Major car manufacturer must scrap 70-year tradition due to new EU safety rules

• Strict new EU regulations for pedestrian safety have banned this unique feature

Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo has been forced to scrap a 70-year design tradition for its stylish vehicles, following a new safety law introduced by the European Union.

The manufacturer will no longer sell new models with off-centre front number plates as they do not comply with pedestrian safety rules introduced by the EU.

It means the brand will have to return to center-mounted plates, as used by most automakers.

Alfa Romeo’s customary offset number plate on the front bumper dates back to the 1955 Giulietta Spider and is a design feature synonymous with the company and still used on contemporary cars including the Giulia, Stelvio and Tonale.

For 69 years, Alfa Romeo has preferred an off-center placement of the front number plate.

This allows the brand’s iconic ‘Scudetto’ triangular grille to extend from the top of the hood to the lower part of the bumper, without being hidden in any way.

But the cars in showrooms today are likely to be the last to have this unique feature, bosses said.

Speaking to car specialist Autocar, Alfa Romeo’s design chief, Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, confirmed that the next-generation models – and those beyond – will feature conventional, centrally positioned front fascias.

He told the publication that the offset plate is banned by ‘homologation regulations’ introduced as part of the European Union’s general safety regulations to give pedestrians better protection if they are hit by a car.

“Some die-hard Alfisti, who think an Alfa Romeo isn’t an Alfa Romeo unless the license plate is on the side, won’t be happy,” Mesonero-Romanos said.

He added that there have been “many beautiful Alfa Romeos in history with the license plate in the middle.”

Despite what fans may think, the lead designer says the move will bring benefits.

‘[The regulation] will allow us to have symmetry anyway, so I’m happy – I’m one of the guys who likes the plate in the middle,” he told Autocar.

Alfa Romeo has already made the switch to center-mounted front fascias on its new Junior – the company’s first all-electric model that has been embroiled in its own controversy.

The SUV was unveiled in April, although it was dramatically vetoed by Italian lawmakers because calling it Milano violated national laws that prevent manufacturers from building proposed products in Italy.

The electric SUV is produced in Poland – the first Alfa to be made outside Italian borders – and is therefore not allowed to use the name of the fashion capital where Alfa is located.

The Junior has a smaller version of the scudetto grille, available in two different versions: ‘Progresso’ or ‘Leggenda’.

The former is a sportier, contemporary look created by a checkered reinvention of the Alfa Romeo emblem, while the latter is a more traditional ventilated design that pays tribute to its historic vehicles.

The first Alfa Romeo to have its front fascia moved to one side (which is almost always shifted to the side) was the 750/101 series Giuletta Spider, which debuted in 1955.

Because the radiator was placed directly behind the shield-shaped scudetto grille, Alfa’s design team placed the number plate to the side to prevent it from compromising engine cooling, which could cause the car to overheat.

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Since car manufacturers will soon be forced to sell only electric cars, there will generally no longer be a need for air vents to cool internal combustion engines.

Alfa Romeo is probably the only major car company affected by the changes to EU pedestrian safety rules.

Bugatti also uses eccentric front plates on its hypercars, while past models – such as the Mercedes-Benz SLR and Mitsubishi Lancer – have also used side-mounted front license plates.

In 2017, British carmaker Land Rover made headlines for the controversial offset rear panels on its Discovery 4×4.

Having traditionally been placed on the side of the boot door, the current version has placed it only slightly off-centre on the left side.

As for why the latest model’s asymmetrical design was a tip of the hat to the discoveries of the previous generation, designer Gerry McGovern in 2017 blamed car dealers for making things look worse by fitting larger number plates.