I just realised, of course, that the classy driver is in fact a classy passenger patiently waiting for that adventurous pilot/husband/boyfriend of hers to finish with the flying, already, and take her to that trendy restaurant featured elsewhere in the brochure.
I suspect Alfa's marketing is a bit sharper now. I remember it used to tagged with "the line, the style, the power". At least that stuck in my head. I have no idea what tag line they use now, so they aren't reaching me, anyway. And I'm probably in the target market.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
In hindsight, a faintly hilarious Alfa GTV6 brochure, circa 1982
Ah, nostalgia. This brochure is a hoot in many ways, if you want to look at it like that... but it was a serious marketing effort at the time. Alfa Romeo was spinning a tale here, of a car that races the wind, overtaking lesser cars at will. One loses count indeed. It reads like a poor translation from the Italian in parts, giving the impression that the car was actually built for classy women with a penchant for upmarket, trendy restaurants and hooning. I suspect that after she leaves the airfield she completes some nice circle work before drifting into the sunset. Or it could just be my imagination.
As a side note, although I vaguely knew GTVs existed, I saw my first one in the flesh, so to speak at Camden Aerodrome, Sydney, whilst awaiting a flight in a glider. It struck me then as a car that had style, and that I wanted to own. It was the very early 1980s. Maybe there's some truth in this Alfa + flying demographic.
As a side note, although I vaguely knew GTVs existed, I saw my first one in the flesh, so to speak at Camden Aerodrome, Sydney, whilst awaiting a flight in a glider. It struck me then as a car that had style, and that I wanted to own. It was the very early 1980s. Maybe there's some truth in this Alfa + flying demographic.
ALFA RL SPORT e Super Sport
I've owned several Alfas and along the way have collected bits and pieces... including this set of old ALFA drawings in a red folder. It came from a dealer, when I bought my Giulietta, so I assume as promotional material Alfa was releasing it for everyone's edification.... including yours, if you choose to look.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I can't believe I'm testing another aggregator... Posterous, anyone?
Here we go again... another post-once, post-to-many service. At first
glance it's slick, but without the finer control of some:
http://posterous.com/
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
200BHP from what size engine?
I did read this right, didn't I?
Starting from April 2009, the new 159 will be available with a brand new engine: a 1750 cc turbocharged petrol engine that conforms to Euro 5 standards and develops 200 HP between 4,750 and 5,500 rpm with 320 Nm of torque at only 1,400 rpm.
Of course it's turbocharged, but it's still a long way from the standard 1750 of yore. The 1962cc twin cam, twin carbed GTV in my garage only has 130BHP. And that was considered pretty good, if not absolutely amazing, not so far back. I do like acceleration, but do we we need this much power? Or will the 159 be made of lead and concrete?
Starting from April 2009, the new 159 will be available with a brand new engine: a 1750 cc turbocharged petrol engine that conforms to Euro 5 standards and develops 200 HP between 4,750 and 5,500 rpm with 320 Nm of torque at only 1,400 rpm.
Of course it's turbocharged, but it's still a long way from the standard 1750 of yore. The 1962cc twin cam, twin carbed GTV in my garage only has 130BHP. And that was considered pretty good, if not absolutely amazing, not so far back. I do like acceleration, but do we we need this much power? Or will the 159 be made of lead and concrete?
Thursday, April 09, 2009
LeMons, as in lemons. Just a bit of fun with a $239 car
It's what they are for, I guess: driving, and racing. If it moves, a human will race it.
one of the participants is Charleston-based “Team Dog Ciao” – get it? it sounds like “dog chow?” – driving a 1974 Alfa Romeo Spyder.
When the cheap oil is all gone I think we'll still be doing this - racing cars. And this grass-roots racing is much more interesting than that F1 circus money-go-round.
one of the participants is Charleston-based “Team Dog Ciao” – get it? it sounds like “dog chow?” – driving a 1974 Alfa Romeo Spyder.
When the cheap oil is all gone I think we'll still be doing this - racing cars. And this grass-roots racing is much more interesting than that F1 circus money-go-round.
Kissinger said what? Oh, FIAT and Chrysler again
FIAT and the US car makers. It has a tail a mile long and it's a tale worth telling, but let's hear from Henry first:
Even Henry Kissinger spoked about a “very good wedding, a perfect alliance between two firms very different from each other but at the same time complementary”.
I thought Ford looked shakiest 2 years ago, but GM has out-done them by going closest to the edge and looking deep, deep into the void. Let's not forget that GM did a tie-up with FIAT, too, that cost them a packet to get out of. And now sick and sorry Chrysler, having failed to make merry with Daimler Benz, is looking for FIAT for salvation. My guess is that FIAT will get more out of this deal than Chrysler.
