Alfa MiTo by Marshall car unveiled
Alfa Romer and Marshall have teamed up to create a one-off concept car.
The Alfa MiTo by Marshall has a look that is based on the classic Marshall branding, and even has a custom-fitted JVM 50 head running a pair of 12 inche 75w speakers in the boot, meaning a lucky motoring guitarist could open the boot, plug in a guitar and make some noise.
Click through our gallery to find out more about the car and to see pictures of the Marshall details littered throughout...
Alfa MiTo by Marshall front
The Alfa MiTo by Marshall made its first public appearance at an invitation-only screening of Dave Grohl's Sound City film at Olympic Studios last week, and will go on the be exhibited at a series of events throughout the rest of the year.
Externally, the car geatures the same gold panel finish as a Marshall amp on the grill, front and rear headlight surrounds, door mirror covers, door handles, side door trim and lower bumper trim.
Alfa MiTo by Marshall signed frontage
Alongside all that gold trim, the MiTo also has Marshall badges on each rear pillar and Jim Marshall's signature above the side indicators.
There's also a #LIVEFORMUSIC graphic - Marshall's current strapline - on the rear windscreen. The Alfa MiTo by Marshall is based on the Alfa MiTo Distinctive MY'14, and has a 1.6 JTDM-2 120bhp engine, 18 inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers, aluminium sports pedals and chrome exhaust pipes.
It also has a Uconnect 5 inch colour touch screen infotainment system which utilised Bluetooth and voice recognition with USB and Aux-in inputs.
Alfa MiTo by Marshall microphone gear stick
The gear knob of the Alfa MiTo by Marshall has been replaced by a '50s style Shure SH55, which has the gear layout engraved on the top.
Both front and rear seats have been specially upholstered in the same materials used on Marshall amps, including grille cloth on the seat centres and white piping around the inner seat contours. Close-matching leather on the seat sides and backs is reminiscent of the grain texture of Marshall’s signature cabs, and there are also Marshall logos placed central to each front seat. A set of co-branded Alfa MiTo and Marshall floor mats complete the interior finish.
Alfa MiTo by Marshall trim
The Marshall styling continues inside the MiTo with Marshall tread plates on the door sills, Marshall style white piping around the dashboard’s centre console and gold panel finish on the Alfa D.N.A. Selector surround, as well as switch-gear for the air-conditioning and climate control.
The British-built, all-valve 50 Watt JVM205H installed in the Alfa MiTo By Marshall delivers a straightforward two channel preamp: clean/crunch and overdrive. The two independent channels both have three modes, each mode reconfiguring the gain structure of each channel, making six modes in total.
The JVM205H also features two studio quality digital reverbs (one per channel), with individual channel EQ, two master volumes, and Stompware® foot switchable memory that will recall reverb, FX loop and master settings.
Alfa MiTo by Marshall interior
Ivan Gibson, Head of brand for Alfa Romeo, said, “The Alfa MiTo By Marshall is the realisation of a fantastic project between two iconic brands from the worlds of automotive and music. We’re very excited by the way this collaboration has come together with the opportunity to work side by side with one of the most recognisable and respected music brands in the world.
“Genuine passion for what we do is a driving force shared by both Alfa Romeo and Marshall Amplification and whilst this concept is an exciting exploration of ideas and themes at this stage, we hope it might influence a future special edition.”
Jon Ellery, Managing Director at Marshall Amplification added, “Working with an automotive brand such as Alfa Romeo was a real first for Marshall Amplification – a completely new kind of partnership and a unique challenge from a technical point of view. However, when you see how the Alfa MiTo By Marshall looks and hear that big sound from the boot-mounted system, it just makes you smile. This is a really special one-off that will drive the Marshall sound to new places.”