Alfa Romeo 1900

A little history

With its 1900 model, Alfa Romeo turned the page of the low-volume, handmade automobiles and entered the era of mass production. Appearing at exactly the right time, the 1900 probably saved Alfa from an otherwise inescapable fate: would they have had such a car to produce, most probably companies such as Hotchkiss or Salmson would still be around today.

The 1900 was designed as a replacement to the pre-war 6C-2500 model. After a prototype was unveiled at the Turin motor show in May 1950, further development was needed and the production model wasn’t introduced to the press before early October. A few days later, the new car was officially launched during the Paris motor show.

A rather modern vehicle, the 1900 featured an elegant though conventional pontoon body. The car had been designed as a monocoque, but despite the lack of a separate chassis many coachbuilders would present special bodies based on this car during its lifetime. A brand new 1.9-litre twin cam four had been created for the 1900. Fitted with alloy cylinder heads, it was rated at 80 bhp, enough to make the new Alfa Romeo, with its 165 kph top speed, a worthy heir to all its pre-war ancestors. Transmission was unsurprisingly to the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual gearbox. Suspension was independent at the front, while a live axle had been fitted at the rear.

Initially available only as a saloon, the 1900 saw several other models appearing from 1951 on. During that year, Alfa Romeo presented a shorter 1900C chassis which was used by Touring to develop a Sprint coupe and by Pininfarina to design a Spyder convertible. Though only these two models were sold through Alfa Romeo dealerships, many other creations were based on the 1900C, usually signed by Zagato, Ghia, Bertone or Boano. More powerful versions were also added, starting with the 100 bhp “TI”, later followed by the 2.0-litre Super and TI Super.

A car bearing the Alfa Romeo name should race, and the 1900 was no exception. Apart from standard saloons and coupes raced by private entrants, the most noteworthy model was the Disco Volante, a Touring design officially named 1900C 52. Juan Manuel Fangio drove a Disco Volante to second place during the 1953 Mille Miglia. If I’m not mistaking that should be the year in which the great Argentinean hid to its mechanics the little problem he had to deal with – when the steering wheel was turned, only one front wheel would move…

Other special 1900s included the BAT prototypes by Bertone, research vehicles designed with best aerodynamics in mind, and their complete contrary, the Matta four-wheel-drive jeep using the engine and a few mechanical parts from the 1900.

Production of the 1900 lasted until 1959, when it was succeeded by the Alfa Romeo 2000.

It has to be mentioned that the 1900 was produced under licence by two other carmakers: the agonizing Imperia in Belgium in 1953 and 1954, and by Kaiser’s Argentinean branch as the IKA Bergantin, the latter being powered by less-noble Willys engines.

About the model

Model: Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Zagato
Year: 1954
Event: 1956 Mille Miglia, driven by Paolo Lena (finished 36th)
Maker: unknown
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.38 of its Alfa Romeo Sport Collection press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Though its wire wheels look a too much plastic-like, this is otherwise a very acceptable model deserving a 12/20.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

It has been several days already since I made a last addition to this blog. Checking tonight for any new comment, I saw that a third follower has joined us. Welcome aboard Paul! As your avatar reads “Veloce”, it was tempting then to follow on with a post about an Alfa Romeo model.

A little history

Alfa Romeo was, without doubt, one of Italy’s prides during the Twenties and Thirties. If not for its lower range of models, which were only relatively cheap, it could easily be said to be some sort of “pre-war Ferrari” thanks to its appealing high-performance road cars and its solid racing credentials. Indeed, Benito Mussolini himself, who shared with his fellow dictator Adolf Hitler a passion for automobiles, didn’t resist a veiled allusion to Alfa Romeo when someone pinpointed at Italy’s dismal industrial capacities in the event of a war, answering that the people who passionately built the race cars that amazed the world would produce the best weapons, albeit in limited quantities. Il Duce ha sempre ragione, read the propaganda posters on Rome’s walls – “the Duce is always right”. Well, if he would have proved wrong only once, this would have been it. By 1945, Italy had been crushed, though through the timely coat-turning of the nation’s Southern half it still could pretend to stand among the victors. This didn’t change anything to the fact that the country was now ravaged, impoverished and divided – not anymore the ideal place to build one of the most exclusive automobiles in the world.

