Re: Alfa factories outside Italy

["Robert A. Abhalter" <gt1300jr@domain.elided>]

John, you said:
>
>The only Alfa-owned and operated factory outside of Italy that I have heard
>of was the Fabrica Nacional de Motores in Brazil which built trucks, not
>cars. Trucks were a major part of Alfa's business in the first decade after
>the war, trucks and busses outnumbering cars more than three to one during
>the 1945-1950 period; from 1950 to 1955 the cars caught up, with 17,900
cars
>and 13,500 trucks, of which 4,700 were built in Brasil. Around 1970 Alfa
>started assembling Fiat trucks in the FNM plant, which at the time was said
>to be building 3,000 heavy trucks a year.
>
FNM also produced Alfa cars. For how long I'm not sure, but in the May,
1980, issue of the Alfa Owner, on page 5 is a picture of an Alfetta 2300
that "...was made in Brazil when Alfa  Romeo was still Fiat's partner in the
FNM company. Now Fiat runs the show entirely, and no recognizable Alfas are
made there."

The photo was used to illustrate an article about gasohol and referred to
another article in the October, 1977 issue of the Owner, which says the car
was "made under license using a 2,310cc engine with a 7.5:1 compression
ratio to cope with the gasohols then in use there."

I believe Brazil had very restrictive importation laws at that time, thus
the requirement to build Alfas in-country. Perhaps this was also the origin
of the Argentine car you referred to in your note. Wish I could tell you
more, but that's all I can find. I could swear I saw another picture of the
car featured in yet another issue of the Owner, however I just can't come up
with it. Maybe this note will spark someone else's memory.

Bob Abhalter
Grand Rapids, MI
1969 Spider (comes out of storage tomorrow)
1991 164L (now I can do some much-needed PM)

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End of alfa-digest V7 #659
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