’s product lineup is sorely lacking variety. Sure, the mid-sized Guilia sport luxury sedan and Stelvio sport-ute, especially in Quadrifoglio spec, have more than enough brio within their respective segments, but more vehicles are needed, preferably wearing resurrected nameplates.

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Alfa Romeo needs to bring back these 5 cars—here's how it could Back to video

Here’s our top five (possibly fanciful and/or sacrilegious) suggestions for which icons from its past we want to see return.

Alfa Romeo Montreal

(as a full-size sport luxury crossover)

Montreal is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in North America, but, as a kid growing up there, it was the cold and snowy winters I remembered most. A four-season big-buck leather-lined crossover that looks equally good trolling Crescent Street or parked at a Mont-Tremblant chalet would be perfect.

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As Alfa Romeo is part of the Stellantis Group, the new three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee L could provide the bones, though the Maserati Levante would make a much better donor.

Alfa Romeo Kamal

(as a subcompact crossover)

The original Kamal was a very stylized small crossover prototype that, 20 years ago, never made it to production. Boy, would the timing ever be right now!

The Fiat 500X/Jeep Renegade duo never caught on here, probably because they are rather homely. The Kamal’s sheet metal looks as good now as it did at the turn of the century. Let’s blow the dust off the prototype — and keep the name. It would probably be pronounced “camel,” which would be very appropriate for the segment.

Alfa Romeo Disco Volante

(as a sports car)

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I visited the Alfa Romeo Museum in Milan a few years ago; the 1952 Disco Volante (literally “flying saucer”) on display stopped me in my tracks — its aerospace-inspired body was (and still is) outrageously stunning. If car companies such as Bentley (Blower) and Jaguar (C-Type) — and, of course, the numerous manufacturers that fashion Cobra replicas — can resurrect iconic models and charge a king’s ransom for the privilege of ownership, why shouldn’t Alfa grab a piece of the action?

[Editor’s Note: Coachbuilding firm Touring Superleggera gets it—the video above is of the carrosserie ‘s 2013 effort to revive the Disco, underpinned by an Alfa 8C donor.]

Modern mechanicals, the recently departed 4C sports car’s frenetic turbo four-cylinder under the hood; if you build it, they will come. Alternatively, a modern version of the Spider but with the Disco Volante name (I can’t help it; I love saying “Disco Volante”) aimed at the Miata crowd would be an acceptable compromise.

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Alfa Romeo Turbodelta

(as a hot hatch)

Crossovers are vogue; hot hatches are cool and functional, with an emphasis on fun. Why should VW (Golf R) and Honda (Civic Type R) grab all the attention?

The “Autodelta” name, as affixed to the 1979 Alfetta GTV, was a hotted-up hatchback destined for Group 4 rallying. The modern version should have all-wheel-drive and at least 300 horsepower from a turbo four-cylinder. Or make it electric like the Mini Cooper SE, but with Tesla Model 3 acceleration.

Alfa Romeo Sportwagon

(as a sports wagon or crossover)

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OK, it can’t be a station wagon; that would be the kiss of death from a marketing standpoint. But European manufacturers, especially the Germans, have been stuffing big-horsepower engines into their “sportswagens” for years — let’s use the 591-hp Audi RS6 Avant as a prime example .

A wagon version of the Giulia Quadifoglio would certainly have the performance bona fides . Taking a different tack but sticking with the idea of a Giulia-sourced platform, take a page out of the Subaru Outback playbook and jack up the ride height of the Sportwagon, flare out its fenders, and slap some adventure-themed accoutrement on it.