The Fantastic Alfa Romeo Alfetta Berlina: 50 years on

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Alfetta saloon, a seminal model in Alfa Romeo’s history, not just because of its commercial success but also because of its sophisticated underpinnings, which served as a base for many more beloved Alfa models for over two decades.

The 1972 Alfetta (picture from media.stellantis.com)

Work on the “116” project started in 1967.

Alfa’s engineering team, headed by Orazio Satta, aimed to achieve far superior handling and roadgoing characteristics than the existing Alfa Romeo models.

One way to do so was to even up the weight distribution between the front and rear axles, so the clutch and the gearbox were moved rearwards to join the differential in a light alloy casing, together with “inboard” disc brakes to reduce unsprung weight.

The “transaxle” layout of the Alfetta (picture from media.stellantis.com)

Against the odds

However, that created its fair share of problems during development due to the balance and resonance issues of having a long…