Still, Alfa Romeo had no other choice at first than to restart the production of an old model, the 6C-2500. Change was in the air, though. In 1950, the Milanese company introduced the 1900 model at the Paris motor show. Still not a car for the common man, the 1900 was nonetheless mass-produced, a sign of things to come. Four years later, a more affordable Alfa was finally launched: the 1300 cc Giulietta.

Apart from its elegant style, the Giulietta’s brilliant engine made it a worthy heir to a long line of fashionable thoroughbreds. A brand new design, this little twin-cam made extensive use of light alloy, displaced 1290 cc and was rated at 53 bhp. Fitted with a 4-speed gearbox at a time when most of the cars of its size had only 3, the Giulietta had a top speed of 140 kph – for the time, this was an impressive performance. Even more remarkable was the coupe’s engine, from which Alfa Romeo was able to get 62 hp per litre, hence an output of no less than 80 bhp from the same little 1.3-litre.

The Giulietta was so much performance-oriented that the saloon wasn’t even the first model Alfa Romeo to be unveiled. This “Berlina” first emerged during the spring of 1955 at the Turin motor show, a few months after the coupe, dubbed “Sprint” and penned by Bertone, but before the “Spider” convertible credited to Pininfarina. So potent was the coupe’s engine that it made the saloon’s block, though lively, look paltry by comparison. Alfa Romeo brought a remedy in 1957 by adding a “TI” (for Turismo Internazionale) variant of the 4-door in 1957. With 65 bhp, it soon became a favourite among Italian rally drivers. Ever more powerful versions were to follow: the ultimate performance machine developed from the Giulietta was the Sprint Zagato or SZ, a coupe flirting with the 200 kph mark thanks to 116 bhp and a very aerodynamic body.

Though it aged relatively well, receiving only mild facelifts in 1959 and 1961, the Giulietta was to be replaced by a brand new car, the Giulia, in 1964. The latter’s body was of the newly-favoured boxy type, but the valiant 1.3-litre had found its way under its hood. A few further Giulietta coupes and convertibles were built until 1965, bringing the final tally to about 132,000 – nothing to compare anymore with the production figures of the hand-built models of the Thirties.

About the models

Model: Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI
Year: 1962
Event: 1965 Rally di San Martino di Castrozza, driven by Zandonà, co-pilot Andretta (result unknown from me, please help if you can!)
Maker: unknown (some of these Alfas were also sold in boxes by Maxi Cars, but it seems this company didn't produce them, but only sold leftovers from the series)
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.11 of its Alfa Romeo Sport Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Beautiful saloon – it makes you regret that several wonderful series by Fabbri and De Agostini such as this one are reserved to the Italian market. My rating: 13/20.



Model: Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint
Year: 1960
Maker: Detail Cars
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Detail Cars, “Platinum” series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Detail Cars produced this gorgeous Sprint version, which moulds passed to Solido after the Italian brand’s demise. This original model includes details that Solido has since omitted for reasons of cost, notably the seats’ elegant colour-keyed linings. I’d give 14/20 to this die-cast.









Model: Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider
Year: 1962
Maker: New Ray
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: New Ray, "City Cruiser Collection"
Acquired: brand new, in November 2003, in Kalibo, Philippines

Price is the only thing that should make you buy a New Ray model – still, think it twice. Though the body is almost correct, details as the wheels or the interior are extremely crude. The headlights are simply represented by silver disks – in my case, one was even missing, so I had to “steal” those, virtually identical, of one of the two New Ray MGAs I had. It would be unreasonable to award more than 5/20.





Model: Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato
Year: 1963
Event: 1963 Le Mans 24 hours, driven by Giancarlo Sala and Romolo Rossi (retired)
Maker: unknown (some of these Alfas were also sold in boxes by Maxi Cars, but it seems this company didn't produce them, but only sold leftovers from the series)
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.37 of its Alfa Romeo Sport Collection press series
Acquired: new without box and with mismatched stand (probably a quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

I hardly let pass a Le Mans car when I see one, so I got this one right away. Too bad I didn’t take time to notice that one windshield wiper was absent. Many among you would say that the missing item is rather straightforward to replace, but I have two left hands… Forgetting this little problem, Fabbri again proposed a pleasant model well worth 12/20.