Even Henry Kissinger spoked about a “very good wedding, a perfect alliance between two firms very different from each other but at the same time complementary”.
I thought Ford looked shakiest 2 years ago, but GM has out-done them by going closest to the edge and looking deep, deep into the void. Let's not forget that GM did a tie-up with FIAT, too, that cost them a packet to get out of. And now sick and sorry Chrysler, having failed to make merry with Daimler Benz, is looking for FIAT for salvation. My guess is that FIAT will get more out of this deal than Chrysler.
I think they meant to say...
You just have to read this translation, presumably from Ancient Latin to early Sanskrit... the pics are worth it, too:
Earlier this year, Alfa Romeo announced that in observance of the 46th anniversary of the Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo or ‘RIAR’ for small, it would start off a particular number form of the MiTo that would be produced in a bare 46 examples for the members of the supranational cudgel. RIAR has at present started to receive orders from its members for the circumscribed sprint MiTo that is powered near a 155HP 1.4-liter Turbo engine.
Earlier this year, Alfa Romeo announced that in observance of the 46th anniversary of the Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo or ‘RIAR’ for small, it would start off a particular number form of the MiTo that would be produced in a bare 46 examples for the members of the supranational cudgel. RIAR has at present started to receive orders from its members for the circumscribed sprint MiTo that is powered near a 155HP 1.4-liter Turbo engine.
Launceston's 1923 RLSS runs just twice a year - and it did so yesterday
A famous car in a nice spot...
A RARE 1923 Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport was the centre of attention yesterday as it was driven around the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery car park, Launceston. QVMAG curator of history Jon Addison said that the car was one of only five remaining in the world. This was the first time the Alfa had been driven for about two years, but it is started twice a year as part of its regular maintenance program.
It's a bit like my '82 GTV, which also seems to run just twice a year (oh, OK, maybe 6 or 7 times a year).
A RARE 1923 Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport was the centre of attention yesterday as it was driven around the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery car park, Launceston. QVMAG curator of history Jon Addison said that the car was one of only five remaining in the world. This was the first time the Alfa had been driven for about two years, but it is started twice a year as part of its regular maintenance program.
It's a bit like my '82 GTV, which also seems to run just twice a year (oh, OK, maybe 6 or 7 times a year).
How to sit in a car and drive it
It's really quite simple. To control a car properly you need to be close enough to the pedals to easily and quickly operate them, and close enough to brace yourself (with the footrest and your knees) when cornering. Which is quite close. Indeed, it means your legs are splayed and braced against the door and the centre console. If they are too straight you cannot brace and will be unrestrained in a corner. Instead you will roll from side to side.
Now you also need to control the steering wheel, so you need to be quite close to that, too. Forget the straight-armed F1 look from the 1940s and 50s, that may look cool - or stupid - but it doesn't give you leverage on the wheel. So you should be close to the steering wheel with legs splayed. You'll find that position is perfectly attainable in most cars but especially so in older Alfa Romeos. They are made to be driven.
However apparently most people prefer to keep their legs straight, and older Alfas typically don't allow that as an option, at least not if you are taller than about 5feet eight inches or 180cm, whichever comes first. Which is why we get silly comments from car reviewers who don't understand how to actually drive a car:
Sit inside the 147 and the memories of Italianate driving positions that we grew up with in Alfasuds and Giuliettas are banished forever. Seat, pedals, steering wheel, gearstick and mirrors all appear to be positioned around an anthropomorphic figure of a human being rather than a gibbon (as was the case with the old 145).
One day a 'reviewer' will actually seek to explain this, rather than just expose their personal misunderstanding.
Now you also need to control the steering wheel, so you need to be quite close to that, too. Forget the straight-armed F1 look from the 1940s and 50s, that may look cool - or stupid - but it doesn't give you leverage on the wheel. So you should be close to the steering wheel with legs splayed. You'll find that position is perfectly attainable in most cars but especially so in older Alfa Romeos. They are made to be driven.
However apparently most people prefer to keep their legs straight, and older Alfas typically don't allow that as an option, at least not if you are taller than about 5feet eight inches or 180cm, whichever comes first. Which is why we get silly comments from car reviewers who don't understand how to actually drive a car:
Sit inside the 147 and the memories of Italianate driving positions that we grew up with in Alfasuds and Giuliettas are banished forever. Seat, pedals, steering wheel, gearstick and mirrors all appear to be positioned around an anthropomorphic figure of a human being rather than a gibbon (as was the case with the old 145).
