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The Holy Trinity of Italian Genius — Stellantis Heritage Unleashes Lancia, Abarth, and Alfa at Bologna’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca

If you’ve ever wondered what Italian passion looks like distilled into metal, chrome, and the occasional whiff of burnt oil, Stellantis Heritage just handed you the answer on a polished silver platter. This year’s Auto e Moto d’Epoca in Bologna (October 23–26) won’t just be another nostalgia trip through Europe’s most glamorous automotive archive. No — it’s a full-blooded celebration of Italy’s obsession with beauty, bravery, and speed.

At the centre of the show? Three legends from the Stellantis vault, each representing a different decade, a different dream, and one relentless national instinct — fare di più. Do more. Push harder. Build faster.

From the hallowed halls of the Heritage Hub in Turin and the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, emerge three machines that defined eras and defied reason:

  • the Lancia D25 (1954),
  • the Fiat-Abarth 750 Record (1956), and
  • the Alfa Romeo Scarabeo (1966).

Together, they’re not just cars. They’re rolling testaments to what happens when engineering meets espresso-fueled insanity.

The Mission: Vision, Velocity, Victory

Under the watchful eye of Roberto Giolito, head of Stellantis Heritage and designer of the Fiat Multipla (yes, that one), the brand’s historical wing isn’t just dusting off museum pieces. It’s telling stories — stories about how Italy built cars not merely to move, but to matter.

As Giolito puts it, these machines “aren’t signs of the past, but tangible proof of the Italian drive to innovate with style, courage, and imagination.” Translation: these are the greatest hits of an era when design sketches were drawn with cigarettes and conviction.

Lancia D25 (1954) — The Race That Never Was

If Enzo Ferrari had a rival worthy of his jealousy, it was Vittorio Jano — the genius behind the Lancia D25. Born from the ashes of the Carrera Panamericana-winning D24, this car was the ultimate 1950s racer that never got its chance to show off.

With a 3.75-litre V6 producing 305 hp and a top speed kissing 300 km/h, the D25 could’ve eaten early Ferraris for breakfast. It had the kind of obsessive engineering detail that would make modern chassis designers weep: transaxle rear end, inboard brakes, independent suspension, and a spaceframe chassis that used the engine as a structural member.

But fate — and Formula 1 — intervened. Lancia pulled out of sports car racing, and the D25 never got its day in the sun. Only one example survived, wearing its Pininfarina body like a tailored Italian suit that never went out to dinner. Now, in Bologna, it finally gets the spotlight it deserves — a mechanical opera in 12 cylinders (well, six, but you get the point).

Fiat-Abarth 750 Record (1956) — The Bullet That Beat Time

If Carlo Abarth were alive today, he’d be the kind of man who sets an alarm just to break it. The Fiat-Abarth 750 Record, designed by aerodynamicist and styling sorcerer Franco Scaglione, was a wind-cheating bullet that looked more UFO than automobile.

Its job? Simple: humiliate the stopwatch.

In 1956, at Monza, it smashed six endurance records — including the 24-hour run, covering 3,743 km at 155 km/h average speed. A 750cc engine. One driver. And a whole lot of audacity.

This wasn’t just speed; it was science dressed in aluminium. The Record’s teardrop shape influenced generations of Abarth and Fiat models, proving that performance and beauty could occupy the same slender space. Even Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., son of the U.S. President, flew to Italy just to sign an exclusive deal with Abarth after seeing it. Because when Italy does small, it still does spectacular.

Alfa Romeo Scarabeo (1966) — The Rebel Prototype

And then there’s the Scarabeo. Even by Alfa Romeo standards, this 1966 prototype was pure mischief. It looked like a spaceship, sounded like a race car, and entered the world by flipping its entire roof forward instead of opening doors.

Under its O.S.I.-built skin lived the beating heart of a Giulia GTA — a twin-cam 1.6-litre four-cylinder — mounted transversely in the middle of the car. Radical? Absolutely. Functional? Shockingly so. The tubular chassis even used side members to store fuel tanks, a layout later echoed by Alfa’s racing prototypes.

It debuted at the Paris Motor Show that same year and immediately stole hearts (and headlines). The version on display in Bologna is the second prototype — with doors this time — and it remains an exquisite survivor from a time when Alfa didn’t just build cars; it built ideas on wheels.

Beyond Nostalgia

Between the Heritage Hub in Turin and the Museum in Arese, Stellantis isn’t merely keeping its past alive — it’s turning memory into momentum. Across 15,000 square meters of history, you’ll find engines, legends, and the sort of stories that make you believe the phrase Made in Italy still means something in metal.

