The super anniversary for Alfa Romeo will probably go unnoticed
You could have really celebrated. Really let it rip. Few car manufacturers have the history/tradition to celebrate such a super anniversary. Nevertheless, Alfa Romeo is unlikely to celebrate it, for example because they don't currently have a suitable model that fits into the "anniversary" line (it would need a car above the current Giulia) or because upper mid-range saloons aren't considered so prestigious these days anyway.
We also admit that you have to be a little creative with the birth years of the individual cars to make the story fit together nicely, but others do that too. So let's jump into the breach and celebrate the super anniversary of Alfa-Romeo 's upper mid-range .
It was in 1958, 60 years ago, that the Alfa Romeo 2000 saloon went on sale. Although the Berlina had already been presented at the end of 1957 as the successor to the first post-war Alfa development, the 1900 model, it was not on sale until 1958. While the engine capacity increased and a six-cylinder engine was added to the front end in the following years, a new compact saloon called the Giulia was created at the same time, which in turn provided the basis for the next Berlina in the upper mid-range.
At the beginning of 1968, exactly 50 years ago, the Alfa Romeo 1750 was launched on the market. As with the Alfa Romeo 1900 and 2000, the engine capacity had to serve as the type designation. After the 2600 Berlina was discontinued, the Alfa Romeo 1750 was even the largest Alfa saloon ever from 1969 onwards. The classically designed Berlina, which was available with a two-liter engine from 1971, was replaced by the Alfetta with a transaxle design, which in turn was followed by the Alfa Romeo 90.
The next anniversary model, however, is the Alfa Romeo 164, the front-wheel drive model designed by Pininfarina, which brought Alfa Romeo into the modern era 30 years ago and was very successful on the market with four and six-cylinder engines. Presented at the IAA in 1987, the first deliveries took place at the beginning of 1988 and the 164 was built until 1997.
Twenty years ago, the Alfa Romeo 164 was replaced by the 166 model, introduced in October 1998. The Alfa Romeo 166 was a completely renewed 164, which was built in three generations until 2007. There is still no successor today.
Four Alfa Romeo saloons from the upper mid-range can therefore celebrate their 60th, 50th, 30th and 20th anniversaries this year. We, for one, are popping a champagne cork in the face of so much tradition.