One day a 'reviewer' will actually seek to explain this, rather than just expose their personal misunderstanding.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Renault and Alfa... from the distant past
Whilst contemplating FIAT "buying" 35% of the disabled Chrysler I stumbled over an interesting previous arrangement that Alfa (now owned by FIAT) had with Regie Renault: The 8 design looks very similar to the Alfa Romeo front-wheel drive prototype tipo 103[1] (1960), because Alfa Romeo and Renault had a business relationship in the 1950s and 1960s. Renault was marketing Alfa Romeo cars and Alfa Romeo was building the Renault Dauphine (1959–1964), Ondine (an up-market version of the Dauphine) (1961–1962) and R4 (1962–1964) under license in Italy. In total 70,502 Dauphine/Ondine and 41,809 R4's were built by Alfa Romeo.[1]
If I knew that, I'd forgotten it! I do remember the Alfa and Nissan (ie ARNA) tie-up, and the FIAT and GM deal (that FIAT drew most benefit from, methinks.)
If I knew that, I'd forgotten it! I do remember the Alfa and Nissan (ie ARNA) tie-up, and the FIAT and GM deal (that FIAT drew most benefit from, methinks.)
Nice Mito review - but otherwise rubbish
Nice review of the sensibly-sized 1.4l Mito Benzina but why do they ruin it with unsubstantiated generalisations like this:Take a look at the 2300B and 2900B tourers from the Thirties to see what I mean. It had another brilliant run in the Sixties with its production car-based GTAs, but it all went wrong in the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties. Alfas weren't pretty any more. In fact, to be honest, they were rubbish.
All of the '70s Bertone-bodied cars, the Spiders, the Alfasud, the sleek Alfasud Sprint, the lovely Alfettas (especially the GT and GTVs)... to call them all rubbish says that this writer has (a) no idea and (b) will write anything just to stir things up. Add on top of that the GTV6, the 164, the 156, the 147... sure they had some duds, too, but they were never as bad as the press made out (unless they completely rusted away, which admittedly did happen at times).
It would have been a decent read, otherwise.
All of the '70s Bertone-bodied cars, the Spiders, the Alfasud, the sleek Alfasud Sprint, the lovely Alfettas (especially the GT and GTVs)... to call them all rubbish says that this writer has (a) no idea and (b) will write anything just to stir things up. Add on top of that the GTV6, the 164, the 156, the 147... sure they had some duds, too, but they were never as bad as the press made out (unless they completely rusted away, which admittedly did happen at times).
It would have been a decent read, otherwise.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Chrysler? Some goss on what FIAT and Alfa are planning...
Oh dear. Maybe this Chrysler deal is for real.
Testing of the Milano is in its final stages ahead of a launch at Geneva in 2010. This prototype, snapped recently, appears to have a stubby gearlever. It carries an AMT designation on a window sticker, which refers to a dual-clutch transmission that Alfa is developing. Documentation released recently by Chrysler to support its claim for funds from the US government lists dual-clutch transmissions as one of the technologies it is hoping to ‘borrow’ from the Fiat Group. The Milano is also understood to be based on an all-new platform, rather than a highly modified Bravo chassis. Alfa’s replacement for the 159, the Giulia, will be built on a long-wheelbase version of the platform. It is due in late 2011. Chrysler’s planning document suggests that Alfa’s 166 flagship will make a comeback as a platform variant of the rear-drive 300C, a car based on the mid-1990s Mercedes W210 E-Class.
OK, so Milano replaces the 147, the Giulia replaces the 159 and the 166 comes back from the dead based on the ugliest block of metal on the planet (OK, maybe the Nitro is worse) the 300C. I'm definitely not in that market, anyway!
Testing of the Milano is in its final stages ahead of a launch at Geneva in 2010. This prototype, snapped recently, appears to have a stubby gearlever. It carries an AMT designation on a window sticker, which refers to a dual-clutch transmission that Alfa is developing. Documentation released recently by Chrysler to support its claim for funds from the US government lists dual-clutch transmissions as one of the technologies it is hoping to ‘borrow’ from the Fiat Group. The Milano is also understood to be based on an all-new platform, rather than a highly modified Bravo chassis. Alfa’s replacement for the 159, the Giulia, will be built on a long-wheelbase version of the platform. It is due in late 2011. Chrysler’s planning document suggests that Alfa’s 166 flagship will make a comeback as a platform variant of the rear-drive 300C, a car based on the mid-1990s Mercedes W210 E-Class.
OK, so Milano replaces the 147, the Giulia replaces the 159 and the 166 comes back from the dead based on the ugliest block of metal on the planet (OK, maybe the Nitro is worse) the 300C. I'm definitely not in that market, anyway!
New from Alfa - "multair" electro-hydraulic valves for "Milano"
Well it may not be totally new in concept, but at least FIAT is trying to pack as much efficiency into its petrol engines as it can... Alfa Romeo will pave the way for a major overhaul of its range in 2010 and 2011 by revealing its Multiair direct-injection petrol engines at the Geneva show. The Multiair units will be seen first in next year’s replacement for the 147 hatch, due to take on the name Milano.
