A AlfaSud 1,5 TI. A survivor

De Alfasud turned out to be a revelation for the automotive world. For the first time at Alfa Romeo opted for front-wheel drive.

Inspired by VW?

Alfa Romeo would conquer the world from the south of Italy with a new revolutionary, affordable mid-sized car. That became the AlfaSud. A completely new engine was developed for the project, a 4-cylinder boxer engine of 1186 cc with 63 DIN hp. That power source was invented by the Austrian Rudolf Hruska. Hruska also worked for VW, hence his preference for boxer engines. The cast-iron liquid-cooled boxer with its Bosch ignition, with its light-alloy heads, lay in front of the front axle and gave the Alfasud its distinctive low nose, a wonderfully vibration-free barrel and a favorable, low, center of gravity. Because the engine block was cast in one piece, production was simple and cheap. The combustion chambers in the heads were roof-shaped. Additional combustion chambers were saved in the pistons and the valves were driven by a single belt-driven overhead camshaft per bank of cylinders. The concept was fantastic. The cars drove great. And they rusted like hell. Moreover, the southern Italian workers committed sabotage because they did not like working in a factory instead of dreaming about higher benefits under the olive trees.

The Sud ran on Super

Alfa emphatically stated that the small four-cylinder had to be fired on Super. (Ron 98). Originally, the boxer engine had a displacement of 1186cc (bore x stroke 80mm x 59mm) for a four-speed gearbox. Later it grew and became the power source for the 33. The crankshaft ran in three plain bearings. The loose bearing caps with a ribbed fit were made integral with the block by both horizontal and vertical bolts and provided solid support for the crankshaft. The lubrication was provided by 4,6 liters 10 W 50 (including the oil filter) the boxers ran wonderfully, trotted singing through their rev range and even with their initial 63 DIN hp were a pleasantly dynamic motorization for the light Sudjes. And if you are now under such Alfasud bonnet looking? Even with a more exciting copy like our photo model, a 1,5 TI? That doesn't look exciting, not Italian exhibitionistic at all. Not like a real one Alfa.

Under the hood of one AlfaSouth

De Alfasud originally has such a reinforcement between the 'service area' and the engine compartment. The dividing wall, also known as diaphragm wall, forms the reinforcement between the attachment points of the struts and thus ensures that the engine compartment is less subject to torsion. The four-cylinder boxer lies flat on its stomach and is wedged between its inner brake discs in the depth between some appendages. The air filter housing is effective rather than beautiful. The carburetors that breathe through it like it best if they are allowed to blow through. Below 50 km/h they sometimes work less smoothly. Among Boxer enthusiasts, the 1.5 liter 95 hp and the 1.7 liter 118 hp blocks are the toppers. The first generation 1.5 liter 105 hp blocks actually only produced about 93 and were much less flexible than the 1.5 liter 95 hp engines.