Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale by Zagato

Even on its own, Alfa Romeo is capable of producing some achingly beautiful sports cars. Just look at the 8C Competizione or the new 4C Concept unveiled in Geneva for evidence. But everyone can use a little help once in a while, and for Alfa, that help is coming from Zagato.

The Milanese design house has created countless rolling masterpieces, among them the TZ, the TZ2 and the TZ3 Corsa you see above. Commissioned as a one-off by a wealthy enthusiast, the TZ3 Corsa debuted at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este last year.

But what's that fourth car wrapped in a bow? We didn't know when it surfaced around the holidays, but now the company has confirmed that it will build a street version of the TZ3, available for purchase by those with the means.

The TZ3 Stradale is expected to be based on the Dodge Viper (whose parent company is linked to Alfa's), with an 8.4-liter V10 instead of the Maserati V8 that powers the Corsa. Pricing has yet to be revealed, but for those kind of exclusivity and beauty, don't expect it to come cheap.

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Tags: alfa, alfa romeo, alfa romeo tz3 stradale, auto, sports cars, tz3, tz3 stradale, zagato

2011 Geneva Motor Show: The Supercars

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Geographically located in between the supercar capitals of Europe, Switzerland is where the world's automakers come to showcase the latest array of mouth-watering, bank-balance-tempting exotic sports cars. And this year's Geneva Motor Show didn't disappoint in the least.

In between all those luxury sedans, upscale sport-utes and premium hatchbacks were a blinding assortment of six-figure supercars seemingly capable of bending the very laws of physics. Standing out from the crowd were brand-new offerings from Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani, new takes on old favorites from Maserati, Aston Martin and Jaguar, concept cars from Alfa Romeo, BMW and Wiesmann and more.

We went to Geneva to check them out with our own eyes (and lens) – follow the jump to see what we found, and click the images to view the full galleries from our sister-site Autoblog.

Tags: 2011 geneva motor show, alfa, alfa 4c, alfa romeo, alfa romeo 4c, alfa romeo 4c concept, aston, aston martin, aston martin virage, bmw, bmw vision connecteddrive, carrozzeria touring superleggera, ferrari, ferrari ff, ferrari four, ff, geneva, geneva 2011, geneva motor show, gumpert tornante, huayra, jaguar, jaguar xkr-s, koenigsegg, koenigsegg agera, koenigsegg agera r, lamborghini, lamborghini aventador, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, lexus, lexus lfa, lexus LFA Nürburgring Package, maserati, maserati grancabrio, maserati grancabrio sport, pagani, pagani huayra, touring, wiesmann, wiesmann spyder

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VW Closing Purchase of Porsche. Still Eyeing Alfa-Romeo

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

German automaker Volkswagen this week is expected to complete its long-planned $4.5 billion acquisition of luxury sports car maker Porsche. When the ink is dry, it will formally add Porsche to a brand stable that includes Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti, as well as mass-market brands Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat.

And VW AG supervisory board chairman, billionaire Ferdinand Piech (grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche) isn't through trying to add premium and luxury brands. At the Geneva Motor Show this week Piech reiterated his interest in acquiring Italian brand Alfa Romeo, owned by Fiat, despite public statements by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne that the marque is not for sale.

Tags: alfa romeo, Aventador, bentley, Bugatti, Ferdinand Piech, Fiat, Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini, Porsche, Sergio Marchionne, Volkswagen AG

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EXCLUSIVE: Ralph Lauren to Exhibit Car Collection Classics for the First Time

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, The Classicist, Architecture & Design

Ralph Lauren to Exhibit Car Collection Classics for the First Time

Images exclusive to Luxist, courtesy of Ralph Lauren; click for high-res gallery

Some of the most precious gems in famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren's incredible car collection will be exhibited for the the first time ever in Paris this spring. Lauren's collection, in our opinion the finest one in private hands on the planet, features impeccable examples of the rarest and most valuable vehicles in the world. We can reveal exclusively that four of his exquisite automotive works of art, which have never before been seen in public, will be on view at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris from April 28 – August 28: a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM; a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Scaglietti; a 1956/1958 Jaguar XKSS; and a 1931 Alfa Romeo Monza 8C 2300.

13 other Lauren cars will also be on display during the exhibit, entitled The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection, including an amazing 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (above), a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, and a 1938 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupé. The last two alone are worth about $30 – $40 million each, and are among the world's most expensive cars. The Paris exhibit will focus on European models created between the 1930s and the 1990s, "illustrating the evolution of car design in the 20th Century." They were selected by curator Rodolphe Rapetti and will be arranged by scenographer Jean-Michel Wilmotte, with the "kinetics" and sound of the vehicles conveyed by means of various films and recordings. The museum will also be producing a luxe book to celebrate the occasion.

