Monthly Archives: December 2020

Lamborghini

2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

With 12 years elapsed since the launch of the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, we were certain that we had reached the acceptance stage of grief over the lack of manual transmission for a car that we would never be in the market for to begin with. The advantages of the e-gear automated manual and its paddle shifters seemed to outweigh the enjoyment of a good traditional manual shift lever in the Superleggera's intended environment: the racetrack. In researching for today's post, it's become apparent that we misinterpreted the transmission offerings for the Gallardo Superleggera; e-gear was standard, but a manual transmission was available as a no-cost option. Today's example is an e-gear, but we will look out for a manual version in the future.

So, now that we've established the transmission offerings, let's go over some of the other Superleggera equipment. In the powertrain department, changes to the intake manifold and engine management net a 11bhp increase to peak power. A curb weight of 3434lb - 126lb lower than on the standard car - comes courtesy of carbon fiber composite substituted in place of the standard materials on the mirrors, underbody cover, rear diffusor, and other trim pieces. Interestingly enough, the suspension carries over from the standard Gallardo, but the lightweight edition had sticky rubber standard on its 19" wheels.

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Centro Stile Fiat, Fiat

1970 Fiat 850 Coupé

When browsing for Fiats online, every so often an 850 Spider will show up among the sea of 124 Spiders and X1/9s. An 850 Coupé, though, is a rare sight in the classifieds. We can't even claim to have ever seen one on the road ourselves. Around 340,000 Coupés were manufactured, though the majority of the 140,000 850s the made it to US shores were Spiders.

The OHV 4-cylinder engine was water-cooled like in its Fiat 600 predecessor, with the radiator mounted along with the fuel tank and engine in the rear engine compartment. The 903cc engine here produced 58bhp and was tasked with moving only ~1,600lb down the road.

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Alfa Romeo, Giugiaro, Uncategorized

1982 Alfa Romeo GTV-6

At one point, we owned a GTV-6. Black on black cloth, ridiculous 17" wheels, transaxle and DeDion sitting next to the car, rusty but no rot. Bought at a decent price, but never got around to getting it on the road. Part of that was a lack of commitment to making new hydraulic lines, and part of it was the fact that we needed garage space, having sacrificed work and storage space to that GTV-6 and an Alfetta project for too long. Our Milano Verde, with its acquired taste styling, checks many of the same boxes as a GTV-6, but as a friend with five GTV-6's will tell you, the sense of occasion is much stronger in the Giugiaro coupe version of the Alfa transaxle platform.

The GTV-6 was offered in the US from 1981 to 1985, with the 84-85 cars being most desirable to most due to their incorporation of many Milano upgrades. Those later cars got thicker Milano sway bars, longer sway bars to match the Milano (meaning heavy duty Milano bars can be swapped in), and the isostatic shift linkage from the Milano. They also featured the same 4.10 rear end as the 84-85 cars. In contrast, this 1982 model would utilize Alfetta torsion bars and sway bars and a 3.42 rear axle ratio. The seats are Alfetta-style, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as they are quite stylish, if a little bit less supportive.

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Abarth, Fiat, Zagato

1959 Fiat 750 Abarth Zagato Double Bubble

"Many a racer felt the sting of being passed and finishing behind a car emblazoned with the Abarth scorpion," is how RM Sothebys describes the results of the 1957 Mille Miglia, where an Abarth Zagato Coupe took first place in the 750cc class. There is something wonderful about surprising people in a tiny car. We haven't run our Abarth in the Mille Miglia, but we do love dropping tailgating SUVs from sight anytime the road gets twisty.

This example has some upgrades over a standard Abarth Zagato coupe. Inside you will find a fire suppression system, racing belts, and a roll bar, while under the hood resides a 903cc engine from an 850. With the lightweight aluminum bodywork, even a modest power increase should make for a noticeable improvement in acceleration.

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Alfa Romeo

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is said to drive better than any sports sedan on the market. In the US, the sports sedan market lacked an entry from Alfa Romeo for over 20 years. And yet, the Giulia Quad isn't exactly flying off of dealership lots.

Part of the blame is, well, Alfa Romeo's incomplete development of the Quadrifoglio model. The automotive press has had some pretty poor experiences with the examples they were lent to test. Some outlets, lacking completely in originality, chalk it up to the Giulia's country of origin. We blame the lack of cost-sharing. While the basis of the 2.9L 90deg V6 in the Quadrifoglio is the Ferrari F154 series V8, the number of Alfa-specific components is significant. And, new components require revalidation. The software, in specific, seems to be a problem area where the Quadrifoglio definitely would have benefitted from a larger engineering staff.

