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Alfa Romeo Giulietta, BMW 320 and VW Jetta GLI sports sedans - traveling light through the seventies

Name: BMW 320/6 1977
Brand: BMW

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Created on October 25, 2021

Text:

Sven Juerisch

Photos:

Harald Almonat

Sports sedans of the seventies - Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6, VW Jetta GLI and BMW 320/6

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Straightforward front end

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Had extremely good drag values

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - High rear edge

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Pronounced wedge shape

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Dynamic silhouette

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Transaxle sedan

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The all-round visibility is a positive feature.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The cockpit is not a visual treat.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The bulky impact absorber in the wooden steering wheel did not exactly promote sales at the end of the seventies.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Counter-rotating round instruments for a touch of sporty flair in the interior

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The smoothness of the gearbox left a lot to be desired.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Three-layer center console

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The back seat

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Reflectors are intended to improve safety

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The Biscione, the Alfa trademark

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - A look at the model designation and the (previous) owner's priorities

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Dull wheel cover

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The engine was taken from the Alfetta, as were the floor assembly and the rear-wheel drive.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Looks good, sounds good - the 1.6-liter twin cam

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The trunk is rather small.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The internal model designation was 116.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The model badge

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - The fact that the Giulietta is no longer completely "nouva" is not only evident from the small rust spots.

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Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6 (1977) - Specially unspectacular door handles

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Can certainly be driven briskly

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - The GLI was the top model.

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Thanks to the GTI engine, the car moves forward quickly.

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Clear spatial separation of the body "sectors"

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - You can shift through the five gears yourself.

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Warm brown tones characterize the cockpit.

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - The two-spoke steering wheel looks old-fashioned today.

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Round meets square for speedometer and rev counter

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - What the emblem symbolizes is immediately clear

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Clock in the center console

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - The driver's door from the inside

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - No headrests in the rear

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Chrome-plated wheel covers

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - The 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 110 hp

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - K-Jetronic injection came from Bosch

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - The trunk holds a generous 630 liters

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Manufacturer lettering

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - The fuel filler cap

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VW Jetta GLI (1980) - Plastic door handles with chrome accents

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Great country road glider, then as now

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Engine and roadholding are perfectly matched.

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - naturally with double kidney grille

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - The model designation can also be found on the radiator grille

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Simple rear end and Hofmeister kink

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Never available with four doors

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Looks rather squat from the side

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Quite an angled dashboard

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - The four-spoke steering wheel

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Unmistakable lettering

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - The air vents and rotary switches

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - "Horizontal car radio"

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - No headrests at the rear

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Equipped with Alpina rims

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - The M20 in-line six-cylinder engine

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Good for 122 hp thanks to Solex twin carburetors

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Instead of being lowered, the rear side windows are now open.

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - Louvres in front of (or behind) the rear window

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - The door handles are also made of black plastic.

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - The signs of use are recognizable.

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - color and serial number clearly listed next to each other

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BMW 320/6 (1977) - When you have to help yourself...

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Summary

Volkswagen Jetta GLI, BMW 320/6 and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta were among the favorites of performance-hungry and sporty family dads around four decades ago. Even today, these practical and well-engined saloons can still impress if you can find them. This driving report compares the sports saloons of the time and shows them in many pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

Understatement is the name of the game
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Nuova 1.6
The beginning of the end
Youngtimer with style
Volkswagen Jetta GLI
Engines make models
King of the loadmasters
Everyday soldier without limitations
BMW 320/6
Foray into a new class
Perfect overall package
Driving is a pleasure

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

"Long live sport!". The slogan that moved the masses in the seventies and got the TrimmDich movement rolling also spilled over into the automotive landscape. Increasingly, sporty compacts appeared, although they were not always compatible with family planning. In the world of OKAL homes, two children, and perhaps even a dog, were part of good manners and needed to be accommodated. The generation of parents in the seventies had previously traveled in minimalist vehicles from England or France and were now striving for something better. They could afford it, but they didn't want to show their new passion for driving too clearly. In view of the emerging anti-car sentiment, this was quite understandable. Three manufacturers came to the rescue and launched dynamic mid-range saloons in inconspicuous guises onto the growing market.

Welcome to Zwischengas!