Tag: Alfa Romeo

Think Alfa Romeo Spider and you instantly think of a gawky Dustin Hoffman and a sexy siren that is Anne Bancroft. The Spider, like Ms Bancroft aged gracefully with very little input from science or cosmetics. Here we take a look at a 1992 Spider that is some 25 years into the production run.

Launched in 1966 the Pininfarina Duetto as it was then known was built on a very shortened Giulia chassis. While the Giulia exhibited some fine body architecture in its details, it was upright and square and built around a typical 3 box design saloon. It also spawned the very handsome Bertone penned GT coupe models and then came the pretty open top tourer.

It won praise from the motoring press. For its time it was sophisticated in its underpinnings and no matter what the engine size was, it liked to be driven hard. From the humble 1300cc to the very latest 2 litres with injection, it had the much enthused about twin cam from Alfa Romeo. All the UK could offer at the time were leaky MGB’s and shoddy build quality.

The Italians have always been good at getting sports cars just right the first time. And ‘the time’ is the essential downfall for them too. It was perfect. So perfect that Alfa Romeo decided to halt development almost immediately after it was launched and close the book on it.

There were some changes made over its 26-year production run. The stylised boat tail of the early ones was sheared off and made square for the series 2. Then following US regulations where the Spider was an important big seller for Alfa Romeo, it was endowed with big impact bumpers and a rubber spoiler that was literally stapled on it for the series 3. The final model as seen here was developed again out of regulations and fitted with fuel injection and those building girder bumpers were smoothed out. The rear end was also treated to another new look and in some ways looked more like a modern take on the boat tail.

The main criticism for the UK lover of Alfa Romeo was that the Spider was available only in left-hand drive. Again another classic “qualunque cosa” or ‘whatever’ from Milan. UK importers did, however, offer right-hand drive conversions on the series 4.

All this didn’t matter. It was an open-topped Alfa Romeo. There is something very passionate about Alfa Romeo and until you have owned one you never fully get to understand them. While they are not quite so thrown together as they were back in the 60s and 70s, they exude an unrivalled following.

Driving one today is a bit of a culture shock. This year sees the 50th year of the Spider. It’s hard to believe that it really is 50 years since it was exposed to the world. In this series 4 model, we are also granted power steering. Something I am told by owner Nigel that is essential. It certainly feels nicely weighted if a little indirect to gentle inputs. The Spider might have been a sports car five decades ago but like over cooked pasta it has gone a bit soggy on the edges when pushed to the limits.

The driving position is very Italian. Read any old reviews on anything from Italy and you often would read about the long-armed, short-legged driving position you needed to adopt. It isn’t that bad. Again the passion for an Alfa Romeo by its owners is that they will put up with it just because it’s an Alfa Romeo. And don’t be put off by the gearstick that protrudes high up from the dashboard. It looks unnatural though in practice it works a treat.

Treated as a weekend cruiser for pub excursions or showing off how wonderful your life is then the Spider makes sense. The 2 litre injected engine is eager though sadly because of the injection it loses the roar of the carburettors and the rasp in its exhaust note. It will keep up with modern traffic with a recorded maximum speed of 120mph. Not too shabby even by today’s standards.

Roof off motoring is what the Spider is all about. With the roof up it really is a bit ugly like someone knocked up the roof in a shed so you’ll always want to lower it as often as possible. Roof lowered and it comes alive. The rush of air around you on a balmy early autumn day brings out the giddy grin in your face that makes you more excited than that day you got offered your first dance on a balcony in Sitges by a handsome man in a linen suit and exotic cologne. It’s refreshing.

On the drive around town owner, Nigel did tell me off for changing up the gears too early. “Why are you in forth? Put it back into second and enjoy the sound” he said. Perhaps I was being a little mechanically sympathetic to someone else’s car but true to his word I did just that and lazy low down torque was replaced once again by the eagerness of the twin cam on tap and mechanical music.

Owner Nigel has had the car for around 8 years. In that time it has seen a repaint and the wheels have been replaced by retro looking originals from the earlier Spiders. They look fantastic. Wife Helen was less impressed with the hit the bank balance took for them. Some mechanical dramas have been averted thanks to a fantastic network of support for old Alfa Romeos. He still has work that he wants to do it but at the moment she’s a keeper and Italian car nut Nigel wouldn’t be without it.

I’d certainly have one. The pretty looks and Alfa Romeo engine are a pleasure to all the senses. Despite its visual faults, I’d have a series 3. I just happen to like a bit of tacked on ugliness and an underdog.

All good things come from the ‘South’

Bruno Tonioli isn’t the only quick stepping rapid rumba dancer to come from Italy. In 1972 a motoring equivalent named the Alfasud was unleashed to the motoring world.

