Official: Alfa Romeo Milano is now called Alfa Romeo Junior!
Name Milano is forbidden!
During one of the most important weeks for Alfa Romeo’s future, an Italian government official declared that the use of the name ‘Milano’ – chosen by the brand for its recently unveiled new compact SUV – is prohibited by law.
The name ‘Milano’ was chosen as a tribute to the city where Alfa Romeo’s history all began in 1910, following a survey of the general public.
Milano is modified
This was not the first time Alfa Romeo asked the public’s opinion when choosing the name of a car.
It was previously done in 1966 with the Spider 1600, when the name chosen by the public was Duetto.
Among the general public, the name “Milano” was voted the favorite for the brand’s compact crossover, which incidentally rolls off the assembly line in Poland.
Alfa Romeo Junior
Despite Alfa Romeo’s opinion that the name meets all legal requirements and that there are things much more important than the name of a new car, Alfa Romeo decided to change the name from Milano to Alfa Romeo Junior.
A historically responsible name, in other words.
And it covers the load, because the Junior is the smallest Alfa Romeo in the lineup.
The name “Junior” was also a favorite among the general public.
Alfa Romeo thanks the public
In a statement, Alfa Romeo said the following: “The Alfa Romeo team would like to thank the public for the positive feedback, the Italian dealer network for their support, journalists for the huge media coverage of the new car and the government for the free publicity this debate has generated.”
Milano well received
Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of Alfa Romeo, said, “We are well aware that this moment will remain engraved in the history of the brand. It is a great responsibility, but at the same time it is an exciting moment. The choice of the name Alfa Romeo Junior is completely natural, as it is strongly linked to the history of the brand and has been among our favorites and among the public favorites since the beginning. As a team, we once again choose to share our passion for the brand and make the product and our customers a priority. We decided to change the name, even though we know it is not mandatory, because we want to keep the positive emotion our products have always evoked and avoid any kind of controversy. The attention to our new car that we have received in recent days has been quite exciting, as we have had an unprecedented number of visits to the online configurator, causing the website to crash for a few hours.”
Origin of name Alfa Romeo Junior
Of course, we also like to look back at the history of the “Junior” name.
After the success of the Giulia and the Giulia Sprint GT coupe version – designed by Giugiaro for Bertone – Alfa Romeo wanted to attract a younger, newer audience that wanted a brilliant, exclusive car, without excessive purchase and running costs.
Therefore, on September 26, 1966, the GT 1300 Junior was unveiled in Balocco.
Despite the absence of the name “Giulia,” it was the leader of a new Alfa Romeo generation.
The main mechanical variation was the use of the 1,290 cc dual camshaft engine, producing 89 hp for a top speed of over 170 km/h.
The bodywork has also been updated with a special and more youthful finish.
With sales of more than 92,000 units, the GT 1300 Junior quickly became the bestseller in the range and a true status symbol of its time.
