2023-06-25 04:05:00
Under the code name Project 116, the new car projected by Alfa Romeo was to take over from the 1750 and the Giulia.
Between the 1962 Giulia and this shelved project, Alfa modified the 1750 slightly with some cosmetic tweaks and an updated engine to introduce the 2000 sedan in 1971.
But European competition is sharpening; it is therefore necessary to respond in the high-end mid-range segment, an area mastered by Alfa. And we are going to bring out of the boxes this famous project 116 put on the sidelines a year ago.
The style center at the heart of the project
Performance, comfort and roominess… The new saloon must be able to meet these three requirements demanded by the customer.
It is the “Centro Stile Alfa” directed by Giuseppe Scarnati which will prepare a saloon with taut and angular lines able to replace the 2000 and the Giulia.
The interior space is particularly studied while remaining in line with the sports sedans which are the emblem of the biscione brand. Giorgetto Giugiaro, who is in the process of developing the future Alfa GTV coupe, is also helping out.
The Alfetta takes to the track
In order to underline the sporting tradition of the Milanese manufacturer, the sedan is baptized Alfetta, a name given by Alfis enthusiasts to the Formula 1 Alfa 158 and 159 which had won the 1950 and 1951 world championship with Nino Farina and Juan-Manuel Fangio.
While the engine is the classic 122bhp aluminum twin-cam four-cylinder, the rest of the Alfetta’s spec sheet is impressive.
We are going to use a transaxle solution: the clutch, the gearbox, the differential and the brake discs are combined with the axle at the rear of the car, which makes it possible to optimize the distribution of the masses between the front and back.
Everything for efficiency
In addition to the transaxle, the Alfetta also inaugurates the rear axle with Dion bridge and Watt parallelogram, a system that allows the two rear wheels to be more independent of each other and therefore ensures better geometry in the turns, whereas at that time the propulsions were equipped with a rigid bridge and leaf springs.
On the front axle, the Alfetta receives double wishbones, the lower wishbones each being connected to a torsion bar acting as a spring. Finally, the front and rear axles are each fitted with an anti-roll bar.
For safety, braking is provided by 4 disc brakes, assisted by a brake servo with a dual circuit.
The Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns
At Alfa Romeo, there is internal competition which will have a detrimental effect on the Alfetta’s career. The traditionalist Alfists fear too many novelties while the modern ones want to impose the Alfetta quickly.
The General Staff will spare the goat and the cabbage; the Berlina 2000 will still be marketed until 1976 and the Giulia will last until 1978. Three cars instead of one.
And so as not to overshadow the new Alfasud which will be presented at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, the presentation of the Alfetta will be postponed to May 1972 near Trieste. The specialized press favorably underlines both technical and stylistic innovations.
A popular sedan
The success of the Alfetta is immediate because it is efficient (180 km/h) and well placed in price. She arrived at the end of 1972 in France.
It is faster than a BMW 520 (by being 20% cheaper) or a Peugeot 504 TI while benefiting from a welcoming but unadorned interior.
Comfort is also a positive point for the Alfetta which also has a voluminous 600 l trunk. The enthusiasm will be short-lived because the first oil shock will redistribute the cards.
Room for savings
To hold the market, Alfa will start by putting the Alfetta on a diet; release in 1975 of a 1.6 l 109 hp version which only has two headlights on the grille.
Its price is more affordable. The Alfetta 1800 is slightly retouched for the occasion, aesthetically and mechanically, its engine dropping to 118 hp. In 1977, a stylistic evolution is very diversely appreciated.
Thanks to the adoption of a 2-litre 122 hp block, the front of the Alfetta is equipped with rectangular headlights. The purists cry foul. The rear gets enlarged lights and the bumpers are thickened. But, for the Alfists, the worst is yet to come.
Switching to diesel
In 1979, the Alfetta was fitted with a diesel engine supplied by VM Motori; a 2.0 l of 82 hp with side camshaft which allows the Alfetta to reach 160 km/ and to become the fastest diesel saloon on the market.
Simultaneously, a 2000 L arrives, more luxurious than the 2000 (electric windows, alloy rims), also more powerful with its 130 hp and available in automatic transmission.
In 1982, new evolution: the Alfetta 1600 disappears and a 2000 Quadrifoglio Oro enters the track by signing the return of the 4 round headlights.
It incorporates luxurious equipment (windows and electric seats, on-board computer, etc.) and inaugurates the 2-litre injection with camshaft phase shifter to save fuel consumption.
In 1984, the Alfetta left production after 475,000 units were produced. The benchmark for family saloons with character is slipping away while waiting for the Alfa 90 signed Bertone. The descent into hell has begun.
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