The company that came to be known as Alfa Romeo was founded in 1907 by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan. In the 1970s, economic issues caused the government to finally sell Alfa Romeo to Fiat in 1986, which still own it. Before being bought by Fiat, Alfa Romeo always had a daring commercial policy, constantly experimenting with new solutions and using them in its series production, even at the risk of losing market share. Alfa often used controversial and unorthodox styling too, which often challenged one's assumptions about styling. In 1995 Alfa Romeo ceased porting cars to the US. While rumours occasionally surface of their intent to return to that market, no formal plans have ever been announced. The most credible is a rumour that, with Maserati's help, the Alfa Romeo 159 and Alfa Romeo Brera will be the make's pilot models should it reenter the North American market.