Why The Best Car In Its Class Failed - Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint
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- Опубліковано 14 тра 2023
- The Alfasud Sprint was the best small coupe around when it was launched, it was pretty, vastly outhandled the competition and was a deight to drive. Alfa Romeo made a class winner, It should have influenced cars so all future desesign followed the flat 4, front engine design.. why did it fail to do that?
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The Alfasud Sprint is such an elegant, honest, no nonsense, simple, small design by Giugiaro.
Like a mini GTV.
Couldn't expect less from the Alfa "Bertone" coupe designer.
The racing versions of this car look great took.
It's a shame what happened to Alfa in the 1970/80s, they were so underrated.
Best wishes.
What killed them was the severe problem with rust!
I owned a Sprint Veloce for Years and drove a 2.0 and 2.5 GTV and much preferred the Sprint for it's almost Lotus like feel.
The smaller Italian cars of the 70's & 80's had brilliant designs: Lancia Beta, Alfa Romeo Alfasud / Sprint , Fiat 124 /126 - but were all rustbuckets.
If they had been manufactured in Germany instead, they would have been unstoppable.
Nicer than a GTV because it doesn't suffer the clumsy rear side window treatment.
Somewhere on UA-cam there's a Sprint with an Alfa ( theirs, not the Holden-derived engine ) that's been squeezed in there. Epic, and WTF they didn't develop this thing, Lord knows 😭
In 1999 on the way home looking out the school bus widow, I saw a yellow Alfa Romeo sprint veloce for sale for $1500. I had never seen one in my life but I new it had to be mine, I instantly fell in love with its styling. After a few weeks I had enough money to buy it with my part time job and with the help of my parents. lucky enough for me it was still for sale and bought it. it was pretty rusty but I learnt to weld and paint it, fix mechanical issues then finally got to drive it to school. You are right, the handling was great but even more was the sound of the twin carb boxer engine. I wish I never sold it but this little car has given me so may great memories.
I think the 105bhp twin carb is the ‘sweet spot’, the most enjoyable front wheel drive car I’ve ever driven.
Thank you Jack!
Mind you, back then, if you debadged an Alfa, you always think you're driving the next engine size up. We couldn't believe my mates 1.3sc Alfasud. And my 1.5 Green Cloverleaf twin caarb, felt quicker than any other 1.5 I'd driven up til then. Great little engine, the boxer, in it's time - loved to rev...... Mind you, when the throttle cable on my Alfa 33 got stuck open on the A303....... *shakes head*
I agree. I grew up with these cars. My father loved them. The twin carb versions were very different ball game!!
Agree I had one for 5 years absolutely loved it
Yeah, the twin carb (dual throttle each!) engine at 105 BhP was the peach. Our car cruised at 100 Mph with such smoothness and quietness. It was a Bahnstormer. But the handling was the standout feature, so precise and flat.
For me I love fiat 130 tc
When I was a teenage schoolboy, I absolutely adored the looks of the Alfasud Sprint and it remains such a pretty little car to this day.
I had the exact same car in the late 80s and absolutely loved it. That interior is immaculate. It still has a brown gear knob, a rarity in Alfas of that era!
Gosh! I remember those from the Alfa dealer I used to frequently stop at on my way home from school in the late 70s!
As a kid, I dreamt of this car.
I had one of these as well and you could hear it rust in the rain and the hot start issue was embarrassing.It was a good drive though.
I had a 1973 British Racing Green Triumph Spitfire in Nova Scotia. I always travelled with a can of WD40 to assist starts when raining. Still, an amazingly good looking car.
When I was growing up my dad bought a series of magazines called 'on the road' and every issue had a car overview on the back page. I always loved it when small quick cars were there. This introduced me to the small Alfa's and I couldn't believe how delicate and clean the design looked. No alloys, no massive spoilers, just a gorgeous looking miniature sports car.
There were very nice factory alloys as an option however.
I’ve had four boxer Alfas. An 1186 ti, a 1.3 SC, a 33 1.5 Green Cloverleaf and finally a 33 1.7 Green Cloverleaf Sportswagon. All amazing. The 33s way quicker than they said on paper. Sorely missed.
I had twp 1.7 33 Veloce(well the same engine in different chassis, blueprinted by a company in Redcar) man were those cars fun on the B roads, the classic I'd love to own again. The ex Mrs who isn't a petrol head used to take the back roads from Darlington to Redcar because there was a sweeping bend after Croft that you could take a 90 in third, massively underrated cars! Sirocco's/Golf's understeered like bitches
Mind the torque steer was pretty epic, HAPPY DAYS B)
Ooh, the 33 Sportwagon - nice car! I came very close to buying one, but chickened out! Eventually I bought a 145 instead, which was amazing!
An Alfa 33 1.7 costs about 11,000 - 14,000 Euros today in Germany. As a summer sun car for your after-midlife-crisis?
I bought myself a 1994 Opel/Vauxhall Calibra V6 for that purpose (going to 60 now), because I did not dare buying one in the good old days, bought a "Calibra Kombi" instead, a Vectra fastback.
Tuve un 33 1.7 8v. "The 33s way quicker than they said on paper." Siempre pense eso.
