For over a decade, Alfa Romeo has flirted with ideas that ultimately died on the drawing board. Recently, sketches surfaced from Juan Manuel Diaz, a former Alfa Romeo designer, showcasing five models that never reached production – including a potential Miata-based roadster and ambitious flagship sedans. These designs offer a glimpse into what might have been a radically different trajectory for the struggling Italian brand.
The Alfa Romeo Duetto Revival: A Missed Opportunity?
In 2013, under Sergio Marchionne’s leadership, Alfa Romeo explored a partnership with Mazda to create a modern Duetto roadster using the MX-5 platform. While the deal never materialized, the idea lingered. Diaz reveals that design proposals for this “Alfa-Miata” existed as early as the 2000s.
“The design team had already completed a series of proposals based on the Mazda MX-5 platform, exploring the possibility of relaunching the Duetto.”
Ultimately, Alfa Romeo prioritized the Giulia and Stelvio, while Fiat released the MX-5-based 124 Spider. However, Diaz continued to develop personal concepts, including a full-size model based on the 8C Competizione, which was later scrapped in favor of the 8C Spider. This demonstrates that the Duetto revival wasn’t limited to the MX-5 platform; it could have also been based on the more prestigious 8C architecture.
The Forgotten Flagship: The Alfa Romeo Alfona
Another abandoned project is the Alfa Romeo Alfona, sketched in 2006 at the behest of then-head of styling Wolfgang Egger. This concept was essentially a modern Alfetta built on the Maserati Quattroporte platform. The goal was ambitious: to create a high-performance sport sedan that could compete with German luxury flagships.
The Alfona’s failure to materialize speaks to broader challenges within FCA (now Stellantis): internal competition, shifting priorities, and an unwillingness to gamble on high-end models.
Smaller Visions: The Alfa Romeo Junior and MiTo Convertible
Diaz also shared sketches of a pre-production Alfa Romeo Junior, conceived in 2006 as a sporty, lifted coupe based on the MiTo, with around 247 hp. The modern Alfa Romeo Junior (originally Milano) now exists as a small SUV with hybrid or electric powertrains, but this earlier version was never greenlit.
Similarly, a MiTo Convertible came close to production in 2010 but was killed by Marchionne, who saw little commercial potential in a small Alfa Romeo convertible. These decisions reflect a consistent pattern of cautious risk aversion within the company.
The 8C Zagato: A Bold Redesign
One striking sketch depicts a redesigned Alfa Romeo 8C, reimagined with Zagato’s signature “Kamm” tail and a fully restyled body. The car would have retained the Maserati V8 engine but boasted a more dramatic, aggressive design. This vision highlights the creative potential stifled by corporate constraints.
What Could Have Been
These abandoned projects reveal a bolder direction for Alfa Romeo – one that prioritized sporty roadsters, high-performance flagships, and striking designs. Had these models seen production, the brand’s lineup and market positioning might look dramatically different today.
Diaz’s sketches serve as a poignant reminder that automotive history is not just about what was built, but also about what was left undone. The missed opportunities underscore the complex interplay of vision, economics, and corporate strategy that shapes the fate of even the most iconic brands.