Alfa Romeo 2000 and 2600

A little history

As its first “mass-produced” automobile, the 1900 model, was nearing its retirement during the second half of the Fifties, Alfa Romeo decided to launch a brand new car in order to replace it: the 2000.

Introduced in 1958, the 2000 Berlina (2.0-litre four, 105 hp) was more of a family saloon than a pure Italian thoroughbred. Though not entirely succumbing to the then-fashionable American-inspired design, its finned rear quarters looked quite much the British Ford Consul/Zephyr’s one, and its wheel-mounted gear lever wasn’t exactly sporty. Nonetheless provisions were made for a performance-oriented derivative, the 2000 Spider, which design and construction were subcontracted to Touring. Using the 1900 Super Sprint’s floorpan, the Spider was a strict two-seater in which the 5-speed gearbox of the Berlina, this time commanded through a floor-mounted stick, and the engine, pushed to 115 hp thanks to a second carburettor, gave the full measure of their capacities. In addition, a splendid coupe, the Sprint, was added in 1960. It had been penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, a promising young employee from Bertone, and was being built at this designer’s facilities.

From the very start of its production the 2000 suffered from a high price tag and controversial styling. The Berlina’s design was subject to much debate, while for the Spider, Touring had done nothing more than drawing a larger version of the 1.3-litre Giulietta Spider – it certainly looked like a Ferrari in reduction (talented indeed, Italian designers often lacked originality) but Alfa customers certainly wanted to save piles of lire by going for its smaller sister. The Sprint was seen as the only winner in Alfa’s flagship range, and sales quickly reflected this, the saloon being outsold by the coupe as soon as the latter was introduced, a rare occurrence.

At the 1962 Geneva motor show, Alfa Romeo reacted… but not necessarily the way most people expected. The car’s styling was left virtually unchanged, but its 2.0-litre four was replaced by an even more potent 2.6-litre inline six. A brilliant engine, it was entirely made of light alloy, and featured twin overhead camshafts, a traditional design of many past Alfas that won the hearts of numerous fans from the Milanese company. Fed by two carburettors, the 2600 Berlina could rely on 130 hp, while the Sprint and Spider had a bank of no less than three twin-barrel carbs, able to pull 145 hp out of the engine. The car promised good performance but, alas, no improvement regarding road-holding had been made over the 2000, and consequently the 2600 proved unable to cope with the extra power. As a result, sales remained slow. The Sprint coupe now outsold the ill-stared Berlina by 3.5 to 1, and even the exclusive Spider outpaced the saloon. Zagato gave a try at the 2600, designing an amazing “SZ” coupe, while OSI put a 2600 De Luxe saloon on the market. The latter can largely be considered a four-door version of the good-looking Sprint coupe, and the fact that a coachbuilder produced a special saloon version instead of the traditional coupes and convertibles just shows how hapless the factory Berlina was.

By then Alfa Romeo had given up all hopes in its upper-range model, preferring to concentrate all of its efforts on the successful mid-range Giulia. The 2600 lingered until 1968, without finding any real successor apart from the smaller 1750, an enlarged Giulia. Its real heir would be launched a decade later: the Alfa 6, which would prove a complete disaster. After all, Alfa Romeo is perhaps better suited for sporty cars than luxury ones.

About the model

Model: Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
Year: 1964
Maker: Grani & Partners
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: unidentified Italian press series
Acquired: brand new, in February 2008, in Manila, Philippines

Not surprisingly the Sprint seems to be the 2000/2600 model that attracted the largest part of the die-cast industry's attention. This example is fine enough for a press release. The original car is beautiful, and the model reproducing it in scale, though no masterpiece, is well up to the job. My rating is 13/20.

Alfa Romeo 6C-2500 and 8C-2900

A little history

By the mid-Thirties Alfa Romeo had became one of the most famous automobile manufacturers in the world: its cars were victorious on the track, and very exclusive on the market.

Just before World War Two, two ranges, both designed by famed engineer Vittorio Jano and closely intertwined with the company’s racing cars, were offered to the public. The most prestigious was the 8C, a powerful 8-cylinder car which, since 1936, was powered by a 2.9-litre engine. Originally based on the “Tipo B” Grand Prix racer, the 8C-2900 offered high-end performance combined with the most graceful bodies. This extremely attractive package came with a price, though, and consequently only 30 8C-2900 were ever built until the war. Production wasn’t resumed after peace was re-established.

