Production of Alfa Romeos

[I, Brian]

Until the 1980s, Alfa Romeos (except for the Alfasud) were all rear-wheel drives.

According to the current Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne in order to reap economies of scale, all new Alfa Romeo models will be made from the same basic platform (i.e., frame). Even Maserati will share components with some Alfas.

Cloverleaf, or Quadrifoglio, badges denote variants of Alfa Romeo cars where the name denotes the high-end of the range in comfort and engine size, but previously denoted Alfa Romeo racing cars in the pre-Second-World-War era.

The image first appeared in 1923 when Ugo Sivocci presented one prior to the start of the 14th Targa Florio as a good luck token to the team. This became the symbol of competition Alfas, denoting higher performance.

Some modern Alfas wear a cloverleaf badge which is typically a green four leaf clover on a white background (Quadrifoglio Verde), but variants of blue on white have been recently observed as well.

The Alfettas of the early 1980s had models available sold as the "Silver Leaf" and "Gold Leaf" (Quadrifoglio Oro). These models were the top of the range. Badging was the Alfa Cloverleaf in either gold or silver to denote the specification level. The Gold Leaf model was also sold as the "159i" in some markets, the name in homage to the original 159.

The trim levels (option packages) offered today on the various nameplates (model lines) include the lusso ("luxury"), turismo ("touring"), and the GTA (gran tourismo alleggerita ("light-weight grand tourer"). The GTA package is offered in the 147 and 156 and includes a V-6 engine. In the past, Alfa Romeo offered a Sprint (from Italian sprintare, "to accelerate fast") trim level.

In the 60s, the main Alfa Romeo seat was moved from inside Milan to a very large and nearby area extending over the municipalities of Arese, Lainate and Garbagnate Milanese. However, since then the Alfa seat is known to be in Arese, since the offices and the main entrance of the area are there.

In the late 1960s, a number of European automobile manufacturers established facilities in South Africa to assemble right hand drive vehicles for the Commonwealth markets.

Fiat and other Italian manufacturers established factories along with these other manufacturers in Uitenhage, outside of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

With the imposition of sanctions by western powers in the 1970s and 1980s, South Africa became self sufficient, and in car production came to rely more and more on the products of the Uitenhage factories.

In consequence, production levels increased, and many manufacturers including Fiat Spa., Lancia, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo transferring all their right-hand drive production to Uitenhage. Volkswagen AG, Daimler Benz AG and BMW AG followed suit at about this time.

Since then, all right-hand-drive production of Alfa Romeo (and most other European manufacturers) remains in Uitenhage - so that RHD European cars are actually South African in origin, or else have their steering and dashboard assemblies produced there.

Recently (1989), Alfa Romeo has moved their car production to districts within Italy.

The Pomigliano d’Arco plant produces the 155, which is followed by the 145 and the 146, while Arese witnesses the creation of the thrilling new Spider and GTV. 1997 is the year of the 156, which in 1998 is voted “Car of the Year”. 1998 sees the launch of the new flagship, the 166. Which takes us to 2000, to the threshold of the third millennium, and the 147, which wins the prestigious title of “Car of the Year 2001”.

The Arese factory today hosts almost nothing anymore and is almost abandoned. What remains are some offices and the great Alfa Romeo historical Museum, a must-see for Alfa Romeo fans.

[bigjon]

an old friend in college used to have an alfa romero spider.

it was fun.

[I, Brian]

When I was looking for material on Alfa Romeos the spider came up a lot as a favourite - from what I've read, it's also likely to see a comback stateside as well.