June 6 saw members of the press and other invited guests touring the refurbished Pater Group showroom in Valley Road, which now hosts Jeep, following Fiat Auto’s stake increase in Chrysler LLC to 53.5 per cent and, of course, retaining Alfa Romeo, one of the most well-loved brand names in Malta.

Francesca Mamo, managing director of Ucim Co., made a welcoming and instructive speech that evoked many memories for the multitude of us who have owned Fiats and Alfas over the years.

Ms Mamo said: “These premises in Valley Road carry a lot of emotional appeal for us at UCIM Co. Ltd since this building was the first showroom and workshop for Fiat.”

In fact, it replaced the old New Waldorf Garage, a kilometre or so away in Pietà, a place which also brought back many memories to all of us of a certain motoring age.

“Built in the late 1960s under the supervision of the founder of UCIM Co., Major Hannibal Scicluna, my grandfather, they were inaugurated in 1970. This was the first big milestone in a string of long successful years for our company as the Fiat brand grew exponentially throughout the 1970s, becoming an undisputed market leader in subsequent decades.”

The current Alfa models on display include the two top-of-the-range Quadrifoglio versions of the Mito and the Giuletta, absolutely lovely cars, very easy on the eyes.

Jeep really needs no introduction and as Ms Mamo said: “Jeeps go anywhere and do anything; it’s a way of life that appeals to off-road aficionados who enjoy to test vehicle performance at every possible occasion in the most challenging environments, and also to style-conscious customers who are looking for an SUV that is not just appealing to the eye but also fun to drive, comfortable, safe and essentially an offroad at heart”.

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