Caravaggio: La Mostra Impossibile, currently being held in the Caraffa Palace stores on the Vittoriosa waterfront, was the suggestive venue for the launch of the all-new Alfa Romeo GT last Wednesday.
Alfa Romeo cars dating from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies lined the quay, welcoming the hundreds of guests on arrival. Upstairs, the latest addition to the range was unveiled after brief speeches by Pater Group chairman John Mamo, UCIM Co Ltd managing director Francesca Mamo and Dott. Alberto Margheri, export manager of Alfa Romeo, who with Ing. Simone Guidetti, operations manager, came to Malta specifically for the launch.
Ms Mamo drew a parallel between Caravaggio and Alfa Romeo: both are Italian from Milan, both delivered great works; and in the same way that Caravaggio has left a heritage of magnificent masterpieces that are admired throughout many a generation, Alfa Romeo has expressed its artistic flair through a history of motorcars which are memorable.
She went on to trace the history of Alfa Romeo over the past century through its connections with beautiful cars, designers and racing pedigree.
Designed by Bertone the GT, she said, arouses strong emotions: it is dashing, aggressive, stylish and sophisticated. "Its styling respects the distinctive Alfa traits that immediately call to mind the Giulia Sprint GT the model created by Nuccio Bertone in 1963.
"The Alfa GT represents a brand new concept in sportiness, where comfort and elegance combine. The aim of the car is to offer all the driving satisfaction of a top performing coupé without ever compromising comfort and practicality, as often happens with other brands."
There are two interior specifications, one sporty and the other more elegant, and five leather trim options. Three engines are available: the 2.0-litre JTS with 165 bhp; the 3.2-litre V6 24-valve 240 bhp; and the 1.9 M-Jet 16-valve with 150 bhp; and two manual gearboxes, one that can be combined with a robotised Selespeed gearbox offering a sporty, comfortable and safe drive in all situations.