Gallery: Ralph Lauren's Cars Headed to Paris

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Bentley, billionaire, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Bugatti, car collection, car design, celebrity cars, classic cars, designer, exclusive, exhibit, exhibition, fashion design, fashion designer, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GTO, ferrari+250+gt, ferrari250gt, France, Jaguar, McLaren, mens style, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, museum, museum show, Paris, Porsche, Ralph Lauren, ralph+lauren+car+collection, ralph+lauren+cars, ralph+laurens+car+collection, ralphlaurencarcollection, ralphlaurencars, ralphlaurenscarcollection, supercars, The Classicist, worlds most expensive, worlds most expensive car, worlds most expensive cars

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Fiat Hopes To Attract Luxe Buyers To $17,000 Fiat 500 With Style

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Can a car priced between $15,500 and $17,500 be of much interest to the typical luxury buyer?

It can if it's Italian and will soon be offered as a convertible and electric vehicle.

The new car is the Fiat 500, and it will start showing up in Fiat "Studios" any day now, starting in Los Angeles, and extending to 130 dealerships by the end of the year. Fiat USA's website has a full list of dealer locations.

The 500, of course, is the U.S. version of the Fiat Cinquecento that is offered today in Europe. The car seats four, has a 1.4 liter multi-air engine and comes offered in ten exterior colors and ten interiors. If you want to have a totally unique Fiat 500 in your neighborhood even if you aren't the only one, then it will be more than possible.

The entry-level car, the 500 "Pop," comes with a manual transmission, as does the mid-level version, the 500 "Sport." if you must have the automatic transmission, then you'll have to go for the top of the line "Lounge" edition.

The automatic was perfectly adequate during Luxist's drive of the car around San Diego, CA. But the manual will provide more driving enjoyment for those who like and can drive with a clutch and shifter.

The 500's EPA ratings are 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on highway. That's for the manual.
Cars equipped with the six-speed self-shifter will only achieve 27/34 mpg.

Fiat is making its re-entry to the U.S. after a 27 year hiatus. The Italian automaker in 2009 took control of U.S. automaker Chrysler as part of the company's bailout from the U.S. government and subsequent bankruptcy reorganization. Fiat is leveraging the Chrysler dealer network to re-introduce Fiat to American consumers, though the Fiat studios are, in many cases, in separate buildings from the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep lineups.

Tags: alfa romeo, Chrysler, design icons, Ferrari, Fiat, Fiat 500, Lancia, Maserati, MINI Cooper

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A Look Inside Ralph Lauren's Billion-Dollar Garage

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

We've written before about the automotive treasures in Ralph Lauren's car collection; now Vanity Fair has gotten an inside look at the lavish garage / gallery the designer recently built near his posh Westchester, NY estate to house them. Lauren transformed a former car dealership's storage facility into a shrine to the best in automotive design, with rooms dedicated to famous marques; the Ferrari room is pictured above, with a rare 1958 Testa Rossa taking center stage. The 60-plus ultra-valuable vehicles are all kept registered and ready to drive anytime the designer feels like going for a spin.

The eye-popping collection includes a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic worth an estimated $40 million alone – the world's most expensive car – a 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix, a 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia roadster, the world's only 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK "Count Trossi" roadster, a 1957 Jaguar XKSS, a McLaren F1, a 1929 "Blower" Bentley, a Ferrari 250 GT, and the only Lamborghini Reventon Roadster in the U.S. All have been maintained carefully since new, or restored to perfection – and "sometimes beyond perfection," the magazine notes, as some have been painted in colors that the billionaire decided were better than the originals.

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, car collection, classic cars, designer, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GT, Jaguar, Lamborghini, McLaren F1, Mercedes-Benz, Ralph Lauren, Vanity Fair, wealth, Westchester, worlds most expensive

2010's Top Ten Cars Sold at Auction

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

The industrialist hordes lifting placards to bid this year's vintage machinery were not victim to the paroxysms of 2009, when a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa went for $12.2 million and a 1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe was swept away for $7.25 mil. None of the top ten trophies in this year's vintage bazaar provoked such financial spikes, yet the decline from first place to tenth was much more gradual: the sum of 2009's offerings was $51.22 million, while 2010 racked up $50.54 million.

That isn't to say the year lacked any monumental spasms: a 1957 Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic "changed hands," to use the clinical parlance of tycoons, for somewhere between $30 and $40 million. That, however, was a private treaty sale handled by Gooding & Company, not an auction result.

Ferrari made another top showing among the perp-walk of pageant winners, with prices spanning $7.26 million for a Ferrari to €2.8 million for a... Ferrari. But Jaguar, Aston Martin, Mercedes and Talbot Lago were also on the list of what ended up being a very beautiful party...

