Alfa Romeo Rio (2300)

[Chris <chris@domain.elided>]

Hi all!

I'm starting research on the story of the Alfa Romeo Rio.

I only have one picture yet:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~chris/images/rio.jpg

All information on this car is very welcome.
I don't own, or have access to, the "Fusi Bible" but would
like to know if this car is even mentioned there.

Here's what I know so far:

In 1968 the "F=E1brica Nacional de Motores" (FNM) in Duque de Caxias,
just under Rio de Janeiro, in Brasil was taken over by Alfa Romeo.
They were building heavy trucks for both the Brasilian and=20
South-American Market, AND a luxury car:
- - The NFM2150 -, which was no other than the Alfa Romeo Berlina 2000,
built under license!

When removed from the "gamma" in 1972, there came in 1974, the
Alfa Romeo 2300 (Rio); a lengthened version of the Alfetta (sedan)

Measuring:
471,9cm  length
169,2cm  width
144cm    height
273cm    wheelbase
139.7cm  gauge front
140 cm   gauge rear
12,7cm   turning circle
1210kg   weight(empty)
100litre fuel tank

Engine:
4 Cilinder straight
2310CC (cubic centimeters)
88mm x 95mm (Bore x Stroke)
9,0:1  Compression
97,1kW @ 5500rpm max power
200Nm  @ 3000rpm max torque
DOHC, chain driven
5 crank bearings
Solex C40 DHC (x2) Carburettors
Aluminum cylinder head

And now for the big surprise:
	CAST-IRON block (is this true??=20
			 it sure is not "Alfa-wise")

Drivetrain:
3.303:1 1st gear
1.985:1 2nd
1.353:1 3rd
1.000:1 4th
0.790:1 5th
3.008:1 rev
4.778:1 diff

Top speed: 175 kmh (for 1974 enourmous)
Accell. 0 - 100kmh 11.5 (even now, not bad!)

And now the strange part:
I have this information from a 1979(!) "Autovisie jaarboek".
(An annual edition of cars available in the Netherlands)
Which states, "in 1978(!) this car came silently into the gamma. The
odd thing was that the copyright of the instruction manual was on
"Alfa Romeo Deutschland".
Reading on I learned, the German Alfa Romeo Importer saw a market for
these cars, where "Alfa Romeo Italia" didn't, and had ordered over
1000 cars to be shipped from Brasil to Europe.

What then happened, I don't know . . . So please fill me in!