2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia on 2040-cars

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Vintage 1921 Alfa Romeo G1 rally car hits RM Sotheby’s

The only known surviving, fully operational example of Alfa Romeo's first commercial car is hitting the auction block at RM Sotheby's at its auction in Phoenix next month, when the 1921 G1 is expected to fetch up to $1.5 million. It's one of only 52 examples, including two prototypes, built between 1921 and 1923, and the only known surviving member of the series, stamped chassis No. 6018. It spent many years on a remote farm in Australia, during part of which the engine was put to work powering a water pump, before undergoing a restoration sometime in the mid-1960s. The G1 is powered by a 6.3-liter side-valve inline six that was said to have been designed with input from Enzo Ferrari, then a driver for the company, and was the largest motor ever fitted to an Alfa. It was based on two cast-iron three-cylinder blocks with fixed cylinder heads, a cylinder bore of 98 millimeters and a stroke of 140 mm to make 71 horsepower and 216 pound-feet of torque, with a top speed of 86 mph. It has a four-speed manual gearbox, which sends power to the rear axle through a single-dry plate clutch and an open driveshaft. The G1 was built to support Alfa Romeo's racing activities and was marketed to the same upscale clientele as Rolls-Royce, Hispano Suiza and others. A stripped-down version of the car won its production class at the Coppa del Garda, according to RM Sotheby's, but the production version suffered for being an expensive fuel guzzler at a time of economic and political chaos in Italy following World War I. So the company exported all 50 production versions to Australia (and possibly to South Africa), where this one was picked up by a Queensland businessman, who later went into bankruptcy and sent the car to a farm in the Outback to hide it from creditors. Ranch workers reportedly found it in the late '40s and used it as a farm runabout before the rear axle failed and the engine was used for the water pump. The remains of the G1 were acquired by a man named Ross Flewell-Smith, who would restore it over 10 years, including finding authentic replacement parts. It would undergo three full restorations in subsequent years.Related Video:

Alfa Romeo to unveil Tonale at the Geneva Motor Show

Alfa Romeo is bringing a new model to the Geneva Motor Show, and it's likely to be called the Tonale. This is as much as we know so far. The Tonale, the name of which is currently being propped onto the stage in Geneva, is expected to be a small SUV. But the vehicle's basis is being hotly debated right before it's scheduled to be revealed. The compact SUV was also spied on the show floor right now, and the photo leak ran on the "Masera" Facebook page. First seen with its daytime running lights glowing under the wraps, then completely uncovered, the Tonale seems to have a sharp, yet curvy design, with aggressive front detailing. Based on earlier information, we're also expecting the Tonale to be available as a plug-in hybrid. Earlier information called the compact SUV to be based on FCA's Small Wide platform, with Automotive News saying it's likely to be sharing technology with the Jeep Compass, which is expected to be built in Italy in the near future. Later on, a Greek site called AutoBlog.gr (no relation) theorized that the new SUV would be built on the Giorgio platform instead, which would make it more of a true Alfa Romeo and a scaled-down Stelvio instead. As Carscoops says, the Tonale name comes from a mountain pass not quite as tall as the Stelvio Pass. The size and dimensions of the spied Tonale could make it likely to ride on Small Wide, or the long-wheelbase version of the platform, as the Small Wide platform (in several variants) underpins both the Renegade, Compass, and both the Fiat 500X and 500L, just with different lengths. The overhangs, especially the front, are longer than on Jeeps, but for it to run on a cut-down Giorgio might be a stretch. Related Video:

9 thoughts about the Alfa Romeo Giulia Lusso

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Lusso is the type of car that reminds you why you love cars in the first place … and why everyone has perhaps gotten a little too practical in their automotive tastes. This is a car filled with life and joy, with controls that speak to you in ways that most other cars and their brands have long ago forgotten. ItÂ’s far from the spiciest Giulia available, but if anything, IÂ’d say the Quadrifoglio overshadowed just how enjoyable the base car is. This was the most time IÂ’ve spent in any Giulia, and whether I was driving my son to school, making the L.A. freeway trek down to the VW ID. Buzz reveal, or whisking through the Santa Monica Mountain roads, the Lusso made the experience extra special. Here are 9 thoughts on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Lusso. 1. All-star steering The steering is just incredible, one of the main reasons I find the Giulia so desirable. ItÂ’s quick and feelsome with a terrific wheel to grip. LetÂ’s talk about D mode, which is the sportiest of the three “DNA” drive modes (N is normal and A is eco). A subtle amount of extra weighting on turn-in is added, and itÂ’s perfect – utterly spot-on and natural. That weighting then lightens as you keep turning through tighter turns, which means the car isnÂ’t fighting against you and allows you to genuinely feel the road free from excess weighting as you make minute adjustments. Steering in N mode is still relatively firm on center, but that turn-in weighting is just a bit lighter. Still great during most of the times youÂ’re driving, but D mode is so, so, so good. All-star, Top 10 board with various Porsches, Mazdas and the surprisingly great Aston Martin DBX on my scorecard. 2. Hey, I actually noticed the brakes! Sadly, the Giulia is not available with a manual transmission. Like a giant tease, though, the brake pedal is closer in size and shape to one from a three-pedal car. Pedal aside, wow are the brakes it's attached to ever good. Wear thin shoes and youÂ’re able to delicately brush the pedal, feeling the calipers brush the rotors in kind. So beautifully modulated. I could see someone finding them a little too responsive resulting in jerking stops, but either stop wearing work boots, try harder or buy a Lexus ES. I donÂ’t usually notice brakes unless theyÂ’re especially good or especially bad/weird. These fall in the former category, and whatÂ’s even more impressive, is that theyÂ’re brake-by-wire.