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Abarth, Ferrari, Fiat, Uncategorized

Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari

Forbidden Fruit Fridays

Ferraris can be tough to pull off. Ferrari tributes? The Fiero conversions are beyond reproach. But, how do we feel when things get closer to home? Last week, we saw an Alfa Romeo Milano Verde with a "Friends of Ferrari" plaque on the dashboard, and it just seemed excessive. Today's Abarth 695 Tribute Ferrari? It's a lot if you own a Ferrari, and it's a lot if you don't.

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Alfa Romeo

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

3 Comments

We have owned a couple of cars that were clearly leased in their infancy. Our BMW 318is in red with tan vinyl seats and no options was almost certainly a lease car, and our black/black no option Maserati Coupe comes with a lease history as well. The new Alfa Romeo Giulia doesn't seem to offer a so-called lease spec since there are so few configurations available to begin with. Still, it is interesting to assess the value of the 952 chassis Giulia as the examples begin to come off of their leases.

The new Giulia, as we understand and interpret it, was designed around its chassis. This is clear in any review of the Giulia, where the handing and chassis performance received high marks. Unfortunately, the market for superb sports sedans is dwindling, and the content and features of the car carry much more weight. This is where the Giulia stumbles. As nice as the interior styling is, the technology integration and features just don't stack up will with the competition. Enthusiasts will overlook this, but it's not a great way to build a customer base with the greater public.

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Ferrari, Pininfarina

1985 Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole Cabriolet

We are glad that FCA, or Stellantis, as they are known these days, is able to root around the Ferrari parts bin every once in a while. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a prime example of technology sharing between the brands; Considering Alfa's sales volume in its market segment, can we really expect them to develop an entire engine on their own anymore? Today's 1985 Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole Cabriolet doesn't lend any technology to the FCA offerings, but it does offer a rare and wonderful color combination of plum over tan. And where do you think we've seen that today? Why, on the Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye, of all things!

We've never loved the Mondial Cabriolets until seeing this one in plum or prugna. The photographs here really capture the low-slung shape, only possible with a double wishbone suspension front and rear, well. Being a Quattrovalvole model, this Mondial actually makes respectable power, with a 235bhp rating from its 4-valve per cylinder F105A V8. Fuel injection comes courtesy of a Bosch K-jet, or CIS, system, which controls fueling entirely electromechanically. Sensitive to rusty fuel tanks, the systems are robust, if not exactly optimized. And, in our experience, they somehow lend to a great exhaust note with hints of overrun on decelerations.

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De Tomaso, Innocenti

1980 INNOCENTI MINI DE TOMASO

Revisit - original post September 2020

We saw this for sale again today and couldn't help but share. It's a real treasure to look at, and we love the BMC A-series running gear. This won't be the cheapest car to stash spares for, and we can imagine how all of the gas pump conversations would go. Original post from September 2020 below:

Today's post started out as a simple search for a De Tomaso Pantera.  You know, to continue on with the Marcelo Gandini theme from the end of last week.  What we unearthed in that search was a vehicle that was heretofore unbeknownst to us: the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso, penned by none other than Signore Gandini himself.

Similar, in a sense, to the licensing agreement accompanying the production of yesterday's Polsky Fiat 126P, Innocenti developed a Bertone-styled version of the BLMC Mini, after British Leyland Motor Company purchased Innocenti in 1972.  At the onset of sales, buyers could opt for either 998cc or 1275cc BMC A-series engines.The De Tomaso trim added the hood scoop, fender flares, and fog lights.  Engine output on the De Tomaso began at 71bhp and ended up with a bump to 74bhp - not bad in a 1,600lb runabout.

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Alfa Romeo, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, Forbidden Fruit Fridays, Pininfarina

1992 Alfa Romeo 33 Sport wagon

Forbidden Fruit Fridays

While today the boxer 4-cylinder is the specialty of Subaru Imprezas and Porsche Boxters (heh), and most famously, it powered the Volkswagen Beetle throughout its long lifecycle, Alfa Romeo is also known for its experience with the engine configuration. Alfa Romeo got its start mass-producing the boxer engine with its Alfasud models, which were produced in Naples. The Alfasuds were succeeded by the 33, which went on to sell over one million examples. Today's Alfa Romeo 33 Sport Wagon, from the second restyling of the 33 model line, is a mundane but well-kept offering from the 33 range.

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