Re: 70-lter tank

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

Howard Jacobs' suggestion that the 70-liter tanks on at least two Berlinas,
one 1972 which he had in 1974 in South Africa and the one 1971 which Ian
Ruinaard has now, were a locally manufactured local-content item, makes a
great deal of sense. "Local content" regulations have been very popular in
developing countries, and South Africa certainly enjoyed other unique local
variants, most notably the carbureted three-liter GTV 6.

It is not quite correct that the South African plant (at Brits, near
Johannesburg, which I understand assembled several other makes of cars also)
was the only plant outside of Italy manufacturing Alfas; at the F.N.M in
Brazil (a joint venture with Fiat) there were three 2300 variants, the 102.13
Berlina 2300 Brasile Sportiva, 102.15 Berlina 2300 Brasile, and the 102.18
Berlina 2300 Brazile edizione Germania, all using a 2300 cc version of the
ironblock two liter and 102/106 chassis elements with a sedan body in the same
stylistic family as the Alfetta and the Alfa Sei but not actually sharing any
visible body parts with either car.

The last time the "plants outside Italy" thread was kicked around there were
mentions of Alfa assembly operations (proposed, hypothetical, rumored, or
perhaps real) in Mexico, Spain, Greece, Bankok and Kuala Lumpur. France also
makes the list, on the basis of known "Alfa Romeo -Paris" badges, but there is
every reason to believe that the Paris cars were simply Milan-built cars sold
there by Luigi Chinetti and badged 'Paris' for social and political reasons.
Some of the others may have been no more than rule-bending nominal "local
assembly" by a national distributor. I knew an Englishman who had once bought
a new AC Aceca (the coupe version of the car which became the Cobra) without
wheels, tires, steering wheel, and enough other parts to qualify as a
home-built kit-car for purchase-tax purposes, although AC did not purport to
be a kit supplier. And, of course, the current "Autodelta" is manufactured in
Illinois, using local-content badges and just one imported "part" made in
Italy. Rules are invitations to bendings.

There are still puzzling elements to the American Berlina tank-size story. The
accumulating testimony does sound as though the screw-on cap fourteen-gallon
(or 53 liter) tanks were used in 1972 and 1973 but that the 1974 Berlina
reverted to a bayonet-capped 12 gallon (46 liter) tank. I had gathered that
the adoption of the screw-on cap in 1972 was related to EPA/DOT strictures,
but a 1974 bayonet-cap does not fit that assumption, and there is nothing to
account for the 1974 tank not showing up in parts books published after the
change occurred. I'm not ready to believe it is just another case of ad-hoc
improvisation by chianti-swilling line-workers, but I don't have a better
answer.



John H.

Raleigh, N.C.

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