Alfa Romeo 75

The Alfa Romeo 75 (Type 161, 162B), sold in North America as the Milano, is a compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992. The Alfa 75 was commercially quite successful: in only three years, 236,907 cars were produced,^[3] and by the end of production in 1992, around 386,767 had been built.^[4]

The Alfa Romeo 75 was the last model released before Alfa Romeo was acquired by Fiat. (The Alfa Romeo 164 was the last model developed independently.)

Overview

The 75 was introduced in May 1985

The 75 featured some unusual technical features, most notably the fact that it was almost perfectly balanced from front to rear.

turbodiesel made by VM Motori,^[10] and a 2.5 litre fuel injected V6. In 1986, the 75 Turbo was introduced, which featured a fuel-injected 1.8 litre twin-cam engine using Garrett T3 turbocharger, intercooler and oil cooler.^[11]

In 1987, a 3.0 litre V6 was added to the range and the 2.0 litre Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine was redesigned to have now two spark plugs per cylinder, which engine was named "Twin Spark". With fuel injection and variable valve timing this engine produced 148 PS (109 kW; 146 hp). This was an early example of a production engine using variable valve timing, though the first to do so was in Alfa Romeo's own Spider in 1980. In North America, where the car was known as the Milano, only the 2.5 and 3.0 V6 engines were available, from 1987 to 1989.

The North American 2.5 litre engines were fundamentally different from their European counterparts. Due to federal regulations, some modifications were required. Most noticeable from the outside were the 'America' bumpers, with the typical rubber accordions in them. Furthermore, these bumpers had thick (and heavy) shock-absorbing material inside them, and in addition, they were mounted to the vehicle on shock absorbers. To accommodate these shock absorbers, the 'America'-bodies were slightly different from the European ones. Other changes relative to the European model were:

• A 67-litre fuel tank which was located behind the rear seats, reducing the boot capacity from 500 L (18 cu ft) to 300 L (11 cu ft).
• Side-markers in the bumpers
• Exhaust silencer sticking out from under the bumper on the r/h side of the vehicle instead of at the centre
• Reinforcements in the doors (side impact bar) and boot lid
• Hooks underneath the bonnet (engine hood), to keep the bonnet in position in a crash

The North American cars also had optional levels of equipment (depending on the version: Milano Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Verde). L/h and r/h electrically adjustable outside mirrors, electrically reclining seats and cruise control were usually optional in Europe. The car was also available with a 3-speed ZF automatic gearbox option for the 2.5 V6. Other, more common options such as electrically operated rear windows and an A/C system were standard in the USA. The USA-cars also had different upholstery styles and of course different dashboard panels indicating speed in mph, oil pressure in psi and coolant temperature in degrees F, and as a final touch, the AR control was different, and included a seat belt warning light. Some North American specification Milanos were sold in Switzerland (When catalytic converters were made mandatory in 1987).

The European-spec 2.5 V6 (2.5 6V Iniezione or 2.5QV) was officially sold only between 1985 and 1987, although some of them were not registered until 1989. Relatively few of them were sold (about 2,800 units), especially when the 155 PS (114 kW; 153 hp) 1.8 Turbo got launched, which in some countries was cheaper in taxes because of its lower displacement. To better differentiate between the V6 and the inline fours, the 2.5 was bored out to 2,959 cc's to deliver 188 PS (138 kW; 185 hp) and this new engine was introduced as the 3.0 America in 1987. As its type designation suggests, the 3.0 only came in the US-specification, with the impact-bumpers and in-boot fuel tank. However, the European 'Americas' were not equipped with side-markers or the door, bonnet and boot lid reinforcements. Depending on the country of delivery, the 3.0 America might be equipped with a catalytic converter.

In 1988, engines were updated again, the 1.8 L carburetor version was replaced with a fuel injected 1.8 and a new and bigger diesel engine was added to the range. At the end of 1989 the 1.6 L carburetor version was updated to have fuel injection and in 1990 the 1.8 L turbo and 3.0i V6 got some more power and updated suspension. The 3.0 V6 was now equipped with a Motronic digital fuel injection system instead of the previous analog electronic L-Jetronic injection system. The 1.8L turbo was now also available in 'America'-spec, but strangely enough, was not available in the USA market. The 3.0 V6 did make it to the United States, and was sold as the Milano Verde.^[11]

Turbo Evoluzione

500 examples of the Turbo Evoluzione were produced in the spring of 1987 to meet Group A requirements.^[12] The car had many modifications when compared to the standard turbo model. The engine was down-sleeved to 1,762 cc (normally 1,779 cc) and while the claimed power was the same as in the standard turbo, this engine was better suited to power upgrades than was the standard 75 Turbo engine.^[13]

Engines

Motorsports

Alfa Romeo and its racing department

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alfa Romeo 75.

• 1987 Alfa Romeo 75 3.2 V6 Racing Car - giant-killer on test
• Alfa Romeo Bulletin Board & Forums
• Alfa Romeo Milano Registry
• UK based but worldwide forum for 75 owners
• Alfa GTV6 website and forum that also caters for 75 owners