Alfa Romeo changes the name of the new model under political pressure: Milano becomes Junior

Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister of Entrepreneurship and – yes – ‘Made in Italy’, says he is satisfied with the name change. Milano, a reference to the historic city of Alfa Romeo, is the first Alfa Romeo to be manufactured outside of Italy, but in Poland. A 2003 law prohibits the use of Italian brand names on products made outside Italy.

“Otherwise a false impression is being made,” said Urso, who is a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party and pushed for the name change. It is still somewhat surprising that the law also applies in this case, because it is primarily intended to guarantee protected names from the agricultural and food sector, such as Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar from Modena or San Marzano tomatoes.

Urso further said that the Italian government wants to ensure that the Stellantis car company, of which Alfa Romeo has been a part since 2021, can produce at least one million cars in Italy. “If Stellantis thinks it can do that, then yes, otherwise there will be room for other car factories. We are a free market economy,” Urso said. The minister announced that Stellantis’ Chinese partner wants to open a branch in Europe. “That can happen in Italy, even if it will be good.”

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Alfa Romeo responded with resignation and even less laconic to the name change. “Although Alfa Romeo thought that the name met all the legal requirements and that there are more important things than the name of the car, Alfa Romeo decided to change the name.” The Italian carmaker even thanked the government “for the free publicity from this debate”.

“We decide to change, although we know we don’t have to, because we want to preserve the positive feelings that our products have always evoked and avoid any kind of controversy,” concludes CEO Jean-Phillipe Imparato.

The new name, Junior, is also linked to the brand’s history and was a model version of the GT 1300 from 1966. According to Alfa Romeo, the new Junior would have cost more than 10,000 euros if it had been produced in Italy.