The story of USSR-steel is told here in Austria too! Thankfully you corrected the myth. Pomigliano d'Arco certainly is a sad story. In my view it marked the beginning of Alfa spiralling down until the bitter end. And that feels in fact utterly crazy because it was planned the other way round with Pomigliano d'Arco and the Suds were so brilliant technically and in design. Not just lousy assembling but equally bad logistics. At one point they ran out of tail lights and had to wait for weeks for the parts to be delivered. Meanwhile the stored the almost completed Suds outside. But without any primer or lacquer. Just bare steel. Take in mind that Napoli is situated on the seaside. So not just high humidity air nagged on those Suds but high saltwater humidity air.
Enjoyed Jack. This is one of my favorite Alfas. No, it’s one of my favorite cars period! I’m so blessed to own the only runner in Sri Lanka. It’s 1980 Sprint Veloce with a 1.7 twin carb transplant. The torque on that means there is torque steer if you’re not gentle with feeding in the throttle. The handling is a revelation. I am yet to drive a car that’s more fun, old or new.
A few more points that contribute to this is the very stiff front end that has two firewalls, the front brakes are in-board for reducing unsprung weight and the rear suspension has passive rear steer. The engineering is the work of a genius as is the styling. Shame about build quality of course. I also own a Alfetta GTV and a 105 series Coupe as amazing as they are to drive they can’t touch the Sud for fun and inducing grins 😅
Congratulations
I know there are a few good Alfisti in Sri Lanka
I bought a new Alfasud Sprint Veloce (1.5 liter, twin Weber) in 1981. It was all the things that you say in your great video and of the many interesting drivers' cars that I have owned, remains one of my more treasured automotive memories. I can still feel that thrummy flat-four and the shiny, palm shaped gear knob as I threaded it up and down through the gears and sublimely around the twisties. Several years later, living in Switzerland, I bought, used, one of the very last Alfa Romeo Sprints (as it was called by then) which had the 1.7 liter injected engine along with outboard front discs and rear drums and rather clumsy plastic bumpers. It was still a very satisfying car because as an ex-car designer, I still think that it was one of the prettiest production cars ever (along with the Alfa 105 coupes) but was not quite as alive as my original Sprint Veloce.
I had one too, I remember the buzzing rasp of the engine not only through the exhaust but through the vibration in your right foot when you pressed it to the metal throttle stop in the footwell.
Unfortunately, the beautiful body was made out of Disprin and Ireland is not Italy.
@@damienh4357 Hey Damien - I had forgotten about the buzz through the throttle stop! And yes, although I looked after mine and used Waxoil, mine eventually started to decay faster than I could deal with it. My later, 1989 version was much better in that regard - but not quite as raspy!
I think they might have been twin delortos
A friend's father had one of these when we were 18-19. We went almost everywhere at 10/10s. What a fantastic car.
My Dad had a beige Alfasud Sprint in 1981-1982 Amazing handling and sound, especially compared to the TR7 it replaced. My sister needed to learn to drive and wouldn’t use a manual- so he traded it for a Renault 12 Automatic. 19 year old me was devastated!
Yeah, it's what I remember most about this and the sud, the engine sound when it came on the cam, fab exhaust note.
It was old for the 80's.my late father had one he bought new in 1980 to trade in from a X1/9 thanks to new Seat Belt laws in Australia that came into effect.I was only a little kid at the time he bought that,Then he bought another one come 1983(Yes things like KB LASER S,Fuegos and Cordias in about the same price range existed as did the second generation Honda Prelude)but for some very odd reasons he had to have another Alfa.The old stains from the house I grew up in thanks to the Italian cars are still there even after the switch to Japanese cars in the family from 1989 onwards of all kinds.
Devastated - very understandably!
Oh my god auto matic Renault 13..better town car than Sus sprint ..but ..no sportiness ..
@@franzchong5889i
Iv'e owned many Alfa's and in particular a 1981 model 1.5 Sprint Veloce and still to this day can't forget how nice that engine was. It ran on twin 45 Webers and the pops and bangs on over-run just kept me smiling, it never gave me any grief whatsoever. I would have another "Veloce" anyday to relive those glory days.
This car is now for sale
As regards the mechanical layout of the Alfasud family, two things:
a) The Citroen GS, of the same period, had FWD and a longitudinally mounted boxer four. Incidentally, it was also a very enjoyable car both to drive and to ride in.
b) Back in the late 1940s, had Lord Nuffield allowed Alec Issigonis to have his way, the Morris Mosquito (re-named the Minor) would have had FWD and a North-South flat four engine. Let's not bring in the Jowett Javelin (my grandfather's favourite car), because that was, of course, RWD.
Agree with you about the GS. I had a 1,220 estate. Terrific, confidence inspiring steering. Just a bit softer than the Alfasuds.
I am very fortunate to own one of these beauties!!! A 1982 Alfasud Sprint Veloce 15. Rosso in colour of course. She has just been registered as an 'Historic Vehicle' in the UK. I bought her when she was one year old so have owned it for 40 years. I take her regularly to National Alfa days and other classic car shows - role on Summer
My 83 green cloverleaf has just this week been registered as historic, and taxed for 12 months... Great feeling. Like you I'm a long term owner, 32 years together, mine my first car, and will never leave me while I breathe .