Designed as a (slightly) cheaper alternative to the 8C, the 6C was a 6-cylinder machine, equipped with a 2.5-litre engine starting in model year 1938. 6Cs were generally equally elegant than the bigger 8Cs, but weren’t performance-aimed. Hand-built as the 8C was, the 6C saw 680 built until 1952 – still an extremely limited production run. Its successor, the 1900, was designed to be mass-produced, but despite this Alfa Romeos would be able to preserve this “exclusive” image of them for many more years to come.

About the models

Model: Alfa Romeo 6C-2500
Year: c.1938
Maker: Solido
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Solido, "Sixties" series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in May 2006, in Manila, Philippines

Nice enough reproduction, though rather old and apparently not available since some times now, of an Alfa 6C by Solido. Its main flaw is the assembly of the various metal parts forming its body, which aren't adjusted well enough to be discreet. My rating is 12/20.





Model: Alfa Romeo 6C-2500, body by Touring
Year: 1939
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.36 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

A nice reproduction from an original car, this die-cast is yet predictable, lacking refinement in many parts and notably in its wire wheels, as it is the tradition for Ixo's press release versions of its models. My rating is 12/20.









Model: Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B, body by Touring
Year: 1938
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.5 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2006, in Souillac, France

This early release from Altaya's Voitures classiques series announced many more beautiful models to come. Obviously there's again the wire wheels issue which brings the rating a little down, but otherwise this model is splendid. I'd give 14/20 to it.









Model: Alfa Romeo 8C-2900B, body by Touring
Year: 1938
Event: 1938 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Raymond Sommer and Clemente Biondetti (retired)
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps, "Le Glorie della Alfa Romeo" series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2007, in Manila, Philippines

Perfect is the simple word to describe Minichamps’ model of the lone aerodynamic coupe designed by Touring for the Le Mans 24-Hour race. Worth every penny spent for it: 17/20.

Alfa Romeo Montreal

A little history

The Montreal wasn’t a deliberate attempt by Alfa Romeo to storm the GT market, but rather followed the largely positive response to a 2+2 coupe show car presented during the 1967 World Fair in Montréal, Canada. The original prototype was a 4-cylinder, 1.6-litre coupe fitted with an exceptional body by Bertone. That it’s actually Marcello Gandini who penned the Montreal for the great designer suffices to explain the similarities between the Alfa coupe and the Lamborghini Miura, particularly in the central section of the car.

The production version was introduced at Geneva in March 1970. Though on the outside the car was relatively similar to the original prototype, Alfa Romeo had dropped a powerful V8 into its coupe. Based on the 2-litre block used by the cars raced in the sportscars class by the Milanese company, the Montreal’s engine was a state-of-the-art 2.6-litre good for 230 bhp. Even more important was the fact that Alfa Romeo placed this engine at the front, driving the rear wheels, while the prototype had opted for a mid-engine layout: despite all of its refinements, the Montreal behaved poorly on the road when compared to the mid-engine GTs that were then becoming commonplace. This, along with a very high price tag, explains the commercial failure of the Montreal. Put into production from 1971 to 1977, less than four thousands had been sold when Alfa Romeo retired its gem from its line-up.

(This car’s history will be expanded in due time, please be patient.)

About the model

Model: Alfa Romeo Montreal
Year: 1973
Event: 1973 Nürburgring 1000 km, driven by Dieter Gleich and Dieter Weizinger (retired)
Maker: unknown
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Fabbri as no.14 of its Alfa Romeo Sport Collection press series
Acquired: offered by a friend and fellow collector, brand new, in September 2006, in Manila, Philippines

This was the first model I was able to grab from this topical collection released exclusively in Italy by Fabbri. More have followed since then, most of them presenting a pleasant level of quality for a rather interesting price. Furthermore most of the models chosen are quite original, as this Nürburgring entrant is. Though this die-cast lacks the sophistication of some higher-price brands’ products, it certainly is flawless when it comes about assembly quality, and should serve as an inspiration for Ixo when providing models for Altaya’s press series. I’ll give it a good 13/20.

Alfa Romeo Alfetta

Same company, same era, but a little higher in the range.

