Alfa Romeo has never been closer to returning to the U.S. market than they are now. The triumphant return of Fiat, both as a brand and as the owner of long suffering foster child Chrysler, has set the groundwork, and Alfa now has the modern and lust-worthy Lotus Elise 4C to tempt us apple pie eating baseball appreciators. But despite all that, do you think this will this be a MacArthur-like return or a further validation of the marque’s decision to pull up stakes back in the mid-nineties? Back when Alfa was flying high here in the States they offered a mix of sporty sedans and classically themed sports cars, all with quirky reputation for questionable quality. Alfa’s persona has always been one that hooked enthusiasts, and in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s the brand’s foibles could be discounted as there weren’t many alternatives. By the ’80s however, BMW had secured the exclusive European sport sedan category for themselves while Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota brought to market models that challenged the brand at the low end. Come the MR2, Pontiac Fiero and eventually the Porsche Boxster, and even the cheekiness of the long in the tooth Alfa Spider couldn’t help it be seen as a viable competitor. Eventually the brand’s  foibles caught up with it, as did the competition. We all love Alfas, and of course the brand is venerated here to this day, seemingly due to two decades distance from anybody having to live with one that was new. Yeah, I know, there was the 8C, why don’t you go run out on the freeway and count them all, okay? Now that Alfa’s return is imminent, what I want to know today is your opinion on whether the marque will succeed here or not. Fiat hasn’t had the best of luck since coming back to the trough, but then, they had an even more unfortunate rep here than did big brother Alfa. What’s your take on Alfa’s chances, will they make a go of it, or will they fold faster than Superman on laundry day? Image source: SyeraSite