Cuore Sportivo
How did u keep it from crumbling to rust
@@colinwalker3812 alot of effort and care in my case!!!
Grande Jack! La Sprint mi faceva battere il cuore da bambino, e ancora oggi!
I used to own an Alfsud Sprint Veloce 1.5 registration OTT 298W the same colour as your review car I seem to recall it had 105bhp it was great fun but the bodywork slowly dissolved.
Can't remember my sud and sprints reg's but my 33's Hell Yeah! D 415 GVN (the one that had the engine work on) and E339 OMP the chassis that everything got transferred to after a BX wrecked my black beauty
Wow, that is beautiful and in time warp condition. Just adore the clean lines and elegant simplicity of the design
My car friends in California look at me weird when I rave about Suds; I'm going to share this video with them. The joy on your face as you drive it says it all. Marvelous cars.
This car is a true artwork by Giugiaro. Such a simple design, yet so delicate and elegant. More beautiful than the contemporary Alfetta GTV. Of course, the low bonnet, courtesy of the flat engine, helps a lot.
Hi Jack, you're so lucky to get a chance to drive a Sprint.. and such a fantastic example.. they're so rare now.. definitely I think one of the most beautiful cars ever.. not to mention the sound.. childhood dreams..😊😊
Pulling the stalk on the right side of the steering wheel to turn on the heater was hilarious! Classic Alfa ergonomics were absolutely loony, but I could see how that adds to the charm, and that pretty little Alfa is certainly charming. You're so right about this being a unicorn and must have been an incredible find for its current lucky owner. It has got just enough horsepower to have fun while not having enough to make it scary to push to its limit. Maybe that's another reason they didn't last as owners were constantly pushing the poop out of these things to their temporary delight.
tried to handbrake turn one in the 80"s,it did not end well,
It locks the front wheels, right?
Only works in reverse with Clutch in!
Been waiting for this one . Pause ready for when I’m home from work 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Hi Jack! You've found a lovely example. I think I can add a few points on it's lackluster success (as an owner of two 33s with a similar setup):
1. Some important components were never developed enough to be reliable. For example the gearbox - usually they feel horrible well before 100 000 km, after the syncros for 1st ans 2nd are done, and the bushings deteriorate. The grounding of the electrical systems was always abysimal. The engines are quite solid, but most owners drove them like a base Golf - without any warming up and with the cheapest oil possible. Thus, the oil pumps went out, and the cam lobes would get worn. The inboard breakes were great when they worked, but oil seeping from the gearbox seals would contaminate them, and would reguire major teardown. I won't even mention the rust, even in the 90s the 33s on this platform rusted really bad.
2. They weren't as practical. For example, the low oil pan (made of pressed steel) would get hit on speed bumps, thus pushing it to the oil pump feed, and destroying the engine. Parts supply was awful even back then, and there isn't a great aftermarket support today. In fact, from 10+ years you can't buy a new thermostat.
I love this platform, and would only replace my 33 for another, but I still think Alfa have missed a great opportunity by not fixing their issues.
I had a Scirocco GTX and thanks to the oil intercooler positioning between the block and oil filter + low ground clearance it was easy to rupture. if you really want rubbish synchros, try the Simca 1100/Talbot Horizon/Talbot Alpine/Peugeot 309 (how did that gearbox ever stay in production so long?) which is in trouble from about 15000 miles!!!
In general the grounding problems occurred because of the rust that developed around the earth screws.
@@dutchsailor6620 True that. Also by using self tapping screws for such places.
@@user-sy1ed9ex5m Biggest problem is different metals and a small electrical current coming together near a moist spot. Galvanic corrosion guaranteed.
I also had the transmission problem in two successive Suds. Just got stiffer and stiffer to change gear until they seized up.
A lovely car. I had the chance to drive in a Sprint Veloce 1.7 Quadrifoglio Verde at the time. What a joy!! The flat four engine really liked to rev. I think due to the relatively short stroke. The handling, the looks, the sound, it could have been a succes for Alfa Romeo. Thanks for your review Jack!
I've had a 1.5 SV, and it was gorgeous for the that time, mechanically and aestetically
A fabulous, fun track car with the 1.7. Great handling, and people always love to see it as they are becoming rarer. Love my 81 Sprint. 🍀❤
I had a '79 Sprint Veloce, so the twin carb 95 bhp version, and drove it from 1980 to '84. It was so pretty, white with dark brown velour inside, sounded great and went reasonably well. 0-60 was around 11 seconds. But, there were a few buts! There was a bit of understeer courtesy of the engine being well in front of the axle but not really enough grunt for torque steer to be a problem. But at a year old the dampers were shot, in fact they were probably that way from new. Replacements were no better so I had to go non-standard to get rid of those heart-in-the-mouth moments with rapid changes of direction. Then there were the brakes. The front inboard discs were manually adjustable and needed to be tweeked about every 2 weeks. Sometimes there would just suddenly be no brakes. What's more, the adjusters were almost but not entirely impossible to get at unless you were ET. But what ended our relationship was the rust. At 3 years old it was starting to come out of the seams between panels, then around the rear glass, and at 5 it was effectively scrap. I sold it to a London dealer who likely broke it for spares. Still loved it....
This one didn’t seem to have much understeer… thank for the memories!!
@@Number27 tyre technology is much better now!