So, if you find yourself in Bologna this October, skip the tortellini (just for an hour) and make a pilgrimage to where Italy’s golden era still hums. Three cars, three decades, one truth:

No one does beauty at speed quite like the Italians.

Source: Stellantis

NEW CARS

2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale – When Passion Meets Precision

There are few things in life more gloriously Italian than a red Alfa Romeo shimmering under Tuscan sunlight. So when the brand decided to launch its refreshed Tonale in Pisa — home of tilting towers, art, and artificial intelligence — it wasn’t just a location choice. It was a statement. Because this isn’t merely a mid-life facelift; it’s Alfa Romeo’s manifesto on how to make technology feel alive.

The New Tonale isn’t shouting for attention with wild wings or outrageous horsepower. Instead, it whispers — beautifully, seductively — that it’s been refined, retuned, and repainted to capture everything Alfa stands for: emotion, balance, and that impossible-to-define quality Italians call “anima” — soul.

Design: Necessary Beauty, Not Optional Drama

You can spot an Alfa Romeo even in silhouette — and this one’s no different. The face is now sharper, with a three-dimensional concave badge inspired by the divine 33 Stradale and a reimagined Trilobo grille that gives it a planted, purposeful stance. The front track is wider, the overhangs shorter, and the whole car sits like it’s flexing before a sprint start.

New 19- and 20-inch wheels — light, sculpted, and unmistakably Alfa — complete the look, while the new Rosso Brera, Verde Monza, and Giallo Ocra paints are pure operatic exuberance. You can even spec a black roof, which makes it look like the world’s most elegant wasp.

The black-and-white Alfa emblems and rear “Tonale” script in stealthy black ink are subtle nods to the brand’s current obsession with minimalism. The result? A C-SUV that looks less like it wants to take the kids to school and more like it wants to overtake the school bus. Twice.

Interior: Espresso Meets Engineering

Slide inside and you’ll instantly understand why Alfa Romeo calls this “necessary beauty.” Everything you touch — from the ribbed red leather cannelloni seats to the Alcantara-wrapped dashboard — feels like it was crafted by people who care about how you feel behind the wheel.

The paddles are still carved from billet aluminum (because of course they are), and now there’s a redesigned rotary gear selector in the center console that feels more Maserati than mainstream. Even the ambient lighting glows in a gradient inspired by the Biscione, the brand’s legendary serpent emblem. Because who else would think to put a mythical snake on the dashboard?

Veloce and Sport Speciale trims add heated everything, a Harman Kardon symphony of 14 speakers, and semi-automatic parking for those who’d rather save their skills for mountain passes than supermarket bays.

Under the Skin: DNA Still Intact

If you’re worried Alfa has gone soft with all this tech and touchscreen talk, fear not. Underneath, the Tonale still plays by Alfa’s old rules: perfect 50:50 balance, lightning-quick steering (13.6:1, the sharpest in class), and suspension that walks the tightrope between comfort and corner-carving.

There’s a choice of three hearts beating under that sculpted bonnet. The 175-horsepower 1.5-liter hybrid is the everyday charmer; the 130-horsepower diesel is for marathon drivers; and the range-topping 270-horsepower Q4 Plug-in Hybrid is the proper enthusiast’s pick. That last one marries electric serenity with all-wheel-drive traction and the kind of mid-corner stability that would make a Stelvio proud.

Every system — from the Dual Stage Valve suspension to the brake-by-wire setup borrowed from the Giulia — is tuned not for spec-sheet heroics, but for that spine-tingling moment when machine and driver stop being separate entities. This is where Alfa still rules.

Tech and Safety: Because Passion Deserves Protection

Alfa’s engineers haven’t forgotten that this century demands silicon alongside soul. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless mirroring, and a swarm of Level 2 driver assists keep things smart and safe.

It’s loaded with radar eyes, drone-view cameras, lane-keeping logic, and adaptive everything. But it never feels intrusive — the car assists, it doesn’t insist. Even the over-the-air updates are there to evolve the car without robbing it of personality.

Trim Tiers: Espresso Shots of Personality

The new Tonale line-up follows the Italian espresso principle: same core blend, different intensity.

  • Tonale: The entry point — elegant, well-specced, and far from basic.
  • Sprint: Adds dark bodywork, 18-inch wheels, and a sportier swagger.
  • Ti: The sophisticated one — red or black leather, heated everything, and that quintessential Italian grand-touring feel.
  • Veloce: The true driver’s choice, complete with DSV adaptive suspension and red Brembos.
  • Sport Speciale: The collector’s launch edition — Alcantara, ambient serpent lighting, and enough exclusivity to make you feel like you own the prototype.

