The 4C's limited volume will not help to substantially lift Alfa's global sales, which last year fell to about 100,000 units from 132,000 in 2011, but the car will bridge a product dearth until the brand launches eight new cars between 2014 and 2016.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said in October that he hopes to triple Alfa sales to 300,000 units annually in 2016 with new products and by re-launching Alfa in the United States.

The coupe will include a Race setting among its electronic drive controls. (Photo: Alfa Romeo)

Alfa will add a large, rear-wheel-drive sedan at the end of next year. In 2015, the brand will get a mid-sized sedan and wagon to replace the 159 model, as well as a two-seat roadster co-developed with Mazda, and a compact SUV co-developed with Jeep. A 4C convertible is expected in 2016. Most likely, it will be a targa design, with a manually operated carbon-fiber roof.

Alfa enthusiasts have waited for the brand to sell an affordable rear-drive model such as the 4C since the Duetto Spider was discontinued in 1994. Alfa's 8C Competizione, which was built from 2007 to 2008, was too expensive for most Alfa buyers. The spider version of the 8C cost up to $286,000 and the car's production run was limited to 1,000 units.

The 4C takes some design cues from the 8C Competizione but its main inspiration is the limited-edition 33 Stradale, company sources say. Launched in 1967, the 33 Stradale was a rear-engine, rear-drive, two-seat coupe powered by a 230-horsepower 2-liter V8 derived from Alfa's 33 race car.

Alfa built just 18 units of the 33 Stradale, which immediately became a collector's item due to its performance characteristics as well as its cutting-edge look created by Franco Scaglione, one of Italy's top independent designers in the 1960s.

Maserati will build the 4C for Alfa in its plant in Modena. Maserati built the Alfa 8C and 8C Spider limited-edition models.

This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.