I had an 85 Sprint. Toss up between it and the 916 GTV V6 I had as to which was the most fun car I've owned. I'm not kidding, EVERY other car I've ever driven feels a bit numb and unwieldy next to the Sprint. As Jack said, it really eggs you on - you can just throw it at bends, and it feels utterly controllable.
Hi Jack
Thanks for another great video. Those Sprints and the GTVs of the late 1970s were some of the most beautiful cars ever built.
But - there’s a number of reasons I think that Sud Sprints did not set the template for FWD cars in Europe. Firstly, I read many years ago that flat fours were never going to replace in-line fours because they cost considerably more to make. A flat four needs at least two separate castings for the cylinders either side of the crank case, and the wider engine is not so easy to slot into the bodyshell on the production line. So there was no chance that manufacturers would adopt them instead of in-line fours.
Secondly, for most of us in the UK, we are not fond of engines that only perform at high revs. If you had been brought up with slogging flexible A-series engines, that could pull well from low revs, having to put your foot to the floor to wring out the performance does not seem like a natural way of getting enjoyment out of your car.
Then there’s the rust problem. I hope as someone of Italian extraction you don’t mind me saying so, but a lot of Italian steel in the 70s and 80s was of poor quality. My brother was working in manufacturing in the early 1980s when British Steel had a protracted strike, and the company he worked for decided to but steel from Italy to replace the UK supply that could not be relied on. They were shocked at its poor quality - the rolls arrived full of rust.
Finally, for drivers who a few years before had to choose between cart-sprung Capris or rear-engined cars like Fiat 850 coupes and Renault Caravelles for a coupe, the Sirocco was a revelation, so faced with a smart apparently well-built VW, it is not surprising that they sold in droves throughout Europe, even if an Alfa Sud Sprint was a better drive.
Great points. Yes, Fiats, Lancias and Alfas were known to be rusting even before they left the showroom, and with a more exotic boxer engine with inherent additional costs to manufacture and install, it could never be a replacement for standard 4-cylinder engines.
sprint same shape as sciroco
Brand image. End of. Let's not get romantic - back then anything Italian was viewed as rusting as fast if not faster than it drove while the Germans had a (deserved) reputation for solidity and reliability.
Thanks for the fun review. I had the 1.2 in South Africa and let my brother drive it in a game farm. A large elephant we were watching unexpectedly turned and charged us. The low power at low revs caught my brother off guard and he stalled the engine and lost his voice in panic as we sat helplessly in the low car. The elephant stormed through the bush like a chieftain tank attacking "invaders". Thank God, the huge beast swerved just before trampling us. It took a few moments for my brother to get his voice back as we watched the elephant disappear with a profound sense of relief. 😮
Thanks Jack, so close to greatness! Painful, I know for you to say they were built badly, with national pride at stake! Shame the management & workers couldn't sort it out better! 🙏🙏
When I was at school in the early 80s one of the six formers had a 1.5 Sprint Veloce Cloverleaf. It was beautiful. The end of term wheel spins down the road left a real mark in my 13 year old mind. Have loved these cars ever since. Such a cleverly designed and engineered car. Fantastic. Keep them coming, Jack.
Had an X reg Sprint Veloce - 2 tone - dark blue and an increasing amount of brown. For all it was so light, mine got a little faster every day, as something else would fall off it. Atrocious electrics (eventually controlled the beam by switch on the dashboard), and the self-adjusting onboard brakes were a nightmare to change.
However, it was a delight to drive - stunning looks, fabulous suspension, wonderful 3rd gear, and a glorious sound, especially echoing around the tenements in Glasgow. It remains one of my favourite cars.
Edit: Forgot about the choke - why was it there? If you even looked at it before starting, you flooded the engine.....
When I drove it from Aberdeen to Fishers in Edinburgh to trade it in against a 33, I had to tie both doors shut as the hinges on both had failed (they didn't sell it on)
I used to drive a Sud 1.5ti - what a blast in the corners and revved like a sewing machine. Pity so few have survived.
That is one of the most beautiful cars of the era. Giugiaro written all over it. But most of those rusted before time and the Scirocco was also penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro which also had more power ... and weight. But beautiful it is. Simple straight lines, delicate pillars, very airy design.
The fr boxer concept is also found in the Subaru - and turn it around to the back and of course it is like the original beetle.
The top version of the late Sprint's was the 1.7 8V 120hp, so they've improved the power later.
I had one back then in 89. It handled like a go-cart around the corners and had a nice sound to it.
Really an enjoyable quirky little car.
However, the ever-persistent problem with rust was beginning to be an issue.
I should have kept it though. :)
FROM SOUTH AFRICA -- WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CLEAN CAR -- WILL I EVER FORGET THE SOUND OF THE ALFETTA OF 1976 .
That old boxer sound is so lovely... takes me back to my youth!
Me again. Had one of these in the mid-1980s. Quick, gorgeous, a bit… flimsy. Loved it.
Jack’s smile says it all.
I had a beautiful AF Beta 1.6 coupe for a couple of years and adored it.
