re: Alfa factories outside Italy

[bearbvd@domain.elided (Greg Hermann)]

>John, you wrote:
>"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."
>**********

Kaiser's plant in Cordoba, Argentina, once built a car called a Torino
which used the 230 cid "Tornado" (Continental block) OHC I-6 engine
(hemi-headed) (the same engine of early '60's Jeep Gladiator pickup and
Wagoneer fame) with a specisl 12 port head and 3 - 45 DCOE carbs. (310 HP @
5200 rpm was the rating) It had a five speed tranny built under license
from ZF, and used the inner body tub from our boxy, late '60's Rambler
American. It also had IRS, and rather impressive amounts (8"??) of wheel
travel at each corner (out of local necessity).

I believe that the car's official name was the "Torino SM-420". They were
faster than stink!

All I ever heard about the outer body skin is that it was a Pinin-Farina
design. Perhaps it used recycled Alfa panels??

If so, perhaps this is the car you are talking about.

Regards, Greg


>Are you referring to the Fiat 1900, or the Borgward Isabella?  I was a teen
>ager at that time, but vaguely remember these cars in Argentina.  There is a
>pic. at the Argentine Alfa Romeo Club web site that might illustrate what
>you are referring to:
>< http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/7922/incognit.html >
>
>Jorge
>Redlands, CA
>e-mail:  jmazl@domain.elided
>Home page: http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/2035/index.html

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End of alfa-digest V7 #660
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