I have more than a soft spot for the Alfasud. If I am ever asked what car would be top in my fantasy garage of 5, an Alfasud is there. My second car was an Alfasud Ti. It was a three-month love affair that financially ruined a then 17-year-old Stuart.

Alfa Romeo needed a small car that would entice young people into the marque of Alfa Romeo. In 1967 a Viennese designer named Rudolf Hruska was entrusted with the task of turning the dream into reality. The premise was to design, develop and instigate the building process of a small car that would then hopefully get those new customers to buy other Alfa Romeos and so on.

There were three main prototypes presented. The first before Rudolf had joined only made it to the drawing stage. The second called the Tipo 103 was deemed too expensive to produce. This was a front wheel drive with a 900cc 4 cylinder twin cam engine in a three-box four-door saloon style body. The third incarnation was the Alfasud as we know it today.

Thankfully for Rudolf Hruska, Alfa Romeo had some unused facilities in a southern region of Italy in Pomigliano d’Arco. This is where the Sud or South in Italian comes into the name. The Alfasud is also the reason why ‘Milano’ was removed from the Alfa Romeo badge because now their cars were not only built in Milan.

The Alfasud was a major departure for the Milanese company. For a start, it was to be front wheel drive. Secondly, it was to use a totally new engine in design. In some ways, it did have twin cams but that isn’t totally true. The 4 cylinder boxer engine had one cam per two cylinders so was still classed as a single cam. I still like to think of it as a twin cam. Having worked previously for Porsche and Volkswagen it was no surprise that Rudolf would opt for a flat four designed engine. The layout allowed for a low centre of gravity and a low bonnet line. This really becomes evident when you drive one.

The body design was entrusted to Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital design. This forward-thinking designer designed some of the most iconic cars ever to grace the roads and some that he would rather forget about. In the presence of this man don’t ever mention the Morris Ital.

In just five years the Pomigliano d’Arco factory was up and running giving much-needed employment to the southern inhabitants of Italy.

Sadly it didn’t all go to plan and industrial problems with an inexperienced workforce meant the Alfasud never made it the success it could and should have been. Strikes and poor workmanship were two key areas of failure. But you’d not think about these when you think Alfasud. What comes to mind is rust. And rust they did, even in areas where you wouldn’t expect it to. These rusted within two years of building.

Now forgetting that the Alfasud dissolved quicker than an Alka-seltzer, the car was a phenomenon.

Launched with a little single carburettor 1186cc engine, the 63bhp engine thrived like no other engine for revs. The raspy sound was intoxicating. And this intoxication quickly led to criticisms from the press for MORE power.

The handling at the time was legendary and for about a decade after launch, it was still the car other manufacturers tried to emulate. Alfa Romeo was quick to silence the critics with spoilers, sports style wheels, quad headlights, a rev counter and 5-speed gearbox which were all added to a two-door body and the Ti was born.

Then there were more problems. Supply and demand could not be met. This thwarted further development of the two-door shell being available in the lower spec models and the estate version ever making an impact outside of Italy. The much-needed hatchback-style body was delayed and finally arrived in 1981. However, the pretty ‘Sprint’ did make it, adding sporting sex appeal in a coupe style body with a hatchback boot.

Still, people wanted, even MORE, power. The Alfasud would end its 12-year production run with a 1490cc engine, twin carburettors and 105bhp in the Ti Green Clover Leaf.

The car used for this review belongs to Stefan. A lifelong fan of the Alfasud having had several over the years and a family who also had a love for the little Alfa Romeo. This is his 1982 series 3 1.3 SC with just 36,000 miles on the clock. Low mileage it might have but that hadn’t stopped the ravages of time taking hold. It has been subjected to a full body restoration prior to purchase. Since Stefan purchased the car he has nursed it through a full engine rebuild and sorting out the mechanical side of things while also removing the drama button from the dashboard. The car has had its problems. He says “Now not only does it look great, but runs just like the Alfasud should, smooth torquey flat four engine with that wonderful music to your ears raspy exhaust note.”

Stefan entrusted me with the keys. It has been 24 years since I last drove an Alfasud. It all came back to me very quickly. The heater fan switch on the end of the column stalk is a stroke of genius. The narrow footwell not so. The peddles were still as close together as I remembered. The low-slung engine allows for a low bonnet line. Il had forgotten that. It’s quite startling at first.

On the move, the steering was direct and nicely weighted. The assisted 4 disc brake system as powerful as ever. The inboard front discs allowing to eliminate unsprung weight during forceful braking. The ride and handling compromise still spot on in every way. The little 79bhp 1351cc engine was as fizzy as I remembered it with a rasp and pop from the exhaust that they became known for. It’s also smooth.

I could enthuse about the Alfasud until you fall asleep and even when you do I can still prattle on about them. So I’ll finish with a thanks to Stefan for letting me have a play and reigniting a long lost love affair.

With thanks to Gay classic car member Stefan for the loan of his car.