EVERY car enthusiast has a story about Alfa Romeo, it seems, and not all of them have a happy ending. It doesn’t appear to matter, though – the 104-year-old brand carries with it a confidence and a bravado that belies its patchy history.

As a brand, Alfa Romeo won the first two Formula One World Championships, was instrumental in the formation of Ferrari, and has made some of the most beautiful cars ever seen. It also has an unenviable reputation for unreliability, poor quality control and indifferent performance from its lower-end models.

Alfa Romeo is telling anyone that cares to listen that the past is behind it, and that the future for the legendary Italian brand is bright. There is massive investment in future product, a huge engineering and design push from a top-secret skunkworks program that’s using the best minds its parent company can muster, and don’t discount that effortlessly cool and casual Italian attitude…

The first salvo in the battle is the 4C.

Casually late but immaculately dressed, the two-seat carbon-tubbed sportster will spearhead the Alfa effort – at least for a little while – and it is already winning the battle of hearts and minds.

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