For Alfa Romeo, red is more than just a colour; it is a statement of intent. It is the colour of racing, of speed, and of a history built on the pursuit of performance. Today, that same red takes on a new dimension. It leaves the tarmac, meets the sea, and even finds its way into the name of the Italian challenge for the 38th America’s Cup: Luna Rossa. A chromatic coincidence that is only superficial. For behind the partnership between Alfa Romeo and the Italian challenger lies a kinship that stems from shared identity and extends to technology.
Top Yacht Design was in Naples to report on it first-hand, during the second round of the Preliminary Regattas of the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup. And it was precisely in the Gulf of Naples that the car manufacturer unveiled the special ‘Luna Rossa’ edition, featuring the Junior, Tonale, Giulia and Stelvio models. This debut coincided with the days when the Italian team turned the Naples event into a show of strength on the race course as well.
“There was an immediate connection which, in my view, stems directly from the very nature and origins of these two brands. They are both Italian, both red,” says Santo Ficili, CEO of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. “When such an immediate rapport is formed, a collaboration of this kind can develop.” Ahead of the 2027 America’s Cup in Naples, the partnership is now entering a new phase. Following the Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa – of which just ten were produced, all of which have been sold – the link with the Italian team is being extended to a wider range. Thus, the Luna Rossa Edition is born, available on the Junior, Tonale, Giulia and Stelvio models and set to be rolled out progressively across European markets. Four different models united by a design language featuring white, black, grey and, inevitably, red.
“The first result of our collaboration is the Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa,” continues Ficili. “From that moment on, we began working intensively to develop a more production-oriented model.” But it would be simplistic to view the collaboration solely through the lens of design or a series of aesthetic references. Alfa Romeo is not merely a sponsor of the Italian challenger. The partnership unfolds on three levels – sporting, technical and product-related – bringing together expertise from seemingly distant worlds. On the one hand, the car; on the other, one of the most technologically sophisticated competitions in contemporary sport.
This cross-pollination is most evident in materials research. On the Junior and Tonale, for example, 3D Knit technology makes its debut for the seat upholstery – used for the first time within Stellantis – whilst surfaces and graphics evoke the structure of sails and the technical language of sailing. On the Giulia and Stelvio, the design takes on an even more sophisticated tone, with extensive use of carbon fibre and ECONYL, a recycled nylon also derived from recovered fishing nets.
“This collaboration has led to the use of materials with which we have created the seat upholstery, but that’s not all,” explains Ficili. “For the first time in the brand’s history, we are incorporating a truly unique material, with highly specialised manufacturing processes.” He adds: “Even some of the inserts we’ve incorporated into the dashboard are derived from their materials – the very ones they use for sails, for example.”
The exchange, however, works both ways. And this is probably where the project reveals its most interesting aspect. The expertise developed in simulation, vehicle dynamics and virtual analysis has been made available to the technical sailing team. The work also involves the software controlling the mechanisms that operate the sails, first tested virtually on the team’s simulator and subsequently on the boat. In an America’s Cup where performance, data management and the ability to anticipate system behaviour have become decisive, the boundary between motoring and sailing becomes surprisingly blurred.
Balocco thus becomes one of the points of contact between these two worlds. “The collaboration has also developed at Balocco, where we have the Alfa Romeo test centre,” emphasises Ficili. When asked whether there is a genuine exchange of know-how, the answer is clear: “Yes. From that experience, they gain insights which they then take out to sea.”
Road and sea, then. Two interpretations of performance that use different tools to pursue the same goal: pushing the limits further.
The new special series also illustrates just how broad the scope of the Biscione is today. The Junior and Tonale interpret the project with a more versatile approach, whilst the Giulia and Stelvio represent its most exclusive and sporty expression.
“We have a product range that can cater for a younger clientele – including women, of course – right up to the very top of our range,” observes Ficili. “We need to be able to meet all these demands from our customers, and fortunately our range allows us to do just that.”
Then there’s Naples. Because the next America’s Cup will hold special significance: for the first time, the world’s oldest sailing trophy will be contested in Italy. For two organisations that make ‘Italianness’ a fundamental part of their identity, this showcase inevitably takes on a significance that goes beyond the competition.
“Frankly, I take immense pleasure in this collaboration. It is a way of demonstrating to the whole world the ability we Italians have to work together, to collaborate and, in this case, to bring together two brands that have their origins and roots in our country.”
Ficili then returns to the colour from which it all seems to begin: “I like to recall the three pillars on which Alfa Romeo’s positioning rests: Italian spirit, sportiness and the colour red. The colour red stems from sportiness, from Alfa Romeo’s racing history, and the same can be carried over into the world of Luna Rossa. This is where this wonderful collaboration stems from.”
Looking back, after all, the transition from tarmac to water seems less unusual than one might imagine. The history of the ‘Biscione’ has intersected in the past with that of powerboat racing, whilst the Alfa Romeo name has also been seen on sailing regatta courses.
“We have a history that is unique in the world and, as Italians, we must be proud to have this history in the world of motoring,” concludes Ficili. “And it’s wonderful to be able to bring this experience not only to the road, but also to the water.”
The circle thus closes where it began. With a colour that travels from racing to sailing and becomes the link between two Italian stories. The playing field, the rules and the technology change. What remains is the same drive for performance: seeking the limit. And trying, once again, to push it further.
Matteo Zaccagnino
