Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.5 Super. Driving with a smile…

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Purchasing classics there

Then this beautiful Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.5 Super returned to the dealer where it was sold to the first owner in 1979, we were quick to entrust this cool Italian to the asphalt. This is how we fulfilled a cherished wish.

Alfa Romeo Alfasuds have become rare for several reasons. Sheet steel quality and brutal handling of technology are examples of this. The contemporary exclusivity makes the fact that we are going to drive a beautiful copy very special. This one Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.5 Super is an enthusiast's car that has been in the right hands for 39 years. In addition, the Alfa Romeo Alfasud from the 1977 and later enhanced series. It means that we can fully enjoy the magic that the southern Italian brings to the surface.

Subtle interior throughout AlfaSouth

I can't wait to start with the Alfa to go on the road. Within the interior, the wish is reinforced. There are no traces of excess there, but tasteful minimalism, the right details and accents and subtle slim lines are evident. The interior is made of beautiful velvet. And that fits perfectly with the body painted in Verde Matese. The seats – fairly simple in construction – welcome you and provide a deep and active seating position behind a fine, inwardly curved steering wheel with three spokes. I turn the left-hand ignition key towards me and the water-cooled 1.5 boxer engine lets us know that it is ready for the start.

Quiet introduction

We cover the first few kilometers in peace. I let the engine – also because of the half-extended hand choke – warm up. Meanwhile, you notice how smooth and precise the five-speed gearbox, the fine clutch and the precise steering make the early ride more pleasant. We also notice that unevenness is sporty and resolutely dampened. Ergonomics and ease of use, as you can see, were designed for the Alfasud distinctively defined. Now take the lever located on the right side of the steering column. It combines the operation of the windscreen wipers, the blower and the double horn. Different, in a pleasant way. Trivialities such as all-round visibility further confirm how well thought-out this one is Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.5 Super was designed.

Progressive from rest to dynamics

The engine temperature has now risen to the correct level. The choke is turned off. And that means we can move the smooth 1.5 boxer to give the feather-light Sud the spurs. When I press the accelerator pedal deeper, it turns out that the 1490 cc measuring (and 84 HP generating) power source has the sporty construction Alfasud fits very well. The transformation from satisfying tranquility to intense dynamics is in fact very fine and takes place progressively gradually with a nice torque development. The five-speed gearbox has a nice overlap in all gears without major revs. On the highway you are just at the maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour and even then the end of the acceleration curve is not yet in sight, also because the beautiful torque remains available for a long time.

Stimulating desire

Of course we leave the Alfa also out on those fine little Frisian inner party roads. There it becomes clear again what brilliant driving characteristics the Alfa Romeo Alfasud 1.5 Super fitted. The Alfa is an ideal cornering car, it never betrays the trust you place in it. The Sud is like a block on the road. Extensively neutral and precise steering, she evokes an intense desire for new curves. Bends, in which the Alfasud barely tilts. And with good braking maneuvers, the Sud maintains the horizontal line, thanks in part to the Watt arms at the rear.

Coherent interplay

The chassis is a technical and purely mechanical masterpiece. The front wheel suspension, with its McPherson spring elements, transversely positioned lower support arms and angled forward arms (connected to the stabilizer) is masterful. It forms a beautiful whole with the rear part of the chassis with the Watt suspension, the rigid rear axle and the Panhard rod. The coherent interplay of the chassis with the accelerator pedal, steering, the low unsprung weight (brake discs on the gearbox) and the excellent engine does not shrink. Not a moment.

Fascinating

De Alfa challenges more and more. However, everything comes to an end. The adventure is over. When we say goodbye, the memory that tells us that we have been out with the best front-wheel drive car of its time remains. It is this retrospective that evokes a strong desire to drive one of the most beautifully constructed compacts ever again soon. Because she offered us pure fascination. And that is just an understatement for the experience we get with this rare and rare fun Alfa Romeo were allowed to build. Insane.

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10 comments

  1. what a pleasure to see and read.
    From 1978 I was allowed to sit in the back seat of a seemingly identical example for many years. Also in Verde Matese. was only the 1.3 Super.
    When he did, it was indeed a party. Two broken timing belts and a rotten gearbox gave my parents quite a hangover. Here and there, the little rust devil also put its teeth into the sheet metal quite quickly... Still, I was seized by it myself alfa virus to your full satisfaction. The modern Giulia is delightful

  2. a '75 with 'J' license plate. and those Germans, then already boring, ugly, unimaginative, no 5-speed, tachometer, etc. and not a girl to get along ;)

  3. HAD A 1.5 ti, TACHOMETER, 5 BAK, H.LEATHER BUCKET SEATS, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE, on Lpg, always started, never a penny of pain, driven 1,5 years with 0 cents. maintenance, no rust, unfortunately I don't have it anymore .... and all the others Alfasame here!

  4. I bought a TI QV new in 1982 and drove it with a smile on my face for five years. Top car. Drove like a go kart and very fast. No rust, no technical problems. I have very fond memories of that. Until now always Alfa driven (currently including Giulia).

  5. Owned a Sud TI QV (1984) with beautiful rims and very expensive tires. Those tires had super grip, like chewing gum. A few laps of the TT circuit took many millimeters of profile. This Sud is still super cool and is owned by a good friend. Have many Alfaridden and still do, but this red Sud was the pinnacle.

  6. I've driven it myself, as in so many different cars, and I can only endorse the driving impression Erik describes. And indeed they fell prey en masse to 'the brown plague'. You heard them rustling loudly. Even in the folder. Very unfortunate for such a car with such an eye for detail, where the main problem, the rust, turned out to be an ineradicable blind spot.

  7. In the 70s I noticed a small spot near the windshield wiper of my Alfasud, i pressed it gently, then the whole wiper disappeared inside the car.!! Still one of the most wonderful driving cars I've ever had. Too bad you heard him rust

  8. The only Alfa which I owned. Turned out to be a very nice car to drive, the only car that gave me this feeling as a motorcyclist. A luxury go-kart. However, the rusting, which caused this Sud to be scrapped too early, turned out to be the case Alfa-own and I was looking for a more practical car to be able to transport more things. But good memories of this Italian can!

  9. Fantasche cars drove them three, 1350, 1500 and 1500 TI even got my driver's license in it. It Alfa virus never passed after that. For a first copy: a square license plate is completely finished.

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