I had one of tese, a 1.3 Junior, I also bought a 33 1.7 clove leaf (that was the deal, 2 for 1) in bad shape and placed its engine in the Sprint along with brakes, it was awesome, I miss it, my first contact with Alfa Romeo. thank you for bringing back memories. Mostly because of much less traffic back in the day, but it still holds my record from Lisbon to my house 60km away.
Had a '78 1,5 when I was young. What a joy! It did'nt rust, but failed to keep the oil pressure up at last. So it did'nt last. R.I.P. since 1990.
I spent a decade or so as an Alfaholic and had quite a number of different models. I had a 2dr 'sud ti which was just wonderful - but it dissolved rapidly. Slow to learn, I later bought a Sprint 1.7 Quadrifoglio. Being black, it was easier to hide the inevitable rust. Wonderful memories - thanks.
Literally my dream classic car. Came so close to owning one as a young man but it never happened and I haven't see one in years. Well done on being one of the only you tube channels I can recall to feature this car !!
A tragedy for Alfa this car didn’t boom. I owned a little 1.2 ‘Sud….the driving pleasure it gave and the memories it provoked lasts to this very day. A story. My brother had a Golf GTi and we headed over to Silverstone using the back roads. As it was my journey (going to see a Ducati for sale) I led from the off. Well….i knew my ‘Sud was rapid through the turns whilst bro’s Golf had it on the straights. He simply couldn’t get near and was left in the ‘Suds wake. Arriving at said destination I asked him what had kept him; I thought those Golfs were supposed to be quick? His response - he had tyre trouble, he thought! An amazing car, you could almost feel the type of coin you drove over, steering feel was so good. The handing was sublime. Fantastic memories of a great Alfa Romeo. Thanks for sharing the video.
My flatmate had one in the 1980s. I drove it a couple of times and I still remember what a delight it was. Kind of like putting your dancing shoes on.
I bought an RX7…
I had a 1983 Black Alfasud Ti QV 105 hp with the wonderful red ti over black interior and I loved every bit of it and used to talk to her and kiss the steering when I come back from a long trip ❤❤❤
I remember the advertisement said it have torque that brings out the devil in anyone’s soul
Loved your review of the Sprint Jack and your enthusiasm about the driving of the car brought back lots of happy memories of my own. I bought one of the first Suds into the country in Jan ‘74, then had a Sprint which I sold when children arrived buying a Sud 5 door Hatchback. The original Sud did suffer with rust but neither the latter 2 showed signs during my ownership. The mechanicals on all of them gave no trouble at all. I loved all of them for their driving enjoyment, engineering design, and their looks, and would kill to have my Sprint back in my garage now.
A 1979 Sprint Veloce in dark blue started a life long affection for me with Alfa Romeo. Still driving them today 35 years later. Oh and the B4437 is a nice road too, you must be fairly local to me.
Fabulous! Thank you for the review. You are the best at what you do.
Wow Jack, you have really ignited the nostalgia button for me with this one, your best video ever.
Whilst in my 20's I read the superlative reviews of the Sud, (the GTi of it's day), it was not long before I could buy them at auction for not much money.
As part of being a student "wheeler dearer" &" wanabee" rally driver, I bought 4 or 5 Sud saloons. I pushed them really hard on the B roads late at night.
This didn't always end well, one night I found myself in a ditch at 1am. However the Sud was the supreme handling car of is class/time. l remember reading
a guy claiming his Sud was faster than his 911 in the twisties.
From the day I saw pictures of the Sprint, I had to own one. In fact I over a period of a few years I owned three, two in the UK, & one after I emigrated to South Africa aged
25. Of course the later was rust free,& the veloce model.
On the rust topic, the Sprint's felt like they were made of thicker steel than the saloons. In fact the saloons were also manufactured in SA, along with a rather
awkward looking estate version.
You note during the video. "it's not that fast" but it's odd how enthusiasts get caught up in 0-60 numbers. My point is: It's not about what is does (i.e 0-60) but way it does it.
On a twisty B road the Sud was unbeatable by anything even close to the price, the feedback, sound, braking etc will remain with me always.
You did a great job of explaining how the low CG & equal length driveshafts gave it a technical advantage over the oh so common transverse engine mainstream.
Another unusual aspect was the inboard front discs, but adjusting the (front wheel gripping) handbrake was tricky & resulted in much smoke from getting it wrong
once of twice. Of course four wheel discs were also not common on budget priced cars of that era.
Please keep up the stream of new video's, they are always well researched and entertaining, you are doing a great job!
Nice feedback thanks 🙂
Jack, you made my day with your video of this car. I always thought the Sprint was a brilliant car and I always expected to be driving one in my future before I was old enough to get a driver's license (a very long time ago). It never happened. But I really have a big soft spot for this car and really most Alfas of this era. The styling is great and it is really a shame there are so few on the road these days. Thank you for this video.
When I was very young, 6 years or so, when we went to my parents holiday home, there would often be that yellow Alfa Stud Sprint with the chrome and black elements and green cloverleaf badges. It was a thing of beauty! I was always looking through the windows looking at that beautiful interior. It was like a mini Ferrari to me. Kinda still is, but more rare 😂
I absolutely love an Alfa...... What else is there to say apart from cracking stuff as always buddy 👍
I owned the sprint veloce. Resprayed twice and 5 sets of pads on the inboard front disks in years! I had a racing manifold and swapped steel wheels for pepper pots. Ran on super unleaded and averaged 15mpg. Great days!
