Why The Best Car In Its Class Failed - Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint
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- čas přidán 14. 05. 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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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.
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 CZcams 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 😭
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 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
A friend's father had one of these when we were 18-19. We went almost everywhere at 10/10s. What a fantastic car.
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
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!!!
Wow, that is beautiful and in time warp condition. Just adore the clean lines and elegant simplicity of the design
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
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..😊😊
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.
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!
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. 🍀❤
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.
I've had a 1.5 SV, and it was gorgeous for the that time, mechanically and aestetically
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.
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.
Grande Jack! La Sprint mi faceva battere il cuore da bambino, e ancora oggi!
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.
Been waiting for this one . Pause ready for when I’m home from work 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
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.
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! 🙏🙏
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)
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.
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!
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 !!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Fabulous! Thank you for the review. You are the best at what you do.
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!
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 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 ❤❤❤❤
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!
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
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. 😮
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 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.
Nice video thanks! Takes me back. I owned one of these for many years and loved it. Although it wasn't fast, the engine sounded very good and it was super fun to drive with great handling. Absolutely no regrets about my ownership of it - I also never had any problems other than .. the rust.
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.
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.................
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 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. :)
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!
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...
Thanks for a great video. My wife and I had 3 Sud tis, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.5 plus a 1.5 Super and a 1.5 Sprint Veloce. To this day the Sprint remains one of the best cars I've ever owned. The throttle response was described by CAR magazine as "hair trigger" who rated it as a miniature Ferrari. Mine was silver with choclate velour but my best friend was a Golf GTi fan and I traded it for an early GTi only to find the Golf was a sledgehammer rather than kid gloves and was neither as fast nor intoxicating to drive but it was more practical and less hassle. After two more Golf GTis and a 205 GTi (interspersed with a Scirocco and a 1.5 Sprint like the one you've tested), I bought an Alfa 75 V6 and have driven Alfa V6s (plus a Mito Cloverleaf 170) ever since. None were perfect but I wouldn't have wanted anything else. My Alfa journey has culminated in a Giulia Quadrifoglio and for the first time Alfa Romeo have produced a car that ranks as not only class leading but needs no excuses. Nevertheless I still maintain it is more fun to drive a slow car quickly tnan a fast car slowly and yearn to experience a Sprint 1.5 Veloce again. As for looks, the Sprint and Giulia QV look sublime with no excess frippery. 🍀💯🇮🇹😊
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.
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.
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 🙂
Really pleased you've reviewed this car. I had a Sprint Veloce in red with the tan velour interior just like this one and it was a fabulous car to drive. It was three years old when I bought It but it came with a dealer warranty so the few problems I had were easily fixed under warranty. It had two twin choke downdraught Weber carbs and although It was slightly less powerful than the Sirocco, it was a much better car to drive. I had friends with Siroccos at the time and I could easily outrun them. Admittedly, the body suffered from rust but if you stayed ahead of it, you could keep it at bay. I made several trips to Spain in it but sadly on my last trip I hit a patch of oíl on the road, lost control of the car and ran into a crash barrier. The cost of repairing the car was more than It was worth so my insurance company wrote it off and it ended its life in a scrapyard yard in Jaén. I managed to salvage the Alfa triangle from the front grill, but that and my memories of driving it are all I have. Much later I bought a 156 new but that's another story for another day.
Thanks for the review- I have owned 4 Sprints over the last 25 years and still enjoy driving my current 1986 Sprint QV- it’s just such an enjoyable contrast to the experience of driving a modern car- so responsive, nimble and communicative. While it’s far from a performance car by modern standards the Sprint simply comes alive on a challenging road and constantly encourages you to drive it to the absolute limit - then asks for more!
Great vid. The Suds and Sprints are such fantastic cars. They were very popular in Ireland [where I grew up]... there used to be tons of them over there. We liked our FIATs, Lancias and Alfas in Ireland during the 1970s.
That's interesting, I didn't know about it!
Me again. Had one of these in the mid-1980s. Quick, gorgeous, a bit… flimsy. Loved it.
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.
