Alfa’s Quiet Comeback

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

It was a big deal when Alfa Romeo announced it would be selling the new 8C Competizione in the United States. Alfa hasn’t sold cars here since 1995.

But the landmark announcement didn’t come at a major auto show, or at any auto show for that matter. It happened at the Meadowbrook Concours d’Élégance in Rochester Hills, Mich. There would be only 84 examples of the 8C exotic, a $200,000 car, allotted for the United States (out of 500 total worldwide).

But I still expected major pomp and fanfare. After all, it’s Alfa, the brand of Tazio Nuvolari. So it came as quite a surprise when Jalopnik posted this photo taken at a train station in New York. It’s an Alfa 8C with the license plate 001 USA.