Offered in coupe, convertible and four-door versions, the 1900 represented the transition of Alfa from a low-production specialty automaker to a more mainstream producer. Building on the company’s successes in competition, the 1900 was marketed as “the family car that wins races.”

In 1954, a smaller car appeared that would establish Alfas’ postwar reputation as credible alternatives to British sports cars like MG and Triumph — but with superior technology and comfort. Called the Giulietta, it came as coupe, sedan or convertible (called spider) and had an advanced 1.3-liter aluminum engine with dual overhead cams. Lightweight versions of the coupes won their classes in the Mille Miglia.

Giuliettas were the first Alfas to have a significant impact on the American racing scene. The high-performance version, the Giulietta Veloce, won many Sports Car Club of America races in the 1950s and ’60s.

The Giuliettas evolved into Giulias, with larger 1.6-liter engines. A family favorite was the Giulia Super, a plain-looking sedan that had high-performance components unusual in any car of its time, including dual Weber carburetors, a 5-speed manual transmission and four-wheel disc brakes.

The Alfa Romeo that is perhaps best known to Americans is the svelte Duetto convertible of 1967. It was one of these that Benjamin Braddock, Mr. Hoffman’s “Graduate” character, drove across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. A later version of the Duetto was rechristened with the name of the movie.

The 1967 chassis was never substantially changed and provided the underpinnings for all convertibles sold in the United States through the final cars, the Spider Commemorative Edition of 1994.

Alfa Romeo was not a hugely profitable company. In 1980, its factories were acquired by the state-owned Finmeccanica, and Fiat took over the entire company in 1986. That was also Alfa’s best year in the United States, with sales of 8,201 cars.

The final new model to reach North America was the handsome 164 sport sedan of the early 1990s, designed by Pininfarina. A front-drive car, the 164 shared its platform with three other European cars, including the Saab 9000. Despite its strong performance and comfort, the 164 was not a great sales success in the United States, a factor in Alfa’s decision to abandon the market.

American fans of Alfa Romeo — known as the Alfisti — had a brief moment of automotive joy when the highly exclusive 8C Competizione was introduced as a 2008 model. Only 500 coupes were built with a base price of $265,000, followed by an even more expensive Spider version.

After years of rumors and vague promises that Alfa would return to the United States, the chief executive of Fiat and Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, in late April confirmed that Alfa would return in a little more than two years with a full range of models.

Ron Tonkin, a former Alfa dealer and past president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, says Alfas should be sold alongside Fiat’s more exotic brands, Ferrari and Maserati. “Alfas are the perfect entry-level exotic to introduce people to the world of Italian cars,” he said.

Many current Alfa owners would like a new one, suggested Alex Csank, chairman of the Alfa Century 2010 convention, set for this week in Frederick, Md. “However, Alfa must target the larger market and compete against other brands to attract a new generation of Alfa owners,” he said. “And to do that, they must arrive with a strong lineup of great cars and marketing and dealer support.”

Used Alfas are readily available. An aspiring Alfista can find one to fit even a modest budget. A nationwide search of Craigslist recently turned up more than three dozen 164 models for sale, some for less than $2,000. At the other end of the scale, the market value of the 8C 2900 that won at Pebble Beach could easily exceed $10 million. There were none on Craigslist.