Heirs without the old glory? - Alfetta and BMW 520i in a (historic) comparison test

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Heirs without the old glory? - Alfetta and BMW 520i in a (historic) comparison test

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Created in 1974

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Heirs without the old glory? - Alfetta and BMW 520i in a (historic) comparison test

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1975) - built between 1975 and 1981 in three displacement variants

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1976) - The design comes from Bertone

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1974) - Good weight distribution thanks to transmission in front of the rear axle

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1974) - De Dion axle with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1976) - Equipped with disc brakes at the front and rear in keeping with the company tradition

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1973) - instructive illustrative model shows the transaxle design of the car equipped with a De Dion axle - at the Geneva Motor Show in 1973

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1973) - straightforward design, functional

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Alfa Romeo Alfetta (1973) - who could resist here

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BMW 520 (1978) - Advertising - Competitors wanted

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BMW 520 (1978) - Advertising - a new drive to go further

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BMW 520 (1973) - Advertising - Comfort as a sporting experience

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BMW 520 (1973) - Advertising - Consistency of sporting reason

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BMW 520 (1975) - Advertising - Cause and effect

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BMW 520 (1976) - in winter operation while skiing

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BMW 520 (1978) - The 6-cylinder in-line engine replaces the 4-cylinder engine

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BMW 520 (1973) - front engine and rear-wheel drive

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BMW 520 (1973) - The 115 hp two-liter four-cylinder engine with 2 Stromberg carburetors is particularly environmentally friendly and economical

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BMW 520 (1972) - important sedan for BMW, design influenced by Gandini/Bertone

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BMW 520 (1973) - Sets new standards in the upper middle class

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BMW 520 (1973) - Not boring, but inconspicuous

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BMW 520 (1973) - A compromise between comfort and sportiness

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BMW 520 (1973) - Comfort suspension and safety chassis

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BMW 520 (1974) - Based on a proven design

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BMW 520 (1974) - Shows the familiar features of unobtrusive BMW elegance

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BMW 520 (1974) - One of the racers in the BMW model range

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BMW 520 (1973) - see-through drawing, classic front-engine rear-wheel drive layout

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BMW 520 (1974) - The generously dimensioned channels of the cooling water circuit are recognizable

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BMW 520 (1974) - Fittings and control levers

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BMW 520 (1974) - Floor assembly and chassis

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BMW 520 (1974) - Adjustable steering wheel as an extra

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BMW 520 (1974) - Essential safety features

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Summary

BMW and Alfa Romeo each launched a sporty, comfortable model on the mid-range market in 1972. Although the development goal was similar, the results differed significantly. The 1974 comparison test reveals who did the better job.

This article contains the following chapters

The kilograms were ideally distributed
Battered by crosswinds
The BMW brakes leave something to be desired
A confusion of controls in the Alfetta
A lot of comfort for the money

Estimated reading time: 11min

Preview (beginning of the article)

AIfa Romeo and BMW launched new models on the mid-range market in 1972, the Alfetta and the BMW 520/520i. In this case, too, the old saying applied: if two do the same thing, it is still not the same. Because: BMW was content to switch from sporty speed to comfort and also retained its basic technical concept (front engine, rear-wheel drive, independent rear suspension with trailing arms), while the Italians took a huge step forward with the Alfetta. In memory of the Alfetta, which was so successful in the Grand Prix in the 1950s, not only was a legendary name revived, but also many of the technical achievements associated with it. Alfa's new model no longer had a rigid axle at the rear - like most of its predecessors - but a de Dion rear axle to which the gearbox and clutch of a differential were flange-mounted. This unit distribution ensured optimum weight ratios.

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