R.I.P.: a well intended, but evidently failed, distinction

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

In AD8-0090 Vlad, writing about the car which was won at auction by Dr.
Tadashi Sengoku, refers to the company which made the car as "Alfa Romeo Spa".
Whether the car is a "real Alfa" or a "GTA" or not, I won't argue here and
now; I have stated my views often enough, probably much too often, in the
past, and I will concede that for most of us the argument is over and probably
went on too long. However I do have to have an opinion on this reference to
"Alfa Romeo Spa". I have been using the historically correct company-name
"Alfa Romeo SpA", for the manufacturer of certain cars, and hoping others
might, precisely to avoid the tiresome "is it a real Alfa" arguments. If
Vlad's casual use of 'Alfa Romeo Spa' catches on we are back to square one.

 The Societa Anonima Italiana Automobili Darracq was reorganized as the
Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, or A.L.F.A., in 1910, and its products
were called A.L.F.A.s. In 1915 it became a part of the railroad machinery
builder Societa Anonima Italiana Ing. Nicola Romeo & C., and when car
production resumed after the war the cars built by that company were called
Alfa Romeos. After the financially troubled S.A. Ing. Nicola Romeo & C. was
dissolved in December 1925 the car-building part of the company was
reorganized as Alfa Romeo SpA, and survived, though financially troubled, for
just over sixty years.

 Whether we like it or not the company Alfa Romeo SpA. ceased to exist on 1
January 1987, and its operations were absorbed by Alfa Lancia Industriale SpA,
a new wholly owned subsidiary of another company, which subsequently dissolved
Alfa Lancia Industriale SpA, absorbing its parts as divisions within itself.
That may be a good thing, even a Good Thing, if you think so, as many do, but
use of the name of the earlier company is (or at least seemed to me to be) a
convenient and relatively tactful way to mark a watershed between the cars
(however wretched you may think they were) designed by Alfa Romeo SpA while
that company existed, and those cars (however excellent you may think they
are) which are designed and built by the company which now owns the right to
use that name any way it wishes. I had hoped that that distinction could be
accepted with reasonably good grace by all who previously argued about the
'real Alfa' thing. If it can't- well, I am about ready to crawl off in the
corner and whimper. I did try.

 John H.

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