Re:FWD/RWD

["Tim Hancock" <timhancock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

George Graves comments

<Alfa switched to FWD, because after Fiat took over in the late
eighties, that is what all of Fiat's chassis were. Alfas became "shared
platforms" with the Fiat takeover because most Fiat-built Alfas shared
chassis with Fiats, Lancias, and in the case of the 164, the
aforementioned two as well as the Saab 9000>

Anyone remember the Alfasud ? A pre-Fiat Alfa chassis, FWD and still regarded
as one of the best handling cars Alfa ever made despite its fragility.
Generalisation on these issues should carry a government health warning.

Saab are not a good example as Saab have always made it clear that they have a
deliberate policy of building in a high degree of understeer as they regard it
as a safety feature. This is a policy decision, not an engineering
inevitability.

One of my best Alfa experiences was being driven four up in a 164 Cloverleaf
round the Silverstone Club circuit by Caroline Hoy, wife of the then BTCC
saloon car champion Will Hoy (who sadly passed away recently at too young an
age) I suspect she was using the extra weight in the back to hang the tail out
in the Luffield complex, but either way the rest of us in the car had no idea
you could even attempt to corner a heavy FWD in this fashion. Exciting?  You
bet!

The same day I drove the Alfa 33 Permanent 4wd round the circuit, and found it
a rather dull drive compared with the 33 1.7 FWD. It was the lack of traction
that provided the fun, not a surfeit of it !

Please note I am not saying anything against RWD, just noting some intolerance
towards FWD which I feel is not always fair.
I've never replaced a CV boot yet, and I've owned at least 16 FWD cars. Engine
mounts I will concede however..

Tim Hancock   Boston UK

164TS
164Super
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