I had a white one of these back in 1983, it was 5 years old and was my first car, I was just 21. I absolutely loved it. It was a beautiful looking car, like a small exotic and fantastic to drive. However after I'd had it a few months the top of the left wing suddenly developed a big hole. As was done in those days, someone had filled it full of newspaper and filler and sprayed over it! After 4 years I scrapped it and during that time I'd had both sills welded because of rust.
It felt really special compared to what other people were driving back then. I originally wanted a Jensen Healey. However, when I went to see a Healey that was for sale there's no way I could buy it as it was a complete rust bucket!! I was absolutely shocked how rusty that Jensen was - so it wasn't just the Alfa that rusted!!!!!! (Lot's of cars rusted back then).
I feel very lucky that back then as a 21 year old I was able to buy and be insured on such wonderful sports cars. Youngsters today have to wait until at least their mid 20s before insurance companies will even consider them, and a comparable sports car will cost an arm and a leg to buy and insure today.
Great times to drive cars back in the 80s, not least loads of open space on the roads, without any speed cameras.. a great decade!!
I replaced it with a brand new Peugeot 1.6 205 GTi !!
I have one of the last ones - a 1988 1.7 Cloverleaf. I adore this little car and can't stop smiling when driving. Usable performance while keeping to sensible - often legal - limits, and that sound ❤❤❤❤
ABK 471V - can't believe it just popped back into my head like that. My first ever car - 1982. A 1.5ti Alfasud. Loved it to pieces. And sadly it did rust to pieces. I sold it to a friend for £50 with the provision that he would give me a £100 if ti passed its MOT. The garage wouldn't give him the car back, they said it was too dangerous to drive, that the engine was no longer attached to anything - it had all rusted away - and the next time he braked hard it would come through the windscreen!
I now have an Alfa Spider and a Giulietta sitting in the drive - that's how much I loved it.
Another wonderful and informative video, Jack. Always fun watching the joy you get from the special cars you review!
Thanks dude, glad you enjoyed it!
For me the most beautiful Alfa of the 70's. Even more than the GTV. A design balanced, elegant and sporty at the same time. Amazing. A car to have on my hypothetical collection.
Agree, body lines are nicer that a GTV so there is minimal overhang - in fact the Sprint actually has a longer wheelbase (almost identical to a Countach) than the GTV.
Got my first sud in 1982 ...aged 19 ...1.2 5m paid 900 pounds, loved alfas throughout the 80s ...totally reliable thrashed all the time, dream car was the 1.7 green cloverleaf in black with the green trim, looked awesome! Fast fords and vw no match on the twistys
What a gem that car is, the series 1 was always the looker in a simple way I had a Sud in the late 80's handling was outstanding for the time and it was 10 years old then and the smile on your face in 2023 says it all nice one Jack.
Brings back many memories. A friend had a black sprint cloverleaf in the mid eighties. I loved that car. You are right about the rust as well. I remember my brothers mate buying a Sud in 74 brand new, within 6 months both doors had dropped on their hinges so badly it was difficult to shut them. Within a year it had been back to Alfa for paintwork twice. He sold it soon after for an Escort RS 2000. Ah the 70s
I had the Veloce version and the throttle response was great. It had a really nice induction sound too. Seeing this car brings back a lot of good memories plus a few of it rusting...
aaahhh, it takes me back. 17 and my first car, a red sprint veloce! falling apart and the very tolerant girl sat next to me would hold the door closed when we went around a roundabout :) ...she was a keeper and we've been married 30 years - shame the sprint found a sticky end when I wasn't paying attention. I decided to re-live my youth about 8 years ago and got another - so much about it was great, but I sold it on in the end. Thanks Jack, enjoyed this very much.
awesome, video I had a 1.5 ti velocie in the early 90s, it was about 8 years old I think and amazing thank you for the re lived memories
Jack I have been following your channel for a few years now and I thoroughly enjoy your content.
Your passion and positive energy sets you apart.
Always look forward to your content. Keep up the good work
Thank you Laurence, really glad you’ve stuck with me for so long!
Such a lovely car! The styling still looks amazing, even today - and the earlier slim chrome bumpers suit it much better than the later examples. Sweet sounding engine too - that low down thrum and slight growl as you pull away was still there in the later iterations - sadly I’ve only driven a 146 with the flat four, and by then it was decidedly down on power, and strangled by catalysts - but I remember what a little screamer the engine was in the ‘Sud. Pity that the usual Italian gremlins let such a fine car down 😔
I always find it amusing how opinions differ on the black bumper cars, I first saw a chrome bumper sprint around 1990, I was 15... my sisters boyfriend had one.... fell in love with the shape... studied the Haynes manual....which featured pictures of the later restyled cars... Black bumpers, more modern inside, bigger badges, the cast alloy cam covers proclaiming Alfa romeo... the net headrests... for me the 1500 green cloverleaf was so much nicer than the classic chrome bumper cars... 105hp... I got mine late in 1992 when I was 17, its still in my garage , and infact was registered 40yrs ago today.. each to their own, but I love my black bumpers!
