ALFA ROMEO

Alfa 156: the saga of an authentic Italian

The Alfa Romeo 156 is one of the most successful models in the history of the Italian brand. Between 1997 and 2005, no less than 680,000 copies of the model were sold and, in addition, in 1998 it was the first Alfa Romeo model to receive the 'Car of the Year in Europe' award. Today we are going to take a look at its history.

It was in late autumn 1997 that Alfa Romeo launched its new front-wheel drive sedan, and it did so with an open day at its dealerships, which were visited by nearly a million people. And it seems that what they saw convinced them, because in a few months the brand received more than 100,000 orders.

The Alfa Romeo 156 was presented to the international press in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. The message was clear: it combines dynamic styling with a perfect balance of performance and sporty handling. The result was one of the best mid-size, front-wheel drive sedans.

Since 1933, Alfa Romeo was owned by the Italian state holding company IRI (Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale), which sold the brand to the Fiat Group in 1986. As in almost all industrial integration processes, the first years under the new ownership were dedicated primarily to streamline production and supply chains.

In the 1980s, the dominant theme for car manufacturers was 'creating synergies'. Manufacturing processes and products have become increasingly standardized. Many components were shared across multiple models for cost reasons. Designers were forced to comply with very strict requirements, such as reusing components for different models, such as the doors themselves, which limited creativity.

This trend of identical pieces for different models was not well received by the public either. Many stakeholders again demanded more differentiated models. As a result, manufacturers relaxed their design norms and, in parallel, the importance of brand identity increased again. This inflection point had a strong influence on car design in the transition from the 20th to the 21st century.

At the Arese plant, also home to the Centro Stile, technologies, people and the production process have changed. New computerized design and prototyping systems were introduced, the Centro Stile team was integrated into the vehicle platform design process and also participated in technological decisions. The strategy was: what is functional must also be beautiful, and vice versa. Style and function go hand in hand: Alfa Romeo spoke of ‘necessary beauty’.

Centro Stile was not responsible for the design of just a single model, but of entire series. In 1995, for example, Alfa Romeo introduced the 145 model with a tailgate and, a year later, the 146 with a short tailgate, complementing the brand's lineup in the C-segment.

The real turning point was the Alfa Romeo 156. The characteristic radiator grille, the Scudetto, dominated the design of the vehicle's front end. The unmistakable front fenders radiated power and firmness on the road, while the roofline and the relationship between the glass and metal surfaces were more like a coupe than a sedan.

This effect was accentuated by the rear door handles, integrated almost invisibly into the door pillars. A trick that was later adopted by many companies, such as Renault with the Clio. The clean sides emphasized the slim, dynamic profile of the Alfa Romeo 156. “It looks like it moves, even when it's stationary,” commented Walter de Silva, then head of Centro Stile Alfa Romeo.

The Alfa Romeo 156's color palette included experimental paint schemes similarly seen on the Carabo (1968) and Alfa Romeo Montreal (1970) concept car. The designers at Centro Stile were inspired by the museum at the nearby factory, which was then housed in the same building as it is today. Taking inspiration from the color of the exposed 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B, they invented Azul Nuvola, a multi-layer paint with a mica effect that made the car shine.

The Alfa Romeo 156 was also an exceptional car from a technical point of view. The developers' task in this case was to reconcile sportiness and front-wheel drive. To achieve this goal, innovative materials were used in the production, such as magnesium and steel blades with different thicknesses, the so-called 'custom blocks'.

The elaborately designed front axle featured a geometry called Ackermann, which provided a direct steering feel. Special attention was also paid to the mechanical adjustment of the chassis, which ensured a precise ride. The racing version of the 156 also celebrated numerous racing successes, winning 13 international titles