So the new 147 will be called "Milano"? As in an Alfa 75-replacement? We shall see.
So the new 147 will be called "Milano"? As in an Alfa 75-replacement? We shall see.
Well it looks great but how much will it cost??
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My '82 GTV with '84 interior
Never looked inside an '82 GTV? Note that this car is half an '82 (the tan) and half an '84 (the black) inside! Note also Alfa's faux Recaro 'mesh' seats (the originals had a laminated wooden headrest - you'd know them if you saw them). Also worth pointing out are the round window winders in the back - not levers.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
More 149 pics
Click and follow to find more pics on the 147 replacement... Feast your eyes on Alfa's brand new hatch! This is how the sensational 149 - a direct rival to Ford's Focus - is shaping up. Based on the same platform as the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, the replacement for the 147 will blend the raw beauty of the 8C Competizione with the style of the MiTo in a larger, family-sized package. The front end's generous curves and circular headlamps take their inspiration from the MiTo, while the sharp, arrow-like nose and deep Alfa shield grille are borrowed from the 8C Competizione.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Nice car, shame about the spelling
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.8L
Wow. Yuck. Amazing. Awful. Great. I can't decide. One thing for sure - it would give me a headache sitting in it.
GTV 6 with straight pipes - part 2
It looks great, sounds wonderful. I'm sure it's also immense fun to drive... but I'd be worried, tense and anxious about what type of day the police officer has had just before they pull me over for an illegal exhaust...
GTV6 with straight-out-the-side pipes
Dreadful to live near, sounds wonderful; but surely this is a car no police officer could resist pulling over?
Thursday, October 09, 2008
New 149 has that 8c look...
Rounded, swoopy, with big round headlights. It's a hatch. The new 147 is looking good.... and may get a classy name: Some rumors speak of an alternative name, "Giulia", at 149
Now there will be a Chinese Alfa?
Does it matter where it's made? Probably not. It just doesn't sound as traditional somehow. Unless we dig back to Marco Polo - now there's a link.
Alfa in China will make its 166, a difficult thing for Alfa fans to digest even though the 166 hasn’t had shades of brilliance throughout its long career. The car will be manufactured by Guangzhou Auto, a Fiat and Nanjing partner in Perla production (derived from the world car Palio and Siena ed Albea project).
Alfa in China will make its 166, a difficult thing for Alfa fans to digest even though the 166 hasn’t had shades of brilliance throughout its long career. The car will be manufactured by Guangzhou Auto, a Fiat and Nanjing partner in Perla production (derived from the world car Palio and Siena ed Albea project).
Friday, September 12, 2008
My GTV has a battery in the boot
Want to improve weight distribution? Run out of room in your engine bay? Want to run a long wire to your boot but didn't have a good reason to do so? Well the Alfa GTV Tipo 116 got the 'battery in the boot' treatment whenever aria condizionata was added... and that's why the battery is in the boot. It's got a nice bit of stiffened carpet to cover it, just pulled away in this shot. That's the fuel feed pipe just to the right of the battery, btw.
And yes, you can still put a bike in there, just take the wheels off first.
And yes, you can still put a bike in there, just take the wheels off first.
Friday, July 25, 2008
The headlamp how-to: the screw that holds it together
There are 3 screws, 2 of which aim the lamp. The screw near my hand (ie top and inside) holds the lamp in place. The outer top and lower screws adjust the beam, so don't move 'em, or if you must move 'em at least count your turns accurately and screw them back the same number. A spring clip also holds the outer, top adjusting screw in place. Yes, you must unclip that. You then pivot the unit gently out from the body and up. There's a "prong" on the unit that fits into a hole behind the lower screw. It locates the headlamp unit in place. Job done!
The GTV headlight unit
OK, I got it out and got the rubber boot off as well. The boot was tough to shift and I was worried about tearing the "tabs" that I pulled on. Make sure it goes back on properly, to keep the weather out.
3 screws matter. Top left screw (left as in the picture) holds everything in place. Top right adjusts (or aims, if you prefer) the headlamp, as does the bottom screw. Don't move these, or if you do ensure you set then as they were. There's a clip on the top-right screw that holds the lamp. And the bottom screw conceals a hole into which the lamp unit sits via a locating "prong".
It's the lowbeam that blew, the centre single-spade connector. The other connector is for the parking light. I changed that 10 years ago so it should be fine ;-)
The 116 that blew a headlamp
Just before annual registration time, of course. It's a common and simple task, really, but also it's the first time in 10 years So I had to remember all over again how to do it... it's clear that you can't access it from behind, so it must come off from the front.
