[alfa] market flops

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In AD9-1209 I commented on Peter Webb's listing of the Arna and the Alfa
6 as the two largest flops in Alfa history, comparing published
production numbers for those two with some others, including (for
comparison with the Alfa 6) the 102 Berlina and 106 Berlina as the last
prior large sedans and the 90 V6 and 75 V6 as the first following
large-engined sedans. In AD10-#7 Keith Walker discusses the same
relationships but with published production numbers which are the same in
some cases, similar in others, and markedly different in still others.

The numbers I used were from my copy of d'Amico & Tabucchi, "Alfa Romeo
Production Cars 1910-1996", a would-be authoritative source which
contains more errors than either the authors or the publisher might have
wished. Keith didn't name his source (as I hadn't mine) and his could
well have been a later, corrected edition (or an earlier, still more
flawed one) or a completely different publication.

For the 102 Berlina production numbers, Keith gives 2,893, the same
number given by d'A & T.

For the 106 Berlina, Keith gives 2,051, the same number given by d'A & T.

For the Alfa 6, Keith gives 6,372 (total?) cars built, which he assumes
includes 1,771 of the 2L V6 version and 2,977 of the VM engined
turbodiesel version, which would leave just 1,624 of the 2.5 liter V6
version. D'Amico & Tabucchi give 12,260 V6 and 2977 Turbodiesels, listed
separately, and do not break out the two liter V6.

For the 90 (which, like the 75, was produced mainly in four cylinder
versions), Keith gives 6,912 as the number of 2.5 V6 Alfa 90s built, but
there are the 2L V6 models (quantity unstated) on top of that  not
included, as he assumed they were for the 6.

For the 75, Keith gives 11,718 2.5 V6 Alfa 75s built between 1985 and
1988, plus 6,527 3L V6 Alfa 75s in 1987 and 1988, plus 2,999 3L V6 after
that date (facelifted) and an additional 354 2.5 V6, for a total of
21,598. D'Amico & Tabucchi give 9,526 as the number of 75 V6s, without
separating three-liters from 2.5 liters.

The chassis number ranges given in d'Amico & Tabucchi are of limited use;
not all cars within all ranges were always built, and there is no reason
to assume that they are more correct than the production numbers are.

Obviously our numbers are drawn from different sources, either different
books or different editions of the same book. Either could account for
the apparent discrepancy that for the Alfa 6 Keith subtracts the
turbodiesels and two liter V6s from the main production number, and adds
the turbodiesels and two liter V6s to the main production number of 2.5
V6s on the case of the 90.

Does it matter? Probably not. The car was certainly not a resounding
success. I have understood from other sources what d'Amico & Tabucchi
say, that it was an old design, actually predating the Alfetta, which sat
on the back burner for about a decade while Alfa's limited resources were
dedicated to less ambitious, but more marketable, products  the Alfetta,
Alfasud, and 33 variants.

CheersJohn H.   
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