Gallery: Top 10 Cars at Auction - 2010

Tags: 2010 top car auctions, alfa romeo, aston martin, car, ferrari, jaguar, mercedes-benz, talbot-lago, top ten, top ten cars

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove by Marangoni & Conte of Florence

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove by Marangoni & Conte of Florence

Feast your eyes on the latest custom-tailored creation from Italy. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove is a joint effort between the Marangoni rubber company and Tuscan fashion house Conte of Florence, and just made its debut at the Bologna Motor Show.

Based on the top-spec Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750 Quadrifoglio Verde, the G430 iMove features a specially-crafted interior of leather, Alcantara micro-suede and carbon fiber from Conte of Florence. Exterior modifications include special green Marangoni tires, a stainless steel exhaust system, KW suspension, Tarox brakes and a custom body kit designed to evoke the Ferrari F430, and a matching Segway scooter in the back.

Gallery: Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove Marangoni

Tags: Alfa, Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove, Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove Marangoni, conte, conte of florence

Fiat Ponders Selling Alfa Romeo to VW

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

While Sergio Marchionne, CEO of both Italian automaker Fiat and American automaker Chrysler, busies himself with fixing Chrysler and taking the mostly government-owned automaker into the public markets next year, he is wrestling with the dilemma of whether to sell Fiat's beloved, but money-losing, Alfa Romeo brand to Volkswagen.

The companies have been negotiating the possible sales, according to industry sources, confirming a report in Automotive News.

Volkswagen supervisory board chairman Ferdinand Piech has recently taken the unusual course of publicly stating that VW would like to buy Alfa, and that it believes as a company that it could turn the Italian brand around to profitability more easily than Fiat. That move was probably meant to inform industry analysts, and thus pressure Fiat to sell.

VW, of course, has made a business the last decade or more of collecting brands. Today, the VW Group includes not only VW, but Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Skoda, Seat and most recently, Porsche.

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo 159, alfa romeo giulietta, alfa romeo spider, AlfaRomeoMito, chrysler, sergio marchionne, volkswagen

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The Classicist: Etiqueta Negra Launches 'Classic Cars' Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist, Luxury Shopping

This season Argentina-based design house Etiqueta Negra, known for its modern take on masculine, equestrian and sporting style, is launching a new men´s collection inspired by one of our favorite things: classic cars. The company's Classic Cars Collection features casual wear such as sweaters, t-shirts, jeans, down vests and leather jackets characterized by clean lines and neutral colors - black, white and dark gray - with a touch of yellow in the detailing designed to evoke traditional motor racing livery. The sporty and sleek pieces range in price from $40 to $1,200 for a leather motorcycle jacket.

"I've had a passion for automobiles since I was a child and am an avid car collector," explains the label's founder Federico Alvarez Castillo. "This appreciation for beautiful cars has played a central role in the design and aesthetic of Etiqueta Negra as a brand from its inception. It was only appropriate to integrate the vehicles into the design of the clothes." Etiqueta Negra, which means "Black Label", is committed to impeccable craftsmanship and the highest quality fabrics, from Pima cotton to fine denim, cashmere and merino.

They also offer a line of leather shoes designed exclusively for them by Casa Fagliano, the Argentina-based maker of Prince Charles' bespoke polo boots. Prices for the princely footwear begin at $2,500 a pair. Etiqueta Negra also sponsors a polo team in Argentina called Ellerstina, ranked as one of the country's best, which serves as the mascot for its Polo Team Collection comprised of chic sporting classics. Both collections are now available in the company's stores, including the recently opened New York outpost. The stylish spaces (above) are decorated with vintage leather luggage, racing helmets and handmade riding boots set against a background of dark wood paneling, iron beams, black and white photography and vintage-inspired industrial lighting.

Gallery: Etiqueta Negra Classic Cars

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Argentina, car, classic cars, equestrian, Etiqueta Negra, Ferrari, horses, leather, luggage, Maserati, mens style, motor racing, motorcycle, New York, polo, Prince Charles, Sienna Miller, sporting

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Sixty Years of Formula One Racing in Photos

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Books

Autocourse: 60 Years of World Championship Grand Prix Motor Racing, new from Motorbooks / Icon Publishing, is a lavishly-illustrated account of the globally successful FIA Formula 1 World Championship from its roots before World War II to the present day. After the war came the glamorous era of the winning Alfa Romeos, followed by stunning victories from Ferrari and Maserati in the 1950s maintaining the Italian tradition before mighty Mercedes captured the crown; along the way technological advances causing several re-inventions. The book follows the action in over 500 images evoking the drivers - the great Michael Schumacher gets his very own chapter – cars, circuits, personalities and issues of each era. The back of the book contains a useful compendium of statistics, champions and more. With more and more countries vying with each other to gain the right to stage a Formula 1 contest, and as the calendar heads towards a twenty-race season, the book also looks forward to the megabucks sport's seventh decade as new teams arrive to take on the established giants.