So here are a few pics on the subject of removing and replacing a 1982 GTV (Aussie spec) halogen headlamp. Bear in mind this is a low beam unit with parking light - not a sealed beam. I think the sealed beam unit fits on and is aimed in the same way though.
So here are a few pics on the subject of removing and replacing a 1982 GTV (Aussie spec) halogen headlamp. Bear in mind this is a low beam unit with parking light - not a sealed beam. I think the sealed beam unit fits on and is aimed in the same way though.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
How it was...Catalina Park rallycross in the '70s
A different scene from the deserted, disused track it is today... funnily enough I like it better as it is now!
A lap around Catalina Park
An interesting lap around an overgrown Catalina Park as it is today, unfortunately going the wrong way...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Alfa Giulietta 2 1981
This just keeps bringing back memories. What a great car the Giulietta was... barely different from the Alfetta sedan, sort of a wedge-shaped interpretation of the 116 platform. Not quite an Alfetta, not yet a GTV. In between. If I collected Alfas in a parallel fashion (rather than serially) I'd have one of these again. (But not the plastic-coated 2.0 version.)
Interesting but full of rubbish
The Mi.To looks great, and is at long last the right size: ie, not a luxo-barge. There's an interesting read behind this link:Martinelli left F1 at the end of 2006, specifically to head up Fiat’s engine department. As such, he’s had a winning hand in Alfa Romeo’s new peach of a petrol plant, a lively lag-less little 16-valve 1.4-litre turbo that also does duty in the Fiat Grande Punto and Bravo, albeit with 4 kW less than Alfa’s 114.
Just beware, it's full of idle rubbish like: Let’s face it: Alfa is not what it used to be. With the exception of the 159, 156, Giulietta and a handful of Quadrifoglio or GTA models, the brand has sadly been scarred over the last 30 years by a long and steady decline.
Obviously not a fan of the amazing Alfasud sedan, ti and Sprint Veloce, the wolf-in-sheep's clothing Alfetta sedan, the Alfetta GT and GTV, the GTV6, the lovely Nuovo Giulietta, the 75 (AKA Milano), the 33ti or almost anything since! OK, the ARNA was a bit sad, and the 145 wasn't all that it could have been, but honestly...! ALFA Romeo must surely wonder what they have to do... isn't the latest crop, the 147, 156, 159 and Brera enough?
Apparently not. Most shocking of all was to find that Alfa had gone soft since its brief mid-’90s renaissance. Steering got dopey, gearchanges sloppy and ride mushy.. "Dopey" steering must refer to the 147's turning circle, not sure what else it could be. Sloppy gearchanges? Has this guy driven a rear-transmission Alfa? That is sloppy. And a mushy ride? Alfas soak up the bumps, and roll. Not as bad a French car, but obviously so. Only the hardened-edge of the GTAs truly eliminates the bodyroll and high-speed comfort of the classic Alfa. Yet they still run fast and corner hard. That is the essence of it.
I can remember swapping from a stiff-as-a-post Ford Escort with "Rally Pack" to a stock 1982 Giulietta and being amazed at the body roll. It put me off until I realised I was going 5-10kmh faster around sharp corners in the dry, twice that in the wet -and much faster again over bumpy roads that I had previously had to slow down on... simply a better suspension setup.
Yet most people when given a car to drive are clots and clods with no finesse and can't see or feel what they have... which is why we shouldn't trust anyone else's opinion, certainly not mine, just your own.
Just beware, it's full of idle rubbish like: Let’s face it: Alfa is not what it used to be. With the exception of the 159, 156, Giulietta and a handful of Quadrifoglio or GTA models, the brand has sadly been scarred over the last 30 years by a long and steady decline.
Obviously not a fan of the amazing Alfasud sedan, ti and Sprint Veloce, the wolf-in-sheep's clothing Alfetta sedan, the Alfetta GT and GTV, the GTV6, the lovely Nuovo Giulietta, the 75 (AKA Milano), the 33ti or almost anything since! OK, the ARNA was a bit sad, and the 145 wasn't all that it could have been, but honestly...! ALFA Romeo must surely wonder what they have to do... isn't the latest crop, the 147, 156, 159 and Brera enough?
Apparently not. Most shocking of all was to find that Alfa had gone soft since its brief mid-’90s renaissance. Steering got dopey, gearchanges sloppy and ride mushy.. "Dopey" steering must refer to the 147's turning circle, not sure what else it could be. Sloppy gearchanges? Has this guy driven a rear-transmission Alfa? That is sloppy. And a mushy ride? Alfas soak up the bumps, and roll. Not as bad a French car, but obviously so. Only the hardened-edge of the GTAs truly eliminates the bodyroll and high-speed comfort of the classic Alfa. Yet they still run fast and corner hard. That is the essence of it.
