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Featured
Alfa Romeo |
A brief look at the Alfa Romeo 155 |
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| The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998. It was released in January 1992 in Barcelona and the first Motorshow launch was Geneva Motor Show in March 1992. There were 192.618 units built. |
Styling |
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Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its predecessor. The 155 was designed by Italian design house I.D.E.A Institute. A exceptional drag coefficient of 0.29 was achieved with the body design. The design of the 155 also allowed for big boot space, 525 litres (115 imp gal; 139 US gal).
The single most significant technical change from the 75 was the change to a front-wheel drive layout. This new configuration gave cost and packaging benefits but many Alfa die-hards and the automotive press lamented the passing of the "purer" rear-wheel drive layout on a car from this sporting marque.
Also available was the 155 Q4 which had a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and a permanent four-wheel drive powertrain both derived from the Lancia Delta Integrale. It was essentially a Lancia Delta Integrale with a different body.
The new model came in "Sport" and "Super" guises. The Sport had a slightly lowered ride height and more aggressive dampers while the Super had the option of wooden trim and electronically controlled dampers and seat controls.
Reception of the new model was generally luke-warm. The 75 had been conceived prior to Fiat's acquisition of the Alfa brand, so as "the last real Alfa" it cast rather a shadow over the 155; the loss of rear-wheel drive was frequently cited as the main cause of the disappointment. Nevertheless, the 155 was entered in Touring Car racing and was successful in every major championship it entered which gradually improved its image.
Belatedly the factory introduced a wider version in 1995 (the "wide-body") which, as well as having a wider track and revised steering based on racing experience or requirements, also brought in new 16-valve engines for the 1.8 and 2.0 litre and also some improvements to cabin materials and build quality. The all wheel drive version, the Q4, was discontinued but, but V6 engine continued to be offered on the front wheel drive versions.
There were several Sport Packs available, including a race-inspired body kit (spoiler and side skirts) and black or graphite coloured 16" Speedline wheels. The more genteel could opt for the Super which came with wood inserts in the cabin and silver painted alloy wheels.
The 155 was never produced as a Sportwagon (Alfa's term for an estate / station wagon) but Sbarro made a proposal for such a vehicle in 1994.
Production of the 155 ceased in 1998 when the 155 was replaced by the 156 which was a further development in terms of quality and refinement and finally moved away from the wedge styling — leaving the 155 as the pinnacle of that particular design stream which dated back to 1977 with the dramatic square styling of the Giulietta Nuova.
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Timeline |
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- 1992: 155 launched
- 1993: Grill changed from flushed to recessed
- 1994: 155 Silverstone introduced to the British market, 155 Q4 and turbodiesels to some markets
- 1995: New "widebody" series 2 155 launched with wider track, initially only with 2.0 16v engine. Quickrack fitted
- 1996: Widebody with 1.8 16v engine introduced
- 1998: Production ends
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Features |
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The 155 was initially released with 1.7 L Twin Spark, 1.8 L Twin Spark, and 2.0 L Twin Spark petrol engines, the latter two with variable valve timing.
Two four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engines, of 1.9 L (92 PS (68 kW; 91 hp)) and 2.5 L (125 PS (92 kW; 123 hp)) were available in some markets.
At the top of the 155 range were the 2.5 L V6, using a (166 PS (122 kW; 164 hp)) engine derived from the 3.0 L V6 used in the larger Alfa Romeo 164, and the Q4 which used a drivetrain derived from the Lancia Delta Integrale which meant a 190 PS (140 kW; 190 hp) 2.0 L 16V turbocharged engine and permanent four-wheel drive. The Q4 also incorporated three differential gears (normal at the front, epicyclic at the centre (including a Ferguson viscous coupling) and torsen self-locking at the rear). Both the 2.5 V6 and Q4 models were also available with electronically adjustable suspension with two damper settings (automatic and sport).
The most notable special edition was the "Silverstone" edition released in the UK which was known as the "Formula" in Europe: this was released as a homologation exercise to allow Alfa Romeo to compete in the British Touring Car Championship race series and consequently came with a bolt-on aero-kit consisting of an adjustable rear spoiler and extendible front air splitter.
