Alfa Romeo Arna (Tipo 920A) 1983–1987

[ag84]

Alfa Romeo Arna

he Alfa Romeo Arna is a subcompact automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1983 and 1987.

Launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Arna was a product of a short-lived partnership between Alfa Romeo and Japanese manufacturer Nissan; the car's name was an acronym meaning Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli. The Arna was essentially a twin of the N12 series Nissan Pulsar / Nissan Cherry (also known as the Nissan Cherry Europe in selected European markets and the Nissan Pulsar Milano in Japan), but featured Alfa Romeo engines carried over from the Alfasud, as well as an Alfa transmission and front suspension. It did however use an independent rear suspension from Nissan. The body panels of the car were constructed in Japan by Nissan, then shipped to the then-new Alfa factory in Pratola Serra, near Naples, for assembly. Italian-built cars badged as Nissan Cherry Europe can be readily identified by their rear lighting clusters, which match those of the Arna rather than the Japanese-built Cherry.

The Arna was however not a success, and production ceased after only four years, most likely because the Arna exhibited the worst qualities of each of its parents. The Arna featured tempestuous mechanicals and indifferent build quality courtesy of Alfa Romeo, married to a Nissan body of questionable build and frumpy styling, with insipid handling common to Japanese cars of the time. This mismatch of technical strengths served to kill the sales of the Arna very rapidly.

[6speed]

Reminds me of the AE86.

[Guara0007]

Shame on Alfa Romeo. A Nissan with an Alfa badge.

[jediali]

"And then in Italy a deal between Nissan and Alfa Romeo spawned one of the worst creations in the whole of history <insert frankenstein scene here> what we ended up with was a terribly ugly nissan cherry that had alfasud electrics, can you imagine anything, anything worse"

JC on the alfa romeo Arna! (from his "How Japan took over the world and then lost it again - the car years" series)

[Ferrer]

Alfa Romeo's darker days, that's for sure.

[PerfAdv]

An italian body with Japanese innards might have even been praiseworthy. Then again, Sterling didn't shine as expected either...

[jediali]

An italian body with Japanese innards might have even been praiseworthy. Then again, Sterling didn't shine as expected either...

this car comes from the time when Japan was really becoming a thorne in the euro-car makers side. Firstly Japan imported their cars until the government limited the numbers possible to ship over. Secondly they tried to share projects with euro cars hence the triumph acclaim (i may be wrong?) and the Arna. Then they finally started to build plants in Europe. They began by bulding in Britain (Some french guy described britain as an aircraft carrier on Europe for Japanese cars) before settling on the mainland.

edit: its a triumph acclaim

[Ferrer]

this car comes from the time when Japan was really becoming a thorne in the euro-car makers side. Firstly Japan imported their cars until the government limited the numbers possible to ship over. Secondly they tried to share projects with euro cars hence the triumph acclaim (i may be wrong?) and the Arna. Then they finally started to build plants in Europe. They began by bulding in Britain (Some french guy described britain as an aircraft carrier on Europe for Japanese cars) before settling on the mainland.

edit: its a triumph acclaim

Well I think the Triumph Acclaim and the Alfa Romeo Arna are two different ways of entering the European market. The Triumph was really an Honda Ballade built in Britain with a Triumph badge on it, whereas the Alfa Romeo Arna was a Datsun Cherry with an Alfasud drivetrain and front suspension, built in Italy.

While the Triumph was moderately successful and enhanced the collaboration between Rover and Honda resulting in many 80's and 90's Rovers, the Alfa Romeo was a complete failure and the first and last Alfa Romeo with Japanese genes in it.

[PerfAdv]

this car comes from the time when Japan was really becoming a thorne in the euro-car makers side. Firstly Japan imported their cars until the government limited the numbers possible to ship over. Secondly they tried to share projects with euro cars hence the triumph acclaim (i may be wrong?) and the Arna. Then they finally started to build plants in Europe. They began by bulding in Britain (Some french guy described britain as an aircraft carrier on Europe for Japanese cars) before settling on the mainland.

That's an interesting description. Really though, not allowing people to buy what they'd maybe otherwise choose is the ugly side of protectionism. If Japanese cars are so soulless and sans character, why limit?

[jediali]

That's an interesting description. Really though, not allowing people to buy what they'd maybe otherwise choose is the ugly side of protectionism. If Japanese cars are so soulless and sans character, why limit?

its not the cars soulessness, its theyre selling power. Leyland produced bad quality and unreliable products, japan the opposite.

[njsimca]

The reason why Japanese cars sell like hotcakes is that the Japanese government encourages their carmakers to export (dump) as many cars as they can, by subsidizing the cars they sell domestically. Oh, sure, their show cars might be inspired, but what pops out the production line? A lousy Datsun.
Might as well say Frigidaire on it, for all the magic in a Japanese cars name!

[Ferrer]

Italian reliability and Japanese passion #2

[Ferrer]

Italian reliability and Japanese passion #3