How many, and why?

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

In AD7-1201 Joe Elliott writes " someone said that there were only 9,526 V6 
75's made. Can that be right? I would have thought that there were twice that 
many in
the USA alone!"

I was quoting "Alfa Romeo Production Cars" by Stefano d'Amico and Maurizio 
Tabucchi, who were using Alfa Romeo's (and Fiat's) archives. Additionally, 
going by their listing of chassis and engine numbers, no more than 883 of 
them were three-liters, of which one might also have thought that there were 
twice that many in the USA alone.

In addition, about one out of four 164s was a V6, (which went into production 
about a year after the 75 V6) and about twelve percent of the Alfa 90 
production was V6. As the V6 90 preceded the V6 75 by about two years, it 
seems reasonable to assume that a large percentage of the customers in Europe 
who would have wanted a V6 sedan would have had a fairly new 90 (or an Alfa 
6) before the V6 75 was introduced, and some who found front-wheel-drive and 
Pininfarina styling acceptable would have taken the 164 over a 75 - leaving 
the USA as a disproportionately large market for significant numbers of the 
V6 75. Something similar happened to the Verde; the Milano market was fairly 
saturated with 2.5s before the three liter was introduced, and in some places 
(like where I live) the Alfa dealer would not consider taking a clean, 
near-new 2.5 as a trade-in on a 3.0, which undoubtedly limited sales.

The GTV-6 generated better numbers- 22,381, against 114,393 fours. Again, for 
people who did not need four doors the GTV-6 may have preempted some V6 sales 
of both the 90 and the 75.

In the Italian market there is a major taxation threshold at two liters, 
which is a reason for the two-liter V6 versions of the Alfa 6, Alfa 90, 164, 
and GTV.

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

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