In 2010 Alfa Romeo will celebrate its 100th anniversary. How? With a blitz of new models, a complete rethink of its business and a new rear-wheel-drive flagship saloon car. What will we see from Alfa Romeo you already know: the new Mini-rivalling Junior this year, followed by major reworkings of the 159, Brera and Spider, in 2009 the replacement for the 147, based on a more sophisticated version of the Fiat Bravo chassis. But the most important model will be launched in 2010; it will be a rear-wheel-drive flagship model probably based on a Jaguar chassis.

Fiat Auto CEO Sergio Marchionne has admitted that Fiat Auto attempted to buy Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford early in 2007. There were lots of reason why Fiat was interested in buying the British manufacturers, including Land Rover’s US dealer network and Jaguar’s platforms and powertrains,” which it could then have used to make “top Alfa Romeo models with front-mounted, longitudinal engines and rear-wheel drive”.

But even if Fiat didn't end up buying Jaguar, they will remain "open to talks with the future owner of Jaguar and Land Rover about possible co-operation." And the first model to benefit from this co-operation might be Alfa’s new 169 flagship, which is now due to be launched in 2010.