Alfa Milano becomes Alfa Junior

The law referred to by Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso was passed in Italy in 2003 under then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. It states that “Italian-sounding” products must also be made in Italy. If not, they would falsely claim to be Italian. Like, for example, the cheese “Parmesan”, which does not come from the southern European country in the shape of a boot. Or pasta, meat and sausages or wine and Prosecco if the name of their product suggests that they are from Italy but are shipped from other countries around the world.

Milano is a “misleading statement”

The law primarily targets food and other agriculturally produced products. But according to Urso, it can also be used for cars like the Alfa Romeo Milano, after all, the Milano is built in a Polish factory in Tychy.

“This law states that you cannot provide information that misleads the consumer. Therefore, a car with the name Milano must be made in Italy,” says the minister whose official department is called the “Ministry of Trade and Made in Italy.” Otherwise it would be misleading information, which is not allowed under Italian law.

Alfa: “This moment will go down in history”

According to this law, Alfa goes back, undoubtedly unique in the world of the automotive industry, and changes the name of its compact SUV, which was presented only on April 10, 2024. Milano becomes Junior. The official statement of the Stellantis Group, which also owns the Alfa company, said: “We are fully aware that this moment will go down in the history of Alfa Romeo. It is a moment of great responsibility. The choice of the name of the Junior model is logical. , as it is closely associated with The name Junior has been one of our favorites since the beginning always and we want to avoid any controversy that we have received in recent days for our new car. Romeo.

There were also positive comments on the unusual decision from the Italian Alfa Dealers Association: “Alfa Romeo is a unifying brand that evokes enthusiasm and positive emotions. I see this in the eyes of our customers when they look at our cars, Test drive it. , buy it and take it That’s why we welcome the company’s decision to change the name of the model from Milano to Junior Matata may affect the interest and great attention that the new car receives are rooted in the history of the Alfa Romeo brand. It is no coincidence that these two names were among the favorites of audience,” adds Handel President Stefano Odorici.

Stellantis and government in the clinic

Urso’s move is the current culmination of a dispute between the right-wing conservative government in Rome and the Euro-American car company Stellantis, which, along with Alfa Romeo, also includes several other Italian car brands from the group formerly of Fiat. And those of the former French PSA and American Chrysler group. There is also Opel and its British branch Vauxhall. The crux of the matter is that the government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is also the leader of the “Fratelli d’Italia” party, wants to force Stellantis to produce more cars and parts for distributors in Italy. According to Reuters, the government wants to force the company to produce at least one million cars a year in Italy.

According to Car News, the fact that the Alfa Romeo Milano is built in Poland instead of Italy reduces its price by 10,000 euros. Exact pricing for the new entry-level model has yet to be revealed, but the base variant, the Milano Ibrida with 136 hp hybrid, should cost around 30,000 euros. The electric version is rumored to cost a cool 40,000 euros.

“Milano” should pay homage to Milan

The model name Milano was chosen by the public to honor the city where Alfa Romeo’s history began in 1910. This was not the first time that Alfa Romeo sought public opinion when choosing a car name. This already happened in 1966 with Spider, which the audience chose the name Duetto.

When it came to choosing the right model name for the brand’s new entry-level model, Alfa Romeo’s naming committee didn’t seem to take it lightly. There were long rumors about the name “Brennero”, although the Italians were only too happy to play the game with their hints which could eventually be easily misinterpreted. Finally, in a PK gathered especially online, in which even the boss of the brand Jean-Philippe Imparato participated, a completely different name was announced: “Milano”, i.e. Milan, and therefore the birthplace of the car manufacturer ALFA (“Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili”). “) was later called Alfa Romeo.