Alfa Romeo loses brand control to parent Fiat.

Alfa Romeo loses brand control to parent Fiat

The troubled UK division of Italian car maker Alfa Romeo lost direct control over its brand this week as it emerged that owner Fiat will not fill its vacant managing director and marketing director posts.

Fiat will now co-ordinate all Alfa Romeo's marketing and former marketing director Paul Tunnicliffe, who left the company in August to take the same job at Daihatsu, will not be replaced. His brief will be handled by Georgio Pivia, Fiat UK marketing director.

The decision follows months of speculation over Alfa Romeo's future in the UK. Peter Kinnaird, Alfa Romeo's managing director, left earlier this year to head …