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Thread: Alfasud Caimano

  1. #1
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    Alfasud Caimano

    The Alfasud was an attempt by Alfa Romeo to enter the lower middle class market, and was also seen by the Italian Government as a means to reduce unemployment in the southern part of country. A totally new factory was set in Naples and production duly started after the car had been revealed at the Turin Motorshow of 2001.
    After the unsuccessful efforts with the Tipo 103, the Sud became the first front wheel driven Alfa. The styling was done by Italdesign, the new company formed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, after he had left Ghia.

    Less attention but outwardly much daring was the variant of the car shown at the same time on Italdesign’s own stand, a car dubbed the Caimano. It turned out to be possible to convert the 4 seater into a stunning wedge shaped concept car, offering space for only two. The cockpit was way backward, and the whole door/window construction could be opened in one go. The long hood was meant to be flat, but even the boxer did not allow that, so the car still has a little bulge in the middle. The interior was special too, with horizontal indicators moving in square boxes, for the indication of the usual things.

    Underneath this spectacular body the car has the same engine as the new standard model, 1186 cc and giving 63 BHP. (Some sources on the web quote capacity as 1300 or even producing 105 BHP like the later 1600 TI variants of the Sud, but the car was really standard and larger version of the engine became only available in later years).

    Today the car survives in the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, where we shot it earlier this year.
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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    A totally new factory was set in Naples and production duly started after the car had been revealed at the Turin Motorshow of 2001.
    I'm guessing that's about 30 years off.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by pdr
    I'm guessing that's about 30 years off.
    your guess is correct and has been duly noted, thanks
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  4. #4
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    Very interesting. I had never heard about this.
    Even for the time and with a probable low weight, 63bhp is a bit less than sporty.
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by McReis
    Very interesting. I had never heard about this.
    Even for the time and with a probable low weight, 63bhp is a bit less than sporty.
    well, it was a styling exercise, no real need for a powerful engine...
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sauc3

    did you take the engine figures from Sc.net?
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4
    did you take the engine figures from Sc.net?
    Can't say for sure where I got them from, 'twas a fair while ago, but I don't think the specs were fully correct...

  9. #9
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    63 hp ain't much, but it doesn't tell if a car is sporty or not. If You have a car that handels very well, and love high tunes, I'd say it is sporty.
    The Alfa engines love to be driven. The Alfa chassis is nothing but pure fun. The relayabillity, ehhh, thats another matter.

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