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!
Awesome car. Love the looks of this. That heater controls are astoundingly bad ergonomics at first I thought your were taking the piss. Thank you for showcasing older cars. Keep up the good work.
Great coverage of a stunning looking car. That brought back some happy memories from 1989 when i bought my one an only real Alfa, a chocolate brown metallic 1.5 Sud Sprint Veloce. It was a 81-W reg, absolutely solid as a rock and cost me £375. Always struggled with tuning the twin carbs , and sold it a few months later, but was mesmerised by the interior. Same colour velour as the one here , deep set dials ,that quirky heater fan arrangement and the great noise is made on full tilt, all made for a short but very memorable ownership.
I'm a FIAT man through and through, not a big Alfa fan, always thought most were vastly overrated and although FIAT is the reason they still exist after the 80's bail out , Alfa always took the limelight away from their savours in some superb looking FIAT's, like the Dino, 130 Coupe, Strada Abarth , 850 Coupe, 128 3p. But for looks, driveability and overall wow factor the Sud Sprint takes some beating 👍🇮🇹
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.
Jack’s smile says it all.
I had a beautiful AF Beta 1.6 coupe for a couple of years and adored it.
Well you said it all,where & how they were put together & with most Italian cars of the day,rotted while you watched! Great dynamics & looks.A neighbour had one which he always had trouble starting especially in winter. I had a MK1 Scirocco in the early 80,s which ended up being well modified & hillclimbed & raced.Amazing to see such a well preserved Sprint.
Presumably those Italian 'peasants' also applied the paint as quickly & thinly as possible, causing even more problems with rust!
Hi Jack, I’ve got a Sud Green Cloverleaf. Nothing else I’ve driven corners like it. You turn in then the rear just scoots round like it’s on a train track. Kind of hard to describe the sensation. You are correct about throttle response being better with twin carbs, as is the sound! It’s difficult not to drive like a demon in it, but then you realise you’re not actually going as quickly as you thought! Anyway, I enjoyed the film and the car you drive is a lovely looking thing. Thanks for sharing 🇮🇹
Thanks for watching Franco.. enjoy your Sud!!
Thanks for the great stream and the choice of the wonderful little Alfa. I have always enjoyed seeing the beauty in the 80 years and still brings a smile to my lips today. Instead of the Alfa I ended up buying a Scirocco GT, later a GTI and really had a good time with them. Good old time😅
Another masterpiece 😍🇮🇹
Giugiaro is an artist!!! 💪🏻
Great video as always amico 👍👍
The handling of the Sud and all of its direct derivatives (eg. Sprint and 33) really is that brilliant.
I used to own an AR 33 1.3S RED which was lowered and seemed to be equipped with shot shocks on the fronts, but man, even with shot shocks the handling was just amazing! Those two double Webers were a riot too, noicewise.
Of course, when I first got it I wanted see what all that handling fuss was about, so I tried real hard and managed to pull off a supersharp and nearly 90 degrees corner at 50 mph. Thought I might end up in the big fence across the road but no, not at all, haha, the Bella just got through like it was nothing.
Keep up the good work, Jack!
In a CZcams 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!
Lovely car, such a pretty thing. Almost forgotten in time. Remember seeing quite a few here in SA in the early 80's on the roads. Thanks for the great video.
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.
Brilliant cars! Been to mid France (from the south of the Netherlands) in the back of one of them. Led to my first own car being a Sud TIQV (with all the usual problems). ANd because of this vid I now need a twin carbed 33, so thank you much!
That old boxer sound is so lovely... takes me back to my youth!
Great review Jack. May I suggest also that the poor Alfa Romeo UK dealer network of 1970s & 80s had something with the lack of sales. Keep the reviews coming
Really enjoy your enthusiasm for Alfas and storytelling ability. That's a subscribe from me!
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.