I can remember swapping from a stiff-as-a-post Ford Escort with "Rally Pack" to a stock 1982 Giulietta and being amazed at the body roll. It put me off until I realised I was going 5-10kmh faster around sharp corners in the dry, twice that in the wet -and much faster again over bumpy roads that I had previously had to slow down on... simply a better suspension setup.
Yet most people when given a car to drive are clots and clods with no finesse and can't see or feel what they have... which is why we shouldn't trust anyone else's opinion, certainly not mine, just your own.
It's been done before but here we go again
Maybe this will work? Sharing some components with BMW's MINI makes sense, in fact it's high time the car industry woke up and realised it needs to rationalise all of the wasteful duplication of components, including engines. Some 'sharing' goes on at the supplier level already, and some also happens within a multi-brand company - Ford switchgear in an Aston, for example, or various components shared between VW Group products. But it needs to grow much faster in order to cut out waste and remove the carbon emissions that plague this industry.
WHAT do you get if you cross a Mini with an Alfa Romeo? No it's not a joke, Mini owner BMW really is joining forces with Alfa Romeo maker Fiat to build cars together.
We just don't want another ARNA debacle, Alfa Romeo ;-)
WHAT do you get if you cross a Mini with an Alfa Romeo? No it's not a joke, Mini owner BMW really is joining forces with Alfa Romeo maker Fiat to build cars together.
We just don't want another ARNA debacle, Alfa Romeo ;-)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Under the rear: my GTV
My all-time 3rd most popular photo on Flickr! And it's just the rear end of a production coupe... not a supercar or something rare at all.
Anyway it's a look underneath my 1982 Alfetta GTV showing the rear mounted transaxle, de Dion tube, Watts linkage and inboard disc brakes. Most cars of course don't have de Dion tubes, so that's a bit special. The Watts linkage is more common. The rear mounted transmission is much more rare and gives the car better weight distribution (ie 50:50) and a polar moment of inertia that lends the car stability rather than twitchiness.
The inboard brakes are also unusual on a road car, but were an Alfa specialty in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, both with their rear and front drive cars. On this car it meant that even the rears could overheat a tad on mountain descents... but OTOH the rear wheels didn't have to carry the extra unsprung weight so an Alfetta could menace much more powerful cars around corners. (The Alfasud from this era had inboard front brakes, which probably worked better than the Alfetta's rear brake arrangement and helped to make the 'Sud a great handler - but suffered from the occasional accidental ill-placed drop of engine oil... ooops.)
Anyway it's a look underneath my 1982 Alfetta GTV showing the rear mounted transaxle, de Dion tube, Watts linkage and inboard disc brakes. Most cars of course don't have de Dion tubes, so that's a bit special. The Watts linkage is more common. The rear mounted transmission is much more rare and gives the car better weight distribution (ie 50:50) and a polar moment of inertia that lends the car stability rather than twitchiness.
The inboard brakes are also unusual on a road car, but were an Alfa specialty in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, both with their rear and front drive cars. On this car it meant that even the rears could overheat a tad on mountain descents... but OTOH the rear wheels didn't have to carry the extra unsprung weight so an Alfetta could menace much more powerful cars around corners. (The Alfasud from this era had inboard front brakes, which probably worked better than the Alfetta's rear brake arrangement and helped to make the 'Sud a great handler - but suffered from the occasional accidental ill-placed drop of engine oil... ooops.)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
There's an Alfa in here somewhere
- Not a lot of Alfa content, but just enough to satisfy, and a great pictorial blogpost focused around Mugello...."Aloha and Welcome to *Liam's Wild Ride* , the Official Website of Liam Shubert. This is the chronicle of my travels, adventures, and experiences while I'm busy working in MotoGP! Please enjoy the places, faces, and especially, the Races!"
- An Alfa Montreal 'company car'? And a secret test track (not!)
- Oh please no, Alfa, don't do it..."Alfa will built its first SUV : the Alfa Romeo 149 SUV
The new project will come alive in 2010 and it will be in the same class as the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLK and Volkswagen Tiguan. The 149 SUV will be a sporty car with the Alfa branded design. The engine is thought to be a 2.0 l 300 hp engine" - In 2 minds - a Brera ruined or improved? "Prodrive decided that while the Alfa Romeo Brera was an excellent supercar in its own right they would be able to turn it into perfection. Thus was born the Alfa Romeo Brera S."
