Alfa Romeo Return Nearing Reality as Trademark is Issued

Alfa Romeo made a brief return to the U.S. in 2008, in the form of only 50 of the $241,000 8C, but it then quickly vanished, just as it did back in 1995. Now there have been talks amongst Alfa Romeo and Fiat to bring the brand back to the U.S. when the Italian automaker releases its newest creation, the 4C.

Well, the speculation and talking are no more, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially awarded Fiat with an American trademark for the name “Alfa Romeo 4C.” It looks as if Fiat first filed for the trademark on March 25, 2011 and received the all-important approval on Aril 10th. This makes it a near certainty that this Maserati-built, Fiat-owned stunningly sexy sports car will make its way to the states.

Much like the 8C that predated it, the 4C will be a limited production model, as Maserati only plans to build about 2,500 models per year. Given we saw 90 of the 500 8Cs produced, we will again likely see about 18 percent of the total production, meaning we will have somewhere around 450 of the 4C available per year.

Fortunately, unlike the 8C, the Alfa Romeo 4C will be affordable for the upper middle-class American with a projected MSRP of $59,310. Fiat plans to pit the Romeo against the likes of the Porsche Boxster, the BMW Z4, and the more affordable MX-5 Miata, though its limited production will not make it easy to compete. This gives Alfa Romeo a car to build around in the U.S. and hopefully make a successful return.