I had a Alfa sud gairdinetta 1.5 in South Africa at University. Brilliant handling, happy to cruise at 140 kph all day. 14 hours from Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town (1500km). Shirtened gear stick made it feel like a switch between gears. Loved it, and I do not think I have owned a more fun to drive car since BUT a Rust bucket.
The smile on your face said it all! They are wonderful things to drive on a twist road...
It's so beautiful, even to this day! My dream Alfa to own (but unfortunately I never had one) have always been the Sprint, the GTV6 and the 75 Twin Spark
I had an ''88 Sprint 1.7 Green Cloverleaf. What a stunning car it was. But the floorpan was welded around 3mm too far to the left, so the nearside sill drain holes couldn't drain water. Rear valance was also a big mud-trap.
The only car review that I can remember from the era is of the Sud: "Just drive it before it rusts".
I had one in the mid 1980s, a Sprint Veloce in silver. It was a 1.5 twin carb, not quite the most powerful as that was the green cloverleaf. There weren't any saloons with the 1.7s, the running gear of the 1.7 sprint was based on the Alfa 33 running gear which had outboard front brakes. When I bought it I wasn't overly enthusiastic, I had had a 105 series GTJ and a 115 series 1.8 GT, and in my youthful mind the Sud was a bit of a hairdressers car. I did think it was much better looking than the 115 series which I always thought looked heavy at the back and the bonnet/windscreen line looked strange (still do). The Sprint was just perfect, something I still think, and it changed soon my mind, because I really 'got it'. What a lovely car. It did frighten the life out of me on one of my first drives though. On the floor was a throttle stop in the form of a large bolt with flats maybe 1 inch across. The accelerator pedal was a pressing with the edges turned down. So when I buried my foot into the (non) Axminster the pedal hooked round the stop and propelled me towards a number 50 bus. You complained about the 10 sec 0-60 time. I am just thankful it wasn't any quicker or I might not have been writing this! I turned the engine off and stood on the brakes. The old ticker was going 19 to the dozen
I owned and drove an Alfasud Sprint in 1977. It was an absolutely immacualte jam-jar and worlds apart from the vehicles I'd driven up to then! I'd beg to differ on the gear-change, though, because getting into third was a bit of a snicky affair, until you got used to it.
I lived in West Berlin (as it was called at the time) and the Sprint didn't take kindly to the winters there. Fortunatley, it had a choke, so the early-morning starts went off well most of the time. What really impressed me was when I drove it in West Germany. The steering and roadholding were absolutely out of this world! Driving at a fair whack from Freiburg i. Br. to Villingen-Schweniggen in South Baden (for those who know the route) through the "Teufelsschlucht" even had a Merc 300D (who was trying her/his very best to overtake me the whole way) spin off the road at one of the hairpin bends. Very satisfying indeed!
Rusting Alfas - a myth that's not true! By 1977, Alfa Romeo followed Porsche and became the second car manufacturer in the world to internally galvanise all interior surfaces to prevent that. But myths linger on ...
All in all, the Alfasud Sprint was one of the nicest and best set-up cars I've ever owned and driven. What I especially liked very much about it was that it was really easy to heel-and-toe in tight corners and it answered the throttle without hesitation. Alfa Romeo definitely produced a brilliant car in the Sprint. If I had the choice today, I'd own one again in a heartbeat.
MsG
Over the years I have driven Suds including the delightful Sprint, as well as the 33, and all you say is correct re these cars. Well done, it is such a pity that Italian cars from this era suffered from the rust debarcle. Just a little side note, out here in Australia, a small car company took the Sprint and totally re-engineered it to have a mid engine layout using a worked Holden 5.0L V8 with a matching 5 spd box and totally reworked suspension. Much of the engineering behind this project was done by an ex Lamborghini engineer.The car, is called the Giacottolo Group B. 13 cars were built and they were totally incredible. They were basically a mini supercar with a very high price at the time of around $90k. These days if one comes up for sale (rarely), your talking multiple $100ks.
Wow....
Really enjoy your enthusiasm for Alfas and storytelling ability. That's a subscribe from me!
Still have fond memories of this exact model in bright yellow while living in Germany.
I've got a series 1 Alfa Sprint. Exactly the same as the one in the video but no spoiler and on period alloys. NZ from new and only a bit of rust! Love it, owned for 10 years! Great video.
I had both the Mk2 3.0S Capri and a Sprint Veloce 1.5 . The Alfa did handle well but rotted like crazy and wasn't as easy to work on as the Capri, I remember having an Alfa dealer fit new front pads to the sprint and grinding to a halt with the front discs glowing red hot on the way home, then the clutch slave went. We had 3 Alfa suds, 1x 1.5 sprint and 2x 1.5ti's, the inner wings rotted through on one TI, we only realised because the bonnet was moving on the scuttle panel when going on and off throttle, the engine was literally the only thing holding the front on. Happy days though 👍
Ah, the great British dealers, lol...
Thanks Jack for the video. When I lived with my parents I persuaded them to buy a Sprint - bright orange. Absolutely great to drive! It also happened to be similar to the first Alfa I bought - 1.3 B-reg in 1990. This was a complete rust bucket, but great to drive once again. I am now on Alfa number 6:-)
I remember a reader's letter in 'Autocar' magazine. The writer had owned a Porsche 911 from new, enjoyed driving it for a long time, and eventually decided that he wated a new one. So he arranged a deal, sold his old one privately, and while eaiting for his new one to be delivered, he bought a Sud 1.2 ti, which was then a new model fresh on the market. He was so delighted by the way that it drove that he cancelled his order for the new 911. I wonder how he felt about its build quality after a year or three....
