Alfa Romeo to arrive at 2013 Detroit show?

A report suggests that Alfa Romeo is planning to make its grand re-emergence at the 2013 NAIAS show in Detroit.

It's a little premature to start thinking about the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but a German magazine has suggested that Alfa Romeo might formally mark its return to the United States at the event.

Further deciphering the leaked Alfa Romeo product plan, Germany's Autobild says to expect five cars in Detroit in about a year and a half. The automaker will use its new 4C sports car as its flagship halo car, while its midsize Giulia, compact Giulietta, stylish MiTo and a crossover based on a Jeep platform will share the spotlight - according to Autobild.

We're still not certain that Alfa Romeo will see fit to offer the subcompact MiTo here, although it's unclear just how the brand will be positioned compared to rivals from Germany, Japan and Sweden.

The next-generation rear-wheel-drive Spider seems more likely, since it would rekindle memories of the automaker's best-selling and longest-lived model here, the 1966-1994 Spider.

Of course, it won't be the first time that Alfa Romeo will offer a car in the U.S. since its departure in 1995. The automaker sold a handful of 8C Competizione models in both hardtop and convertible forms.

The arrival of Alfa Romeo would be a big coup for the Detroit show, too, which has struggled to attract attention over the last few years. However, a refurbished Cobo Center and a far more prosperous domestic auto industry will undoubtedly restore some of the event's luster. Why would Alfa Romeo choose Detroit? Despite the fact that the Detroit area is a tiny imported car market, foreign automakers still view the show as the primary entry point for new - or revived - brands. Add to that Fiat's ownership of Alfa Romeo and, by 2013, its planned ownership of Chrysler, and it starts to make sense.

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