Alfa Romeo returns with a curvaceous coupe

Alfa was also hampered by a U.S. dealer network that had been pieced together over time, as well as a reluctance to advertise, Morningstar says.

"Alfa has a tremendous heritage. The cars are built by enthusiasts, not necessarily marketing people," he says.

No one understands that more than Alfa Romeo owner enthusiasts, known as Alfisti. "Alfa does a terrible job of marketing their cars," says one Alfisti who didn’t want to be identified as bad-mouthing the brand he has driven since the mid-1960s.

Still, Stanton sees Alfa's return as a positive sign: Rarely does an automaker leave the American market and come back with a stronger lineup. "Usually when a maker goes down, they go down and out," he says.

In Alfa's favor is its unending appeal to those who want the brand’s character-filled legacy of style and power. The current focus on better fuel economy might also bode well for the brand.

“Alfa Romeo makes phenomenally good diesel engines that are clean, engines that other companies buy. That's a really good endorsement if other companies buy your powertrain," says Kim Custer, AIAM’s director of communications.

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Good endorsements notwithstanding, some Alfa Romeo enthusiasts have their doubts about the company’s return, simply because they've heard rumors about it for so long. “It's difficult. We get excited when we hear it this time but not too excited. We remain skeptical,” says Thackeray, who bought his first Alfa in 1996 and now owns five.

Others are ready to believe their patient passion will be rewarded. Many Alfistis eagerly recite which models they expect to come to the U.S. market and their ramifications, almost as if they are part of the company’s marketing team (in a way, maybe they are).

But if people other than Alfistis are going to crave the cars, Alfa Romeo needs to spread the word this time around.

"Let's just hope they do it right," Thackeray says. "There's a track record with some room for improvement. It's been painful. It goes back before Alfa left the U.S. There were a lot of times when people who loved these cars felt frustrations as they didn’t reach their full potential in the U.S."

Most of the issues the company grappled with are long gone. The quality and dependability of Alfas no longer pose problems, according to reviews of the latest models on sale overseas.

Carmelo La Spina, president of the Chicago Alfa Romeo Owners Club, predicts less-extravagant models than the $200,000 8C Competizione will find buyers nationwide. Even if the cars don’t have mainstream appeal, sales could still take off because Alfistis are "always looking for another," he says.

Val Herrera embodies La Spina's theory. The Texas engineer owns 10 Alfas and just gave one to his son-in-law to restore. "I would dearly like to see them here for the long haul,” he says. “If they can pull off this marketing thing and be sincere about this attempt, I think they will have people flocking to their showrooms. These are cars you pass from generation to generation."

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