Alfa Romeo 33
Encyclopedia
The Alfa Romeo 33 is a small family car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo
between 1983 and 1995. It was essentially an evolution of its predecessor, the Alfasud
, which was based on the same floorplan, chassis and mechanicals albeit with some minor modifications. The Nissan based Alfa Romeo Arna
was launched shortly after, offering a similar size car but at a lower cost.
The 33 has a unique place in Alfa Romeo history - nearly 1 million of these cars were produced internationally. During its 11 year lifespan the 33 saw a light facelift in 1986 and a significant restyle in 1989. The 33 was discontinued in 1994 and replaced by the Alfa Romeo 145 and 146
, which used the same boxer engines but built around an entirely new platform based on the Fiat Tipo
.
was launched in 1983 and a station wagon
version (initially badged Giardinetta, later badged SportWagon) was introduced the following year at the same time as a four-wheel drive
version of the hatchback. The hatchback was styled by Ermanno Cressoni
at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, while the station wagon was designed by Pininfarina
. Unlike the Alfasud, a 3-door was never launched.
The 33 became renowned for its nimble handling and powerful boxer engines, but also became equally well-known for its unreliable electronics and tendencies to rust (a frequent complaint on Italian cars in general at the time). Another issue was its braking and increased unsprung weight — the Alfasud's inboard front disc brake
s (mounted on the gearbox) had been moved to the more common outboard discs (mounted on the wheel hubs). The rear discs of the Sud's four-wheel disc arrangement had also been replaced with drums.
The car featured numerous innovations for the company, including an instrument binnacle that moved up and down with the adjustable steering wheel, and a plastic bonnet. The UK launch promoted the sleek design, and the Daily Mail noted its low drag coefficient
of 0.36, and very impressive in 1983 with only bigger cars such as the Ford Sierra
and Audi 100
able to better it.
. Also new four wheel drive version was introduced called the Permanent 4, which was renamed to Q4 starting from 1992. Late production 33s also do not suffer from the rust problems of their ancestors, as their frames are galvanized in the manner Alfa Romeo introduced with the 164.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
between 1983 and 1995. It was essentially an evolution of its predecessor, the Alfasud
Alfa Romeo Alfasud
The Alfa Romeo Alfasud is a compact car made by Alfa Romeo of Italy from 1971 to 1989. It was considered one of Alfa Romeo's most successful models, sold 893,719 examples from 1972 to 1983 plus 121,434 Sprint versions from 1976 to 1989. A common nickname for the car is ’Sud...
, which was based on the same floorplan, chassis and mechanicals albeit with some minor modifications. The Nissan based Alfa Romeo Arna
Alfa Romeo Arna
The Alfa Romeo Arna is a subcompact automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1983 and 1987.Launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Arna was a product of a short-lived partnership between Alfa Romeo and Japanese manufacturer Nissan; the car's name was an acronym...
was launched shortly after, offering a similar size car but at a lower cost.
The 33 has a unique place in Alfa Romeo history - nearly 1 million of these cars were produced internationally. During its 11 year lifespan the 33 saw a light facelift in 1986 and a significant restyle in 1989. The 33 was discontinued in 1994 and replaced by the Alfa Romeo 145 and 146
Alfa Romeo 145
The Alfa Romeo 145 and 146 are small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1994 and 2001. They were launched at the 1994 Turin Motor Show...
, which used the same boxer engines but built around an entirely new platform based on the Fiat Tipo
Fiat Tipo
The Fiat Tipo is a small family car designed by the IDEA design house and produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1988 and 1995.The Tipo was initially available only as a five-door hatchback. The car was made entirely out of galvanized body panels to avoid rust, and was built on a...
.
Launch model (1983-1989)
Initially known as the Alfa 33, the 5-door hatchbackHatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
was launched in 1983 and a station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
version (initially badged Giardinetta, later badged SportWagon) was introduced the following year at the same time as a four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
version of the hatchback. The hatchback was styled by Ermanno Cressoni
Ermanno Cressoni
Ermanno Cressoni was an Italian car designer who worked for both Alfa Romeo and Fiat during his career. He designed or directed the design of a number of significant cars such as the Alfa Romeo 75 and the Fiat Coupe. He was often referrered to as 'Arch'...
at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, while the station wagon was designed by Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
. Unlike the Alfasud, a 3-door was never launched.
The 33 became renowned for its nimble handling and powerful boxer engines, but also became equally well-known for its unreliable electronics and tendencies to rust (a frequent complaint on Italian cars in general at the time). Another issue was its braking and increased unsprung weight — the Alfasud's inboard front disc brake
Disc brake
The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a wheel while it is in motion.A brake disc is usually made of cast iron, but may in some cases be made of composites such as reinforced carbon–carbon or ceramic matrix composites. This is connected to the wheel and/or...
s (mounted on the gearbox) had been moved to the more common outboard discs (mounted on the wheel hubs). The rear discs of the Sud's four-wheel disc arrangement had also been replaced with drums.
The car featured numerous innovations for the company, including an instrument binnacle that moved up and down with the adjustable steering wheel, and a plastic bonnet. The UK launch promoted the sleek design, and the Daily Mail noted its low drag coefficient
Automobile drag coefficient
The drag coefficient is a common metric in automotive design pertaining to aerodynamic effects. As aerodynamic drag increases as the square of speed, a low value is preferable to a high one...
of 0.36, and very impressive in 1983 with only bigger cars such as the Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
and Audi 100
Audi 100
The restyled C2 Audi 100 was launched in 1976, with an in-line five-cylinder engine...
able to better it.