Wow Jack. I had a pale green one, I must have been 25. Such great memories, most good 👍
Jack, you’re raking over my Alfa history again! Having had both Alfetta sedan and GTV, and Sud Ti and Sprint Veloce, I beg to differ slightly over relative virtues of coupe versus sedan. The Alfetta GTV felt very different, much more alive and sporting than the sedan. The Sud Sprint gave up utility (admittedly not much) but had no dynamic superiority. Both Suds were dynamic gems. The other problem with the twin-carb Suds, which I did not know about until mine was gone, was that most came from the factory with wrongly-adjusted throttle linkages, so that they were delivered well short of max power. My 1.5 Sprint Veloce was slower than my 1.2 Ti.
Great review! Love this car. Looks great and as you said it drives great! The closest i drove was a Alfa 33 1.7 Quadifoglio with 105 HP. Was great fun...
Another great Alfa video. After my 105 Series, I had two Suds. Brilliant front drive handling. Rust was actually no worse than on the 105 GT Junior. The problem with both of my Suds was failing gearboxes. Also the flat fours meant the plugs and HT leads were fairly close to the road surface and prone to damp in the winter, which took some of the fun away. Both of my Suds came with full length Webasto type sunroofs, which wasn't a great idea because the holes in the tops destroyed their structural rigidity and could put the front alignment out just changing a wheel.
First time viewer (new alfa owner) and I loved your informative style. Thanks
Great video, I am currently restoring a Sprint Veloce Trofeo no 033 of 200
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
The smile on your face said it all! They are wonderful things to drive on a twist road...
I drove one in the 80's and it was great. Looked like a mini GTV. good handling, braking and performance. You sat low, so it had that sports car feel. Thanks for the memories.
FROM SOUTH AFRICA -- WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CLEAN CAR -- WILL I EVER FORGET THE SOUND OF THE ALFETTA OF 1976 .
Great review. I completely agree with your conclusions. In the early 80s I had a 1.5 AlfaSud with twin carbs. It was a real pocket rocket. One weekend I found myself at a house party in Suffolk with a friend who had a Golf GTI. When we went for a drive round the country lanes on the Sunday he found he couldn't keep up with me! On twisty roads it was like driving a go-cart. We swapped cars and he found he could drive my Alfa faster than his GTI. I did once look for a good Sprint but not very seriously. A great car.
Of all the various cars I have owned there are two which I would like to have now. One is the Triumph 2.5 PI I had in the 70s, and the other is a 1.5TC Sprint.
Wonderful video. The beauty and the tragedy of Italian cars haunts all Alfa lovers around the world. But it was fun enjoying it through your enthusiastic drive. Do visit the Fiat 128 Berlinetta. Not the 4 door and not the coupe, but the boxy little two door. I loved mine and miss to this day.
Spot on as usual Jack. I have had Lotuses (Loti?), Jags, MGs and other Alfas (including a GTV6), and my red Sud Sprint 1.5 Veloce is my favourite car I ever had - it handled brilliantly and the engine noise was amazing! I bought my immaculate 1981 X reg in 1991 with 30000 miles from a friend and kept it in a garage, just occasionally driving it, for 4 years. My everyday car then failed so I (stupidly) decided to use the Sprint as an everyday car (egged on by another 'friend' who said that I should drive it more). Three Edinburgh winters and another 20000 miles later and every panel execept the roof was terminally rusty (including all the original alloys), the front shocks broke and the last straw was the the clutch went. So I gave it to my brilliant Alfa specialist (Stewart McLennan) for parts on the understanding I would get money off servicing of the replacement - an Alfa 146 1.8. It was a shame to scrap it and although I had loads of fun, I wish I had kept it as an occasional use car and bought a cheap 'banger' as an everyday car. I still hope I might get another Sud Sprint someday (although it's now above £15k for a good one).
Nice video. 👍 I always wanted a sprint, but I had a Alfa 1.5 Super Sud back in the early 80’s and I loved it. It was great to drive and so much character. However, living in the north west of England wasn’t the best climate, every time it rained there would be a big rust pool around the car and wet upholstery inside 😂 but I still love Alfa’s.
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!
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.
Nice looking car, I particularly like the way the sides lean in from a front or rear view, makes it look very stable like the weight is down low (which, as you said, it is).
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…
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....