A little history

In 1971, Alfa Romeo introduced a very modern compact car: the Alfasud. The Italian manufacturer never intended to extend its boldness to the higher models of its range, though. One year later, the Alfetta was presented, positioned just a notch above the ageing Giulia, which was kept in production. Penned by Giuseppe Scarnati, its body was indeed elegant, but tame. There was no surprise under this skin: the transmission was to the rear wheels, and the suspension (double wishbones and torsion bars) was perhaps independent at the front, but a solid axle was fitted at the rear. The engine was brilliant yet again, not revolutionary: it was a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder double overhead camshaft with two valves per cylinder, fed by two double-barrel carburettors. On the road, the Alfetta was soon praised for its very sane behaviour. Furthermore, the enviable image the brand had developed helped a lot to make the car a commercial success.

Alfa Romeo’s aura would not last, however. Quality problems and fragile mechanicals parts would see to this. Besides, the rust problems that affected the entry-level Alfasud would soon spread to all Alfa models. The cause: the Italian government had signed an agreement with the Soviet Union, one of its effects being the import of large quantities of Soviet steel to feed the Italian industry. This steel was actually recycled and of poor quality; the standard of the Italian cars production plummeted.

The Giulia’s ultimate retirement brought about the extension of the Alfetta’s range. A smaller 1.6-litre twin-cam engine was offered for the 1975 model year, while a splendid coupe penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with Alfa’s own designers, the GT, had been introduced early in 1974. The GT, which would become the GTV in 1976, inherited all the qualities of the saloon. With perfect handling and 140 bhp under the bonnet, the GT was soon seen campaigning in touring cars racing and rallies, but success was moderate.

New models were regularly added to the line-up, including a 2.0-litre engine in 1976, and another 2.0-litre, a turbocharged diesel this time, three years later. During the very same year 1979, the Alfetta saloon received a revised front end. The major news of the year was nonetheless the introduction of the GTV 6 for 1980. Alfa Romeo had launched a luxury sedan which, from the very start, proved to be a catastrophe. The best this Alfa 6 had to offer was its 2.5-litre V6, though in the saloon it was handicapped by recurrent carburettor problems. The engine was grafted onto the GTV, creating a potent combination. The GTV 6 was immediately homologated for racing, where it immediately proved its worth.

After 1979, modifications were scarce as the Alfetta was coasting towards its retirement. This came in 1984, shortly before being succeeded by the Alfa 75. No replacement had been scheduled for the GTV, though, and, helped by its late-career successes on the track, the stunning coupe lingered on for two more years.

Model: Alfa Romeo Alfetta 1.6
Year: 1975
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps ref. 400-120201, limited edition - 2,544 pieces
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Manila, Philippines

Minichamps also signed the bigger sister of the Alfasud. The model is correct, but nothing more. I cannot tell exactly what I dislike about it. Is that its colour, sable or giallo piper as suggested by the German manufacter, certainly authentic, but undoubtedly dated more than three decades later? Is this the vents on the C-pillars, which have been clumsily done? Could it be these thick black plastic windshield wipers? About the latter, I already said how undeserving they are on a model of the quality - and the price - of a Minichamps. I'll limit my rating to 12/20.

Alfa Romeo Alfasud

A little history

Automobile manufacturers around the globe didn’t resist the temptation, during the last few years, of invading market segments to which they weren’t familiar. Twenty years ago, I would have laughed aloud if anyone would have suggested that one day Porsche could build a SUV, or that a compact car could bear Mercedes-Benz’s star… This is however not new to one of Italy’s most famous car company. During the Thirties, Alfa Romeo used to capitalize on its successes on the tracks to build hand-made coupes and convertibles which were among the most refined and exclusive cars in the world. Reading the writing on the wall for such manufacturers, Alfa cunningly switched to mass-produced vehicles with its 1900, introduced during the early Fifties. By the end of the following decade, the Milanese company decided to set a foot one step lower by introducing a compact car, which could be considered popular while retaining all the character of its bigger sisters.

The project was placed under the responsibility of an Austrian engineer, Rudolf Hruska. On the recommendation of a former Touring executive, Hruska elected to have the new car drawn by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who had just left Ghia to create his own company Ital Design. It would be the firm’s first major contract.

