Alfa Romeo Turns 100

[Hudson]

Check out this article, part one of four, on the history of Alfa Romeo:

Alfa Romeo, The First 100 Years, Part 1: Exotic and Italian

[Alex Csank]

Great article! Thanks!

[Hudson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Csank Great article! Thanks!

[TorW]

Very nice and easy-to-read articles, although there's a few factual nits to pick in article #2:

• Alfa Romeo's boss in the 50's was Giuseppe Luraghi, not Laragia. Besides, he started working for Alfa Romeo in 1952.
• The 1954 Tipo 103 project was only the spiritual predecessor of the Alfasud, and the 103 had a four cylinder 896 ccm version of the alu twincam. It looks like a cross between a very small Giulia and a Renault 8. Rudolf Hruska designed every detail on the Alfasud from the ground up. He probably deserves better than not being mentioned.
• The Alfasud didn't sell poorly only because of the lack of quality. No marques sold a lot of cars in the mid seventies.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the articles

[Hudson]

Thanks for your input!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorW The 1954 Tipo 103 project was only the spiritual predecessor of the Alfasud, and the 103 had a four cylinder 896 ccm version of the alu twincam. It looks like a cross between a very small Giulia and a Renault 8. Rudolf Hruska designed every detail on the Alfasud from the ground up. He probably deserves better than not being mentioned.

[TorW]

The 13-61 project ended - as you say - in 1952, but the Tipo 103 prototype is on display in Museo Storico with the year "1954" (see below) on the info board. It also says "896 ccm 4 cilindri monoblocco", which is very different from project 13-61's 2-cyl "half twincam". The engine for the 103 project was in fact a whole new engine (and not, as I said above, a small-bore alu Twincam). The latter is also on display in the museum next to the Tipo 103 car.

I looked it up in the Fusi book: the Tipo 103 prototype was according to him finished in 1959. The info board in the museum is probably wrong. Imagine that

So, you are correct in your (?) article! Looks like you can never consult enough sources on Alfa Romeo ...

Failing to mention Hruska is still in it though. Hruska was also on the Porsche 360 design team in the late 40's, as well as on the team who designed the infamous German WWII Tiger Tank.

[Hudson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorW Failing to mention Hruska is still in it though. Hruska was also on the Porsche 360 design team in the late 40's, as well as on the team who designed the infamous German WWII Tiger Tank.

[Hudson]

Part 3 is up! Only one more edition to go!

Alfa Romeo, The First 100 Years, Part Three: Once Rivals, Now Partners