RE: [alfa] alfa-subaru connection

[White Anthony <anthony.white@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Also, he speculated that the relationship may go back further as 
Subaru's boxer engine design may have roots tracing back to the Alfasud."

My first car was an early Subaru -- a 1975 GSR coupe 1400.  
The Subaru 1300 was made from '71-'72, the 1400 from '73-'76.  1971
manufacture predates the Sud's '72 release; presumably the design was also
earlier.  I strongly doubt that there was any relationship between the two.
Boxer engines used to be quite popular, from the fifties through the late
seventies.  

The Subaru engine was a pushrod OHV engine, while the Sud engine has single
overhead cams on each bank.  Both were wet sleeved, but the Subaru was a
completely alloy design, while the Sud engine is iron block with alloy heads.
My '75 GSR was a surprisingly good little engine.  60mm stroke, 10:1
compression, lumpy camshaft, twin 1.5" downdraft Hitachi carburettors, 6800
rpm redline, 95hp, all from the factory.  

The method of mounting the engine longitudinally with a front drive transaxle
had also been undertaken earlier -- the Lancia Fulvia springs to mind, though
Fiats and Renaults had also used this arrangement.  The Citroen 2CV had a 2
cylinder boxer and front drive.  Overall, there was no great novelty in the
Sud's packaging; Alfa just made a particularly good job of making it fun to
drive.  

Believe it or not, the Japanese also used to make cars with character, before
they realised that it was not a road to financial success.  I loved that
Subaru almost as much as I love my current Alfasud Sprint.  

Regards,
Anthony White
Wellington, NZ
Alfasud Sprint
105 GTV 2000
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