Tags: Alfa Romeo, books, cars, coffee table books, Ferrari, Formula 1, Formula One, Maserati, Mercedes, Michael Schumacher, motor racing, racecar, racing, sports, World War II

FB Alliney's "The Cross and the Snake" Collection for Alfa Romeo

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Art

Alfa Romeo's 100 years of history is riddled with some of the most beautiful works of art ever to grace the road. And now a selection of them have been turned into actual works of art in celebration of the stoic automaker's centenary.

The paintings have been created by Feredrico B. Alliney, an accomplished Hollywood artist known for visualizing the scenery in James Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar. Alliney has painted seven such pieces, each with a unique backdrop appropriate to the cars depicted, and each is available in a limited reproduction of 30 editions each. See them for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Alfa Romeo by Federico B. Alliney

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Tags: alfa, alfa romeo, alfa romeo art collection, alfa romeo collection, alliney, fb alliney, federico b. alliney, the snake and the cross

Bertone Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept Car In The Flesh

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

While everyone else is stuck in the past with new cars that look that old cars, Bertone is looking ahead. The famous car designer now only devises concepts for various client automaker brands who take the designs as a study on future core brand style directions. Alfa Romeo has been a client of also Italy based Bertone for years. At the Geneva Autoshow (2010) Bertone unveiled this Pandion Concept - which I got to see in the flesh recently. While a thematic successor of the C8 Competizione, the Pandion is actually built on top of a Maserati GT. At least it is an all Italian machine.

The highly futuristic design is a source of pride for the design firm. The rhythmic shapes and smooth angles are couples with an interesting, and new type of design source - organics. Well, computer organics - if there is such a thing. Bertone created special software to create random looking shapes and "formations" which are the basis for the crystalline looking exterior parts, and the biologic looking interior parts. The entire rear-end and interior wheel decor is based on quartz crystal formations. The new type of look is utterly novel and highly thought provoking. Sensible for production? Not in an instant, but artistic nonetheless.

Inside the car is all about shapes looking like they stem from the "skeleton" of the case. As though they are ripping through the skin. Follow the paths of the cabin structure to see what I me an. The blue seats provide a color thematically like the pinkness inside a body. Despite the highly unconventional cabin structure, the car is still fitted with all the amenities that one might desire, mostly controlled via a large touch screen panel.

The real mechanical spectacle of the Pandion are the automatic gullwing doors. A press of a button and the rear haunches of the car lift and move aside, making room for the scissor like doors to electronically lift up. They close in the same automatic manner. Will any part of this car reach future Alfa Romeo cars? According to Bertone, "probably." Alfa quite likes the new interpretation of their "V" grill design that you can see on the front of the Pandion. If they are smart, Alfa will think a lot about how to incorporate the spectacular visuals of the Pandion's rear-end as well. Check out the "READ MORE" link below for video coverage of the Pandion in action.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Bertone Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept Car

Tags: Alfa Romeo, Bertone, Car, Concept, Pandion

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Luxist Captures Some Classics - and an SP1 - at Concorso Italiano

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

After doing the trials and tribulations thing for a couple of years, Concorso Italiano has found the perfect sized home in the middle of the action during Pebble Beach weekend. Several lawns full of vintage Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Fiat machinery, not to mention some Bizzarinis and DeTomasos, are all the reminder one needs that when it comes to cars – and food and fashion – the Italians have had it going on for decades. We ate up all the organic sportsters, predecessors of today's supercars filled with preservatives, and walked away full of beauty...

Gallery: Luxist at the 2010 Concorso Italiano

Tags: alfa romeo, classic cars, Concorso Italiano, ferrari, lamborghini, maserati, pebble beach, pebble beach 2010, Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, vintage cars

1959 Ferrari Sells for Record $7.26 Million at Pebble Beach

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A rare 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione (above) with coachwork by Scaglietti fetched a whopping $7.26 million at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach sale in California over the weekend, setting a new world record for the model and capping a round of stunning auction results. The stunning roadster, which took 5th place overall at the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring race, was just one of several multimillion-dollar Ferraris to cross the block over the weekend. Gooding & Co. also hammered down a rare 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB SEFAC Hot Rod for $6.1 million, and a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza for $6.7 million. As we reported previously, Bonhams set another world record over the weekend with the $4 million sale of a 1970 Porsche Gulf-JWA Le Mans 917K coupe, while RM Auctions netted $4.6 million for a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta, among others. Gooding achieved a new record in sales, realizing $64.5 million for 106 cars during the landmark event.

Tags: Alfa Romeo, auctions, Bonhams, California, classic cars, Ferrari, Gooding Company, Monterey, Porsche, race car, RM Auctions, world record