The last time that Alfa Romeo sold new vehicles in North America was in 1995, apart from the 84 models of the supercar Competizione 8C, sold between 2007 and 2010. Since 2008, this hundred-year-old Italian manufacturer has tried without much success to make a comeback in North America, despite all the efforts of Fiat and its CEO, Sergio Marchionne.

In 2012, when Fiat became Chrysler’s major shareholder (including its Dodge, Jeep, and Ram divisions), many people believed that Alpha Romeo’s comeback would just be a formality. However, tensions between Fiat and Chrysler have delayed the return of Alfa Romeo on American soil. Now, if everything goes according to plan, the chosen timing for this comeback is slated for the spring of 2014.

Other car manufacturers, such as Volkswagen and its subsidiary, Audi, have shown interest in Alfa Romeo. Negotiations with them, which took place in 2012 and 2013, undoubtedly slowed Fiat’s drive to invest in a network of North American Alpha Romeo dealers. The Fiat group also includes the Italian makes Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati, and Abarth.

The first Alpha Romeo model we hope to see arrive in Chrysler and Fiat’s North American showrooms is the 4C. Weighing in at just under 2,000 pounds, the 4C is a coupe powered by a turbocharged fourcylinder 1.75-liter engine with 16 valves. Generating 240 horsepower, this sports car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and gets a gas mileage of about 33.5 miles per gallon. Alfa Romeo has set itself the three-pronged goal of modernizing its entire range of cars, marketing more sport and luxury models, and tripling sales figures by 2016.