At first glance, everything went as it should. Alfa Romeo presented a model, gave it a name that pays homage to her hometown, made a whole fuss about it, explained how important it is and how much they invested in its development despite using a shared platform with Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Jeep - applause from the crowd, etc.
But within a short time, even before the event decorations were folded, a small storm erupted - Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso clarified in an official statement that the model called "Milano" violates a 2003 law that broadly prohibits companies from giving distinctly Italian names to products that are not made in Italy. The fact that Ssangyong has had a car named "Tivoli" for years, manufactured in South Korea, did not come up at the time, but well, maybe against Alfa and its parent company Stellantis, which is already in conflict with the Italian government to a considerable extent, has more tools.
And then comes another twist, as Alfa Romeo publishes an official announcement on its website that it is changing the model's name from "Milano" to "Junior". And thus she wrote: "Although Alfa Romeo believes that the name complies with the requirements of the law, and that there are more urgent issues than the name of a new car, Alfa Romeo has decided to change the name from Milano to Junior in the spirit of mutual understanding."
Also the CEO of Alfa Romeo, Jean-Philippe Imperato, a not typically outspoken person, wrote in a message: "The choice of the name 'Junior' is completely natural, as he is well connected to the brand's history and was one of our and the public's favorites. We decided to change the name, even though we know we didn't have to do so in order to avoid controversy".
The new-old name "Junior" brings back one of the prestigious names in Alfa Romeo's history. The model, designed by Giugiaro for Bertone's workshop, was born in 1966, riding on the success waves of the Giulia Sprint GT coupe. This version of "Junior" was designed to attract young and enthusiastic crowds to a sports car at an accessible price.
It presented a design that remained timeless even after all these years. The reason for the nickname "Junior" was that behind the grill was an engine of 1,290 cc with a dual overhead camshaft, 89 hp, which was a lot for its time in a popular and fast coupe car with a top speed of 169 km/h. The success was huge, 92,000 units of the "Junior" were produced until 1977, becoming the best-selling model of Alfa Romeo at the time and an everlasting icon.
In conclusion, it's a strange story. Did Alfa Romeo's legal department not know the law? Did Alfa's management know, but underestimated that the government wouldn't intervene, even though for a long time it has been expressing increasing criticism and going after Stellantis, which moves production from Italy at the expense of local jobs? Or were we just witnessing a pre-planned PR exercise that only fueled the conversation about the new model?
No matter what the reason was, ultimately, Alpha Romeo found herself, at least officially, covered in tar and feathers and banished from the city. Even those who understood that today, in her current situation, if she wants to survive, she has no choice but to swallow her pride and produce the cars everyone buys - a small crossover. They too must surely scratch their heads in discomfort when out of all things in the world she attaches the name Junior to it. Well, at least let's hope he is truly successful and will succeed like the original.