ALFA ROMEO ALFASUD vs ARNA
The shoes of the successful Alfasud were large ones to fill, but in the early 1980s Alfa Romeo needed to deliver a car that did just that. On paper the Alfasud’s replacement was that of the Alfa Romeo 33, and in many respects the 33 was an evolution of the ’Sud. It was, however, also a notable step up the model hierarchy – both larger and more upmarket than the car that came before it. This left a gap in the market for a second new model, which is where the Alfa Romeo Arna comes in. Let’s rewind a little.
The first car styled by Giugiaro’s ItalDesign, the ’Sud boasted an engaging design and a new boxer engine delivering excellent levels of performance, allied to top-notch handling. In range-topping 1712cc Sprint guise, the ’Sud was at its most impressive, a real driver’s car, and as a result it was a strong seller for the Italian brand. Its replacement was expected to raise the game further still.
Shortly after the arrival of the 33 came the Arna in three- and five-door guise, the first-born from a union between Alfa Romeo and Nissan that had been announced in the autumn of 1980, endorsed by the Italian government. The joint venture resulted in a new plant being constructed near Naples; here Alfa received Arna body panels from Japan, ready for the car’s final assembly in Italy. That was because the model itself was based heavily on the N12 Nissan Cherry, yet it used engines carried over from the Alfasud, together with key Alfa Romeo parts including the gearbox, front brakes and suspension – the rear items coming from Nissan.
Revealed at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Arna was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, its