Daring choices were made by the car’s engineers. Among its most modern features were front-wheel drive, disk brakes on all four wheels activated through a dual circuit system, and independent MacPherson strut suspension at the front. The very aerodynamic body was roomy yet extremely compact, thanks to the choice of an engine in a boxer configuration. Despite all its refinements the new Alfa would not see its building costs rise to unmanageable figures. Even better, Hruska even succeeded in spending noticeably less to design the car than the budget which had been allocated to him.

As early as November 1968, the program had progressed enough to allow prototypes to be test-driven in various conditions. It seemed Alfa Romeo had a winner in its hands. Alas, from this point things went wrong.

The company didn’t have the necessary capitals to mass-produce a popular vehicle, and therefore turned to the Italian government for help. The later agreed, under the provision that the car would be built in the impoverished south, where industrial jobs were scarce. Alfa Romeo had no other choice than to accept. Symbolically, the name Alfasud (Alfa-South) was chosen for the car.

All of Alfa Romeo’s models had been built in Milan up to then, in the midst of the industrial heart of Italy. The company had to tackle important problems of organization to make possible the production at Pomigliano d’Arco, the chosen site for the new factory. The construction of the new plant should have given signs of things to come. It was slowed down by social unrest and the return to the fields of the peasants employed on the building site during the tomato harvest. Most of these under-qualified employees would also reveal themselves to be poor factory workers after the construction was finished, pushing building quality well below Alfa’s expectations. In addition, strikes would prove even more common at Pomigliano d’Arco than in the rest of Italy at a time when unions and large corporations waged a protracted war on each other.

In the meantime, the program could appear right on track for an outsider. The Alfasud had finally been unveiled at the Turin auto show, in November 1971. Production was about to start during the following spring. The first journalists to turn the ignition key were glad to report about the car’s roomy compartment and perky performances – with 63 bhp pumped out of its 1.2-litre engine and its extremely good handling, courtesy of a very low centre of gravity, it was a joy to push the nimble car to its limits. The potential customers flocked to the Alfa Romeo’s dealerships and for a time the company had trouble satisfying the high demand. Unfortunately, the orders would soon be brought down by the poor quality of the car and the discovery of its tendency to rust – actually, some could even get corroded before their completion at Pomigliano d’Arco if yet another strike would delay the production!

There were no easy solutions to the quality issues. Instead, Alfa Romeo capitalized on the acknowledged strong points of its car, launching an Alfasud Ti in October 1973. The sporty version had only two doors, a 5 bhp boost thanks to a twin-barrel Weber carburettor, and a quad-headlight front end. Later 1.3 then 1.5-litre engine would be available, matted to a 5-speed gearbox, and a race series, the Alfasud Trophy, would be promoted. The Alfasud also ventured in the utilitarian field with the Giardinetta, a two-door station wagon, released for 1975, which was among the most refined of its kind. Finally, a coupe, the Sprint, was introduced in 1976 with a totally different body but many common mechanical parts. As the car entered its ninth year of existence, it received a facelift and, shortly before going out of production, finally got the hatchback it lacked since its introduction – up to then the Alfasud had to content itself with a traditional boot lid.

The end came in 1983 for the Alfasud, as the new 33 model was introduced. The sportier model then in production, the Ti 1.5 QV, carried on for a short while before a performance-oriented 33 was released. The final count would bring the Alfasud mark close to 900,000 made over a dozen years.

Alfa Romeo had certainly been bold when it first introduced its Alfasud. The company was equally shy when it drew the curtain. Acknowledging the shortcomings of the car, the company decided to maintain the much different Alfasud Sprint in production – but only after its name had been shorten to Sprint. All memories of this wonderful failure were then wiped out.

Model: Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti
Year: 1974
Maker: Minichamps
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Minichamps ref. 400-120161, limited edition - 1,728 pieces
Acquired: brand new, in February 2006, in Manila, Philippines

Early once morning I wondered, for no particular reason, who would build a die-cast of the Alfasud. Believe it or not, I bought one on the very same day, without having even looked for one. To make my joy complete, I got it with a very generous discount. Minichamps is responsible for the little model, and did quite well. It seems nicely proportioned and, to make things even better, its blue paint perfectly becomes the small car. My rating: 14/20.