Verdict: The Soul of Alfa, Digitally Remastered

The New Tonale isn’t about reinvention; it’s about refinement. It takes the DNA of the 2022 model — the first Alfa Romeo C-SUV — and fine-tunes it into something more cohesive, more stylish, and, crucially, more Alfa.

It’s faster where it counts, smarter when you need it, and prettier everywhere else. It’s a car that proves technology doesn’t have to kill emotion — it can amplify it.

As CEO Santo Ficili put it: “Technology enhances passion.” And behind the wheel of the New Tonale, that doesn’t sound like marketing. It sounds like the truth.

Finally, an SUV that remembers cars are supposed to make you feel something. Beautiful, balanced, and brimming with Italian soul — the New Tonale is proof that passion can still drive progress.

Source: Stellantis

NEW CARS

Alfa Romeo 4C Collezione GT “Nicola Larini”: A Bridge Between Heritage and the Future

At the test track of the Alfa Romeo Historical Museum in Arese, history repeated itself—if only for a lap. Nicola Larini, the man who etched Alfa Romeo’s name into the annals of motorsport with his 1993 DTM title aboard the 155 V6 TI, slid back behind the wheel. This time, however, he wasn’t driving a fire-breathing touring car but something altogether more intimate: the first Alfa Romeo 4C Collezione GT “Nicola Larini,” a limited-run tribute built under Stellantis Heritage’s Reloaded by Creators program.

This wasn’t just a ceremonial handover. When Larini guided the compact coupé around Arese’s asphalt before handing its keys to the car’s new custodian, the gesture was steeped in symbolism. A champion of Alfa’s past delivering a torch to the present—a seamless connection between racing heritage and modern craft.

A Special 4C, Three Times Over

The 4C has always carried the reputation of being one of Alfa’s purest driver’s cars. Mid-engine layout, lightweight carbon-fiber chassis, and reflexes sharp enough to embarrass bigger, more powerful rivals—it’s the kind of machine that makes agility and feedback its headline act.

For this project, Stellantis Heritage is crafting just three Collezione GT examples. Each will wear its own distinctive color scheme: the inaugural “Giallo Ocra” car shown here, followed by “Verde Pino” and “Rosso Prugna.” Each build is signed, sealed, and certified authentic by Alfa Romeo Classiche, ensuring their status as rolling heirlooms.

Design Cues That Tell a Story

If the standard 4C was already a modern classic, the Collezione GT trim elevates it into collector-grade territory. The livery, developed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under designer Alessandro Maccolini, draws a straight line back to the brand’s golden age—the Giulia GTs of the ’60s and ’70s.

The result is subtle yet evocative: tone-on-tone paint finishes, matching wheels, and Larini’s autograph appearing not just on the hood, but also on the dashboard plaque and embroidered into the seats. It’s a detail that blurs the line between artifact and automobile.

Inside, function meets heritage-inspired style. Black microfiber covers the dashboard to cut glare, and the racing vibe extends to the seats, which blend body-colored inserts with grippy microfiber bolsters. Even the steering wheel gains a sightline marker—a small but welcome nod to Larini’s racing toolkit.

More Than a Tribute

In some special editions, the exclusivity feels like a veneer. Here, it feels genuine. Stellantis Heritage isn’t simply producing a badge-engineered commemorative car; they’re weaving a narrative. Each of the three cars will wear a slightly altered Alfa crest on the hood, making every example unique within an already tiny production run.

It’s not just about nostalgia either. This program demonstrates a willingness to celebrate Alfa Romeo’s greatest hits without turning the 4C into a static museum piece. These are fully road-ready sports cars, certificates of authenticity in hand, prepared for collectors who value history they can drive.

Legacy on Four Wheels

For Alfa Romeo, the 4C Collezione GT “Nicola Larini” isn’t simply an exercise in design—it’s an act of storytelling. The handover at Arese was a carefully staged moment, yes, but it felt authentic. Larini’s championship victory in 1993 is still remembered by fans as proof of Alfa’s underdog tenacity in the DTM, and seeing him climb out of a modern Alfa coupé carried a resonance that statistics alone can’t capture.

This is what Stellantis Heritage seems to understand: heritage is only alive if it’s in motion. And with two more cars yet to join the fold, the story is still being written.

Source: Stellantis