Italian Minister Adolfo Urso believes that the name Alfa Romeo Milano is illegal, as Stellantis planned to build this new car in Poland.
Stellantis has just officially launched the Alfa Romeo Milano on Wednesday April 10, 2024. The event took place in the presence of Carlos Tavares, the boss of Stellantis, who took the opportunity to settle scores with Italy. The manager appeared very tired of the persistent rumors according to which Stellantis would disengage from Italy.
His speech was obviously not enough to silence all the criticism. This time, the reproach comes from Adolfo Urso, the Italian Minister of Business and Made in Italy, as spotted by Electrek on April 12. Adolfo Urso believes that Stellantis does not have the right to give an Italian-sounding name to the new electric car, since the vehicle will be entirely built outside the country. Stellantis has in fact decided to have the Alfa Romeo Milano built in its Tychy factory, which is located in the south of Poland.
A car called Milano and built in Poland? “It is prohibited by Italian law”
“ A car called Milano cannot be produced in Poland. It is prohibited by Italian law “, said Adolfo Urso, quoted in an Automotive News article. In 2003, the Italian Parliament passed a law prohibiting the sale of goods with an Italian-sounding name if they are not made in Italy.
“ This law stipulates that it is prohibited to give information that misleads consumers. So a car called Milano is to be produced in Italy. Otherwise, it gives a misleading indication which is not authorized by Italian law », added the minister.
As Electrek points out, this Italian law is generally invoked to protect the name of Italian food products. Referring to it in the automotive sector is more unusual. The minister’s comments are certainly an attempt to put new pressure on Stellantis, more than a real threat to take the group to court over the name of its car.
Automotive News indicates that Stellantis declined to comment on the subject. In any case, we can guess that this will not help to calm the conflictual relationship that has existed for months between Stellantis and the Italian government.
Will the Italian minister win his case against Stellantis? The tumultuous relations between governments and manufacturers are dissected in Watt Else, the Numerama newsletter. Simply subscribe to receive it for free, every Thursday.
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