Mid-Florida Alfa Romeo Owners Club Inc.

Mecum Collector Car Auction

Happy New Year to all members of the Mid Florida Alfa Romeo Owner's Club! I hope that you had a joyful holiday season and are looking forward to 2026 as much as I am. My New year's resolution is to drive my Alfa Romeo more this year!!

Our first event of the year will be this Saturday. We will be meeting up inside the Mecum Collector Car Auction in Kissimmee. This is the world's largest collector car auction with over 4,500 cars crossing the block from January 6-18. We will be meeting on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 10AM inside Osceola Heritage Park where the event is held. The precise location will be announced on Wednesday after I have had a chance to scout a suitable meeting point. I'll be waving a red Alfa Romeo flag so you should be able to find me!

Event: Mecum Collector Car Auction

Location: Osceola Heritage Park

1875 Silver Spur Lane

Kissimmee, FL 34744

Date: January 10, 2026

Time: 10AM

Please check out their website at: https://www.mecum.com/auctions/kissimmee-2026/

You will need a ticket to get in. They are 25% cheaper in advance (about $29) if purchased before January 6.

Use the link above, click on Auctions and Scroll down to Buy Tickets.

We will view some of the cars scheduled to cross the block on Saturday, then head inside the Silver Spurs Arena to watch the auction live. Lunch will be in the food court area (they are a cashless venue) followed by more cars and/or auction viewing. Note that most cars are open and can be sat in. Prepare for sensory overload!

Please RSVP to Barolo105@gmail.comif you have not already done so. Hope to see you there!

Alfa Romeo Is Struggling in The US, But Thriving in Europe

Half-year results are in, and it's a mixed bag.

When Stellantis published U.S. sales results for its Alfa Romeo brand for the first half of the year, the numbers didn’t look good. Through June, the Italian marque was down 34 percent, with all three models posting double-digit declines: Giulia (-32 percent), Stelvio (-40 percent), and Tonale (-28 percent). Combined, the three models generated only 3,164 sales.

But there’s a silver lining for the fabled Italian brand, it’s actually doing great in Europe so far in 2025. Sales figures published today by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association show Alfa is significantly up. In the first six months of the year, Alfa Romeo surged by 33.3 percent in Europe, delivering 33,116 cars. ACEA reports sales for the 27 EU countries, the United Kingdom, and EFTA members (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland).

That's roughly 10 times more than in the U.S. What gives? I’m trying to wrap my head around the major discrepancy between the two regions, and there’s really one main explanation: Alfa Romeo doesn’t sell the Junior in the U.S., a smaller, cheaper alternative to the Tonale. Sure, market conditions vary, but the subcompact crossover is likely doing most of the heavy lifting in Europe.

Alfa Romeo cancels all-EV plan, continues with gasoline and hybrid power

By Dave Kunz Monday, January 5, 2026

There are a lot of options when it comes to picking out a car, and that makes it harder for carmakers to attract buyers.

Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo is taking a different approach and listening to buyers who say they don't want EVs.

To fans of Italian cars, notably of Alfa Romeo, there is a special kind of music provided by an engine, and not an electric motor.

Plans were once afoot to have the entire Alfa lineup be all-electric by 2027 or so, but changing regulations and pushback from car buyers in general put the brakes on that impending future.

"A lot of people are leaning away from the EV market. They are sticking true to their ICE [combustion] engines, so we have been listening diligently and ensuring that we are matching the needs of what our clients are requiring," said Randi Yassay, director of marketing for Alfa Romeo in North America.

The reversal started earlier in 2025. When the compact Tonale SUV was launched, it arrived only as a plug-in hybrid. But then, a purely gasoline-powered version joined in: more pure for the purists, no charging port, just a gas filler.

The current lineup at Alfa Romeo includes three models, all running on conventional power. There's technically a fourth model, but you can't buy it. The exotic 33 Stradale is a showcase of Italian passion with a seven-figure price tag -- and they're all sold out. Basically, it's an attention-getter for the brand.

So for now and the immediate future, Alfa Romeos will be powered, for the most part, as they always have been -- with gasoline. Nevertheless, the company says it has not completely put the brakes on alternative power.

"Over the next couple of years, you will see a multi-energy approach coming from Alfa Romeo. So, we're excited about that," Yassay said.

Look for new generations of vehicles like the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV at some point. One hiccup in the strategy reversal is that planned EVs were almost surely in development, so those two mid-size models -- both around since the mid-2010s -- will have to carry on for a couple more years.

You'll see their replacements, most likely with hybrid power, added to the mix eventually. Enthusiast buyers will have to be patient for new metal in showrooms, but it's likely many are quite OK with the updated strategy.

Mid-Florida Alfa Romeo Owners Club Inc.

Click on Picture to see video of Cars and Coffee at Fields Automotive

Mecum Collector Car Auction

Alfa Romeo Is Struggling in The US, But Thriving in Europe

Alfa Romeo cancels all-EV plan, continues with gasoline and hybrid power

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