Wow Jack. I had a pale green one, I must have been 25. Such great memories, most good 👍
First time viewer (new alfa owner) and I loved your informative style. Thanks
Another masterpiece 😍🇮🇹
Giugiaro is an artist!!! 💪🏻
Great video as always amico 👍👍
My grandfather had a 1978 Alfasud Sprint just like this one, except it was black. It was a gorgeous car, the handling was Lotus level, and it was absolutely addicting to drive. That engine loved to be revved. But rust was a problem, even though the car was kept on Mallorca and kept garaged when it wasn’t being driven.
He bought a new 1984 Alfa GTV6 and it looked similar, but the 6 cylinder was not only fast, but the sound was beyond belief.
In a UA-cam world of gimmicks and garbage, your knowledge, personality, and genuine automotive passion are a breath of fresh air. Keep on keeping on number 27....love the Alfa!
We had one from 1980 to 1983. LOVED it!❤❤❤
Brilliant review👍😀
Hi Jack, thanks for the excellent review of a car that I wish I owned, right now. You drove it the way that I would so I could mentally place myself behind the steering wheel and enjoy the drive.
Thanks for bringing back old memories. In 1983 I bought one of the last series 1 models. Sprint 1.5 Veloce 95 hp. Rosso and the interior (sunroof excepted) was exactly the same as the example you drove. Of course it was a great car but after eight years, and with low mileage (probably not more than 30,000 on the clock) it was showing old age. The only volume car which was competitive in terms of handling (but of course little engine character) was a mark 1 Focus Zetec 1.6. Registered new in 2005. I bought it used in 2007 with 32,000 miles and drove it to 48,000 miles until 2016 and it yet was still almost like new ! In all that time the Focus never let me down but the Sprint was unreliable and almost left me stranded several times.
Had a ‘79 Sprint Veloce. 105 bhp. Magnificent is the only way to describe it. But sills rusted after two years. Still, I loved it. The handling was amazing, easily on par with a later Peugeot 205GTI. I loved that car too. As I’ve just had my ‘68 280SL Pagoda restored, I might go looking for a new project 🤔
It's now for sale ...
There was a sort lived Sports car company here in Australia that used the Alfasud Sprint bodies to build the Giocattolo Group B it's engine is the Holden 308 that was built by walkinshaw I think there was only 15 built before they went bankrupted
Back in the day, my local mechanic had a 'sud in for a new clutch - swore blind he would never touch another due to complexity. Compare that with the fact that a reasonably competent owner could replace a Capri/Scirocco clutch on their drive on a Saturday afternoon! - Really enjoying your channel.................
I’ve owned 2 sprints in the past a ‘V’ reg 1980 Alfasud Sprint 1.5 Veloce and a later ‘F’ Reg 1.7 Sprint Cloverleaf. MLW823V was my first ever car bought for £500 in 1989 as ‘sold for spares’ it was a burnt orange colour with dark yellow velour seats and I absolutely loved it. Handling was second to none, the engine was so sweet and revvy. I remember having to replace the front brake callipers which on inboard discs wasn’t easy. The Haynes manual instructed to first remove engine, I ignored that advice and the work took twice as long to complete 😂
Unfortunately there was more filler than steel in most of the panels and I sold it on to fund a trip to the States a year later. The F reg 1.7 was in much better nick body wise but the gearbox gave up on me after doing about 10,000 miles in it.
I keep looking at those that come up for sale and thinking should I go for it…..
For all the faults (mainly horrific rust) the whole package was brilliant and I consider myself very lucky to have owned 2 of them
My father bought a brand new alfa sud super in the 1979. It was red with a eco leather creamy colour inside. If I love cars is just thanks that car!!! It was way better and way more sofisticate of any other competitor in the same category.
The engine sound was glorious and the handling was exceptional with also a very good comfort.
Yes car had some rust problems but nothing that can not been fixed.
When I was 14 years old, my father decided to scrap the car even if mechanically it was still very good. He thought it was just old car… but he knew I was in love with that car, and I would never allow anybody to scrap it.
So when my family was in holiday, my father manage with a garage to take the car and scrap it!
Back form the holiday I discovered the crime, but it was too late for me.
I never say goodbye to my lovely alfa sud, but it remains indelibly in my memory and one of the best reasons of my passion for cars.
Thank Alfa sud and thanks Alfa Romeo, true and incredible beautiful Italian cars.
And yes I’m Italian and this story happened in Italy
wonderful review Jack, yes my dad had one of these, but the other car we had in the family, surprisingly similar and a contemporary was a citroen GS, also a flat 4 boxer engine with front wheel drive. Also a fabulous handling car. These two cars combined should have changed the way cars were designed... well, i guess quite a few are now front wheel drive, but i miss the "vivant" quality of both of them.
Thanks for the wonderful review!
Must have been the mid-late 1970s, the bloke at the corner of my grandma's road had a red Alfetta with the GTV writing indented into the back pillar. I still remember the writing 45+ years later