- We'll believe it when we see it: Marchionne believes the only way to sell Fiats profitably in the U.S. is to build them in North America. He said he's "having discussions with everybody," though he also didn't rule out building a factory. While Fiat has an existing partnerships with Ford (F), another potential alliance partners is Mercedes-Benz (DAI), which is interested in building passenger cars in North America in addition to the SUVs it builds in Alabama. Nissan (NSANY) has excess plant capacity at its Mississippi plant, and seems interested in replacing some of the SUV capacity it has there with passenger cars. Fiat already shares engineering with Ford on the U.S. automaker's Ka minicar in Europe. Ford is expanding its small car manufacturing in Mexico to build the Ford Fiesta, and would also be a logical partner.
- Everyone wants to know us now: "GM, the UAW, state and local government should take the initiative to begin a dialogue with Alfa's parent company, Fiat. Fiat already does business in Wisconsin with its Case-IH business in Racine. State tax and development incentives should be offered to secure the Alfa factory and align with this premium global brand. A Janesville Alfa Romeo plant could be a high-tech infused facility with a forward-thinking, attractive product -- but the city and state will have to lobby for it, and not a moment should be wasted." But GM and FIAT, again? This guy has no understanding of recent history. eh?
- How about Canada then? "With bad news of auto plant closures spreading across the province, Queen's Park retains a glimmer of hope that Ontario is in the running to land an Alfa Romeo factory. Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello called a May 21 meeting in Turin, Italy, between Premier Dalton McGuinty and executives from Fiat, Alfa Romeo's parent company, a positive step."
- And lastly, the MiTo photoshoot and a cabrio...
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Alfa Giulietta 1.8 at Oran Park, '82
My Giulietta at Oran Park, NSW, Australia in 1982. Nice understeer... It's an Alfa Romeo Owners' Club event, probably a lap dash. If you don't know BP corner then you haven't lived. Basically you come hurtling out of some fast bends, go down into a ditch, come up and go hard left into a long straight. So you've picked up some speed, bottomed and released the suspension and then chucked it left into understeer territory. You can see how the rear wheels remain planted square to the road by the deDion tube and the fronts are trying to get the car around the bend... and not into the wall.
Once out of BP you pick up speed (on the GP circuit) and the 1.8 litre Giulietta was good for 160km/hr (in my hands) by the kink. Then hard braking, hard left, mind the concrete wall all over again and into the twisties.
Once out of BP you pick up speed (on the GP circuit) and the 1.8 litre Giulietta was good for 160km/hr (in my hands) by the kink. Then hard braking, hard left, mind the concrete wall all over again and into the twisties.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The interior of a 116 GTV
There's a bit of cheating here - it's an '82 2.0 GTV with tan interior but with an '84 model's chocolate faux-Recaro "mesh" seats and side panels in the doors. The original seats had headrests on a sliding laminated wooden "slat" - you'd know it if you saw it! Anyway these seats have the "mesh" insert into the headrest. It's a Momo steering wheel seen here of course, but the car came with a wooden-rimmed example that was just too large (but made turning effort more manageable). The leather gear knob is Momo as well, replacing the chunky wooden number so many Alfas had back then...
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Alfa Romeo P3 wins GP, parks in Croydon
A startling little story about a car that should be in a museum but has been restored in NZ and is being 'looked after' in Australia..This month Mr Anderson, a plumber by trade, was asked to look after a 1932 Alfa Romeo, a car which once dominated racing, winning 28 Grand Prix races including the 1932 Italian, French and German Grands Prix. The slim-line eight-cylinder car, which carries a price tag of $4 million, was once road tested by a young Enzo Ferrari before he went on to form the company which bore his name. Mr Anderson has been keeping the vintage car, owned by British millionaire Peter Giddings, finetuned for demonstrations at this year's Grand Prix and Phillip Island races, with a last appearance scheduled at next month's Historic Winton race in Benalla.
It looks like a P3, and the description fits, so I'll assume that to be the case. More on the P3 here:
The P3 was first genuine single seater racing car, and was powered by a supercharged eight cylinder engine. The whole car weight just over 1,500 lb (680 kg), very light for the period. Had it not been for the engine block being cast in iron the car would have been even lighter. The P3 was introduced in June 1932, halfway through the European season, winning its first race at the hands of Tazio Nuvolari, and going on to win 6 races that year driven by both Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola, including all 3 major Grands Prix in Italy, France and Germany. 1933 brought financial difficulties to Alfa Corse so the cars were simply locked away and Alfa attempted to rest on their laurels. Enzo Ferrari had to run his breakaway 'works' Alfa team as Scuderia Ferrari, using the older, less effective Alfa Monzas. Alfa prevaricated until August and missed the first 25 events, and only after much wrangling was the P3 finally handed over to Scuderia Ferrari. P3s then won six of the final 11 events of the season including the final 2 major Grands Prix in Italy and Spain.