Engines
- 1.2 1,186 cc flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
, 50 kW at 6,000 rpm, 92 N·m (68 ft·lbf) at 3,200 rpm (Single carburettor) - 1.3 1,351 cc flat-4, 58 kW at 6,000 rpm, 113 N·m (83 ft·lbf) at 3,500 rpm (Single carburettor)
- 1.3 1,351 cc flat-4, 63 kW at 5,800 rpm, 121 N·m (89 ft·lbf) at 4,000 rpm
- 1.5 1,490 cc flat-4, 62 kW at 5,800 rpm, 123 N·m (91 ft·lbf) at 3,500 rpm
- 1.5 1,490 cc flat-4, 70 kW at 5,750 rpm, 133 N·m (98 ft·lbf) at 4,000 rpm (Twin carburettor)
- 1.5 1,490 cc flat-4, 77 kW at 6,000 rpm, 136 N·m (100 ft·lbf) at 4,000 rpm (Two-Twin carburettor)
Facelift (1986-1989)
A mild facelift in autumn 1986 resulted in a revised range when the 1.7 litre engine was introduced and a new interior which simplified the dashboard, and lost the innovative moveable instrument binnacle. Exterior alterations were limited to indicator lens colour changes and minor amendments to grill and bumpers. A 1.8 litre diesel engine was also introduced in some markets.Engines
- 1.3 1,351 cc flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
, 58 kW (Single carburettor) - 1.3 1,351 cc flat-4, 63 kW (Twin carburettor)
- 1.5 1,490 cc flat-4, 77 kW (Twin carburettor)
- 1.5 i.e. 1,490 cc flat-4, 72 kW (EFIFuel injectionFuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
) - 1.7 1,712 cc flat-4, 87 kW (Twin carburettor)
- 1.8 TD 1,779 cc straight-3Straight-3A straight-three engine, also known as inline-three engine, or a triple, is a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with three cylinders arranged in a straight line or plane, side by side....
, 54 kW (KKK 14 turbocharger)
Second series (1990-1995)
The 33 was given a more extensive facelift in the end of 1989, the Series II or 'Nuova' 33, which went on sale in January 1990. This featured a revised interior, the introduction of fuel injection, the 1.7 litre engine upgraded to include a 137 PS 16 valve version, and a heavily restyled front and rear ends, in line with the new Alfa "family look" established by the flagship 164Alfa Romeo 164
The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
. Also new four wheel drive version was introduced called the Permanent 4, which was renamed to Q4 starting from 1992. Late production 33s also do not suffer from the rust problems of their ancestors, as their frames are galvanized in the manner Alfa Romeo introduced with the 164.
Engines
- 1.2 1,186 cc flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
, 57 kW at 6,000 rpm, 95 N·m (70 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (twin carburettors) - 1.3 1,351 cc flat-4Flat-4A flat-4 or horizontally opposed-4 is a flat engine with four cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of two cylinders on each side of a central crankcase...
, 63 kW at 6,000 rpm, 119–122 N·m (87.8–90 ftlbf) at 4,500 rpm (twin Weber carburettors) - 1.3 IE 1,351 cc flat-4 , 64 kW at 6,000 rpm, 109 N·m (80 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (Marelli IAW, on some markets Bosch Jetronic before April 1992)
- 1.5 1,490 cc flat-4, 77 kW (twin DRLA40 carburettors)
- 1.5 IE 1,490 cc flat-4, 77 kW at 6,000 rpm, 126 N·m (93 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (Bosch L3-1 Jetronic)
- 1.5 IE catCatalytic converterA catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
1,490 cc flat-4, 70 kW at 6,000 rpm, 125 N·m (92 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (Bosch LE3 Jetronic before April 1992, Bosch Motronic MP3.1 after) - 1.7 IE 1,712 cc flat-4, 81 kW/catCatalytic converterA catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
: 79 kW at 5,800 rpm, 153 N·m (113 ft·lbf)/cat: 149 N·m (110 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (Bosch LE3 Jetronic before April 1992, Bosch Motronic MP3.1 from April 1992) - 1.7 IE cat 1,712 cc flat-4, 81 kW/catCatalytic converterA catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
: 79 kW at 5,800 rpm, 153 N·m (113 ft·lbf)/cat: 149 N·m (110 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm (Bosch LE3 Jetronic before April 1992, Bosch Motronic MP3.1 from April 1992) - 1.7 IE 16V 1,712 cc flat-4, 98 kW at 6,500 rpm, 157–161 N·m (115.8–118.7 ftlbf) at 4,600 rpm (Bosch Motronic ML4.1)
- 1.7 IE 16V cat 1,712 cc flat-4, 95 kW at 6,500 rpm, 151–155 N·m (111.4–114.3 ftlbf) at 4,600 rpm (Bosch Motronic ML4.1)
- 1.8 TD i 1,779 cc straight-3Straight-3A straight-three engine, also known as inline-three engine, or a triple, is a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine with three cylinders arranged in a straight line or plane, side by side....
, 62 kW at 4,200 rpm and 178 N·m (131.3 ft·lbf) at 2,400 rpm, turbocharged with Intercooler (VM HRT 392)