Alfa Romeo Alfa 6
Encyclopedia
The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 is an executive car
produced by the Italian
automaker Alfa Romeo
from 1979 to 1986.
On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range. The four-door body was fairly conventional and used a similar style to the existing Alfa Romeo Alfetta
, and in fact both vehicles share a great number of parts, including door panels; Design work on the 6 was done prior to the Alfa Romeo Alfetta
, but the fuel crisis of 1973 delayed further development and led to the 6's belated 1979 debut. The styling was not particularly aerodynamic but the drag coefficient
was a somewhat respectable 0.41. Power came from an all-new 2.5 V6 engine which generated 158 PS at 5600 rpm using a total of six carburettors (that frequently went out of balance) and a single, belt driven camshaft
in each cylinder head. Power steering
, power windows, central locking, electric wing mirrors and a 25% limited slip differential
were standard, making the Alfa 6 competitively priced compared to similar saloons of that time where such equipment typically was a costly extra. The car was also designed to set new standards in safety; for example it featured a shock sensor in the boot which would cut off the fuel supply in the event of a crash.
In 1983 the car was revamped, with single square headlights replacing the twin round units, new bumpers, a new grille and new trim around the rear lights. Minor interior changes were also carried out, whilst mechanically the engine's troublesome six carburettors were replaced by Bosch
L-Jetronic fuel injection
, with the power remaining at 158 PS. This revamp also saw the introduction of two new engines, a 2.0 version of the existing V6 engine (which retained the carburettors) and a 2.5 litre VM
5 cylinder
turbodiesel
.
The Bertone Delfino concept car in 1983 was based on Alfa 6.
Executive car
Executive car is a British term that refers to a car's size and is used to describe an automobile larger than a large family car. In official use, the term is adopted by EuroNCAP, a European organisation founded to test car safety.- History :...
produced by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
automaker Alfa Romeo
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...
from 1979 to 1986.
On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range. The four-door body was fairly conventional and used a similar style to the existing Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo GTV redirects here. For 916 series GTV see Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo Alfetta is an Italian rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coupé produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo...
, and in fact both vehicles share a great number of parts, including door panels; Design work on the 6 was done prior to the Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Alfa Romeo GTV redirects here. For 916 series GTV see Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo Alfetta is an Italian rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coupé produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo...
, but the fuel crisis of 1973 delayed further development and led to the 6's belated 1979 debut. The styling was not particularly aerodynamic but the drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
was a somewhat respectable 0.41. Power came from an all-new 2.5 V6 engine which generated 158 PS at 5600 rpm using a total of six carburettors (that frequently went out of balance) and a single, belt driven camshaft
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
in each cylinder head. Power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
, power windows, central locking, electric wing mirrors and a 25% limited slip differential
Limited slip differential
A limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
were standard, making the Alfa 6 competitively priced compared to similar saloons of that time where such equipment typically was a costly extra. The car was also designed to set new standards in safety; for example it featured a shock sensor in the boot which would cut off the fuel supply in the event of a crash.
In 1983 the car was revamped, with single square headlights replacing the twin round units, new bumpers, a new grille and new trim around the rear lights. Minor interior changes were also carried out, whilst mechanically the engine's troublesome six carburettors were replaced by Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...
L-Jetronic fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel 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....
, with the power remaining at 158 PS. This revamp also saw the introduction of two new engines, a 2.0 version of the existing V6 engine (which retained the carburettors) and a 2.5 litre VM
VM Motori
VM Motori S.p.A. is a diesel engine manufacturing company in Cento, Italy, in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region which is also home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati.- History :...
5 cylinder
Straight-5
The straight-five engine or inline-five engine is an internal combustion engine with five cylinders aligned in one row or plane, sharing a single engine block and crankcase...
turbodiesel
Turbodiesel
Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines...
.
The Bertone Delfino concept car in 1983 was based on Alfa 6.
Engines
| Model | Engine | Volume | Power | Torque | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfa 6 2,0 V6 | V6 | 1,997 cc (6 single Dell'Orto carburetors) | 99 kW (135 PS) at 5,600 rpm | 178 newton metres (131.3 ft·lbf) at 4,500 rpm | 1983–1986 |
| Alfa 6 2,5 | V6 | 2,492 cc (6 single Dell'Orto carburetors) | 118 kW (160 PS) at 5,800 rpm | 219 newton metres (161.5 ft·lbf) at 4,000 rpm | 1979–1982 |
| Alfa 6 2,5 V6 QO | V6 | 2,492 cc (Bosch L-Jetronic) | 116 kW (158 PS) at 5,600 rpm | 215 newton metres (158.6 ft·lbf) at 4,000 rpm | 1983–1986 |
| Alfa 6 2,5TD | I5 Straight-5 The straight-five engine or inline-five engine is an internal combustion engine with five cylinders aligned in one row or plane, sharing a single engine block and crankcase... |
2,494 cc VM VM Motori VM Motori S.p.A. is a diesel engine manufacturing company in Cento, Italy, in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region which is also home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati.- History :... turbodiesel Turbodiesel Turbodiesel refers to any diesel engine with a turbocharger. Turbocharging is the norm rather than the exception in modern car and truck diesel engines... |
77 kW (105 PS) at 4,300 rpm | 206 newton metres (151.9 ft·lbf) at 2,400 rpm | 1983–1986 |
Statistics
- Total build: 12,070
- With carburetted 2.5 litre V6 petrol engine: 5,748
- With fuel injected 2.5 litre V6 petrol engine: 1,574
- With 2.0 litre V6 petrol engine: 1,771
- With 2.5 litre VM turbodiesel engine: 2,977