It looks like a P3, and the description fits, so I'll assume that to be the case. More on the P3 here:
The P3 was first genuine single seater racing car, and was powered by a supercharged eight cylinder engine. The whole car weight just over 1,500 lb (680 kg), very light for the period. Had it not been for the engine block being cast in iron the car would have been even lighter. The P3 was introduced in June 1932, halfway through the European season, winning its first race at the hands of Tazio Nuvolari, and going on to win 6 races that year driven by both Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola, including all 3 major Grands Prix in Italy, France and Germany. 1933 brought financial difficulties to Alfa Corse so the cars were simply locked away and Alfa attempted to rest on their laurels. Enzo Ferrari had to run his breakaway 'works' Alfa team as Scuderia Ferrari, using the older, less effective Alfa Monzas. Alfa prevaricated until August and missed the first 25 events, and only after much wrangling was the P3 finally handed over to Scuderia Ferrari. P3s then won six of the final 11 events of the season including the final 2 major Grands Prix in Italy and Spain.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Alfa Mi.To: behind the scenes
Interesting example of Internet marketing... and a good look at the Mi.To in cold weather testing.
More on Alfa setting up in the US
Another possibility raises its rustic head: Alfa could simply convert one of its existing US ag machinery factories to making cars ( a bit like tractor maker Lambo making sports cars, eh?)
Full story on another blogger's site (ITSky, I think it was?):Case New Holland, which is actually owned by Alfa, makes agricultural machinery and construction equipment. It already has 11 plants in the U.S., and Alfa could simply expand one of them to make cars. The plant, a location for which will be selected in May, will begin churning out Alfas in 2011 or 2012. At capacity, production is expected to be around 150,000 cars for the North American and European markets. Alfa Romeo will decide on the distribution network and particular vehicles to be made within three months, which makes it sound as if the Italians are definitely coming.
Full story on another blogger's site (ITSky, I think it was?):Case New Holland, which is actually owned by Alfa, makes agricultural machinery and construction equipment. It already has 11 plants in the U.S., and Alfa could simply expand one of them to make cars. The plant, a location for which will be selected in May, will begin churning out Alfas in 2011 or 2012. At capacity, production is expected to be around 150,000 cars for the North American and European markets. Alfa Romeo will decide on the distribution network and particular vehicles to be made within three months, which makes it sound as if the Italians are definitely coming.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Alfetta GTV rear transaxle
Another Alfetta feature is the diff and gearbox in combo with the clutch. Yes folks, this is a production sedan, yet it comes with in-board discs and rear mounted gearbox, like an F1 racecar from the 50s, or a front-engined Porsche from the late '70s. The rear mounted gearbox gives 50:50 weight distribution and the resulting 'weight at each end' polar moment of inertia gives a very controllable feel to sideways driving. Nothing sudden here.
You can see the in-board discs on either side of the transmission. Yes, they are out of the cooling wind but for road applications the rear brakes don't do a lot of work anyway. And this arrangement lessens unsprung weight in the suspension.
You can see the in-board discs on either side of the transmission. Yes, they are out of the cooling wind but for road applications the rear brakes don't do a lot of work anyway. And this arrangement lessens unsprung weight in the suspension.
Underneath the rear end
Alfettas aren't just pretty faces with lovely engines, they are technically interesting underneath as well. In this shot you can just see the rear wheel (by famous bike component maker Campagnolo), the coils, the de Dion tube, the Watts linkage and the inboard Brembo (or is it ATE?) disc brake. An expensive solution that lightens the unsprung load on the rear wheels, so the wheels track the road much better. And keeps the rear wheels perpendicular to the road at all times for maximum grip.
Most cars compromise with rear wheel movement, mounting brakes on the hubs and allowing wheels to easily lift off the deck or go to extreme angles to the road surface, compromising contact with the road surface. This Alfa solution (used in Alfa's earlier 159 GP cars and several other road and race cars from the 50s and earlier) does result in a bit of understeer as the rear end can be hard to break free.
Most cars compromise with rear wheel movement, mounting brakes on the hubs and allowing wheels to easily lift off the deck or go to extreme angles to the road surface, compromising contact with the road surface. This Alfa solution (used in Alfa's earlier 159 GP cars and several other road and race cars from the 50s and earlier) does result in a bit of understeer as the rear end can be hard to break free.
Top Gear GTI W12 650
Obscene yet amazing, it's barely able to lap faster than a 147 GTA.... but it's a bit of fun, eh?
Alfa GTA vs WRX STI
That sinking feeling... and then "my brakes are gone... nothing...". Hmmm. A hot road car at twisty Wakefield Park... not that surprising, is it?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Alfa Romeo 159 GTA - maybe?
Is it, or isn't it? It's not exactly hiding, is it? It's rough around the edges... and has no plates?
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