Re: Alfa factories outside Italy

[Tony Stevens <tony@domain.elided>]

Supporting & adding to the CKD assembly thread, I believe that there was
also a CKD assembly plant in Malaya (now Malaysia) during the late '50's
& 60's, I have heard about CKD Giulietta saloons being assembled there.

Since Malaysia also drives on the left, as the UK & South Africa, then
this agrees with the "CKD only of RHD" cars theory.

There was also a vast ammount of Giulia TI & Super body panels available
in Malaysia about 15 years ago (alas apparently now all gone), perhaps
this was the remains of the CKD stock?

Regarding the South American assembly plants, FNM built versions of the
1900, 2000 (102 series) & Alfetta saloons. The latter was called the
Rio, later just "AR 2300", & was a slightly stretched Alfetta fitted
with a 2300cc version of the iron-block 2000 engine - one version of
which was reputedly good for 150+ bhp on wood alcohol based fuel on a
12:1 cr! Suspension was also based on the 102 series.

For some unknown reason, AR thought that the Rio would sell well in
Europe(!!!) & about 600 cars were shipped over in the mid 70's to be
sold in Germany & Holland. It then transpired that nobody had thought
about spares backup so new cars were stripped for parts. This all sounds
familiar.......

A Dutch dealer friend told me that the trim, electrics & body were of
very poor quality  & caused horrendous warrenty claims, so much that,
after about a year or so, AR offerred to take back all the cars from the
owners & replace them with a 105 series 2000 Berlina at no cost to the
customer.

No doubt Eric Harrison can add to the FNM story as he has researched
these cars in some detail.

Tony Stevens

In message , JHertzman@domain.elided writes
>In AD7-658 Graham Hilder asks about Alfas assembly operations outside of 
>Italy- with particular reference to the South African cars.
>
>My understanding was that the CKD operation was unique to South Africa, and 
>existed only because South Africa did not allow the importation of complete 
>cars; and that the factory was not owned or operated by Alfa Romeo, but 
>assembled several different makes of cars which were shipped in as parts.
>
>A support for this South-Africa-only assumption is that all of the CKD cars 
>listed in Fusi have the same type numbers as the right-hand-drive models; one 
>would expect left-hand drive models also if the CKD operations were more 
>general.
>
>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. 
>
>There is also an odd machine which may/may not have had some relevance to 
>Alfa's extrateritorial car manufacture. An Alfa 1900 Berlina powered by a 
>non-Alfa engine (Willys? Kaiser-Frazer?) with a non-Alfa name and a non-Alfa 
>grill superimposed on the intact front sheet metal was assembled in 
>Argentina. This may have involved some sort of partnership with Alfa (or with 
>FNM) or it may have just been reuse of Alfa tooling which had been sold, but 
>I have no details.
>
>Fiat is another question entirely; it has plants in Argentina, Brazil, 
>Turkey, Poland, South Africa, Russia, India  and China, and can put Alfa 
>badges on cars from any of them.  
>
>John H. 
>Raleigh, N.C.
>

- -- 
Tony Stevens    http://www.alfastop.co.uk
ALFA STOP, POBox 50, Belper DE56 1AS, UK
Tel: +44 (0)177 382 2000
Fax: +44 (0)177 382 1900

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