The Silverstone was a lighter but no more powerful version of the 1.8 L, even though the race car it was homologating had a 2.0 L engine. This anomaly came about because the 1.8 L engine block, with its narrower bore, allowed Alfa to use a longer stroke on the racing car and stay within the 2.0 L capacity limit. |
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Lorenzo's 1993 155 2.5 V6 |
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| Name |
Lorenzo Farella |
| First Alfa Romeo |
1977 Alfetta 2.0 Executive, originally finished in a Mustard shade (“Shudder”), later refinished in White after a complete rebuild into a rust-free body from Pretoria. |
| History with the CARC |
Being a member of the Farella family, Lorenzo was born into the Club & has therefore, having first joined as an associate member 1968, been a member for more than forty years! |
| Things of interest outside the CARC |
| a. |
Boat Racing: Lorenzo built & raced inflatable powerboats. His involvement in local racing saw him earning Western Province colours at least five years in a row. His performance took him to international level competing on the west coast of the USA & spending two years competing at Springbok level. Boats were a way of life for a decade. "The fit & healthy days" |
| b. |
Motorsport: Lorenzo built race-cars for about 6 years. Among these was his own 1966 Giulia Sprint GT with which he competed in Classic Touring Cars from 1999 to 2006. All this car's body panels were fibreglass except for the roof. After all, it is a "tin-top" series... |
| c. |
Film Industry: Lorenzo has been involved in the film industry since 1996 in the fabrication, preparation & precision driving of cars for both film & TV. His experience has found him behind the wheels of tracking vehicles as well as specially prepared stunt cars. Everything from a Daewoo Matiz to a Lamborghini Gallardo! |
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| Favourite Alfa Romeo ever owned |
Alfasud 33 TI modified by Lorenzo. Its 1490cc engine was enlarged to 1640cc and tuned to rev happily at 9000 RPM. The handling was set-up to match & this nimble combination of low mass & tuned boxer power resulted in this special 33 becoming quite a giant-killer humbling many an unfortunate challenger with it’s sprinting ability & surprising top end capability (approx. 220km/h). Nothing was left "factory spec"! |
| Dream Alfa Romeo |
| Being an empassioned alfista & having grown up surrounded by Alfa Romeo legends past & present, the answer cannot be simple so here is the list (in no particular order): |
| a. |
F.A.B. (Formula Alfa Boxer) |
| b. |
1951 Alfa Romeo Matta |
| c. |
1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale |
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| Other favourite car make |
| a. |
Lamborghini (Gallardo) |
| b. |
Lancia (Delta HF 16V Integrale) |
| c. |
Subaru (Impreza WRX STi) |
| d. |
FIAT (500 “Topolino”) |
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Favourite motoring/
motorsport personality: |
| a. |
Michael Schumacher: for his legendary racing skill |
| b. |
James Hunt: Well, how can you not like a guy like that! (See forthcoming Hunt/Lauda film!) |
| c. |
Jackie Stewart: for refining the art of Grand Prix driving & pioneering safety in F1 |
| d. |
Colin Chapman: For his technical contribution to race & sport car technology |
| e. |
Eddie Irvine |
| f. |
The Stig |
| g. |
Sebastian Loeb |
| h. |
J.C.: that is Jeremy Clarkson |
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The Car
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| Year |
1993 |
| Type |
155 |
| Version |
2.5 V6 |
| Notable Events in the cars history |
Saved from a scrap yard in JHB as a Code 3 with no keys. After being rehabilitated into roadworthy condition, a meeting of bonnet & windscreen inspired a transformation from the purple charity-case it started out as to the White attention-getting smile-machine we see today. |
Special Refinments/
Modifications/Restorations |
| Body |
| • |
GRP composite bonnet (fabricated by Lorenzo) |
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bodywork refinished in white |
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Mass reduction: undercarpet & sound deadening removed |
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| Suspension |
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Eibach springs |
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Rubber components replaced with polyurethane |
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| Brakes |
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Disks upgraded to 155 racing spec: cross-drilled & ventilated |
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| Engine Bay |
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Rubber hoses replaced by silicone rubber hoses |
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| Favourite features of this Alfa |
Lorenzo’s affection for the 155 is very much due to having grown up with the 155’s successful involvement in the highly competitive & highly sophisticated formulas it competed in. This to the extent that he actually has three of them in his stable! |
| Favourite Moment in this Alfa |
When asked this question Lorenzo laughed at having taken the doorlock to a locksmith to have a key cut with no idea of what the result would be upon trying it out. The key fitted the lock, the barrel turned & then so did the engine! This was the start of a great journey! Incidentally, it should be noted that Lorenzo later treated his 155 to a brand new set of original locks & keys. Even for the ski hatch! |
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Interviewer: Sergio Sagrestano |
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