Marchionne says no, but Alfa Romeo increasingly points toward Germany (Volkswagen)

We have already had a month of more or less well-founded rumours about the sale of Alfa Romeo to the Volkswagen group, something that would already be imminent, according to the German and Italian press. Sergio Marchionne insists that it is not so, but where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.

The truth is that Ferdinand Piëch, of the VAG group, has been involved in talks with representatives of the Agnelli family, the historic Italian family that owns Fiat. Apparently the Agnelli family (or rather Philip John Elkann Agnelli, chairman of Fiat) has a clear desire to sell the brand, arguing that there are not enough funds or resources for the full recovery of Alfa. The fact that the Agnelli family holds only 30% of the shares in Fiat is obstacle enough for their decisions to carry weight.

Meanwhile, Marchionne can say what he likes, but the final decision will come from much higher up than the managing director himself (there is even talk of political convenience in Germany, Italy and among the trade unions at Fiat).

And with the sale, problems will surely follow. Strictly speaking, the ones that interest us most are those involving the cars that Alfa Romeo currently manufactures. Which models will move into the orbit of Volkswagen, and how would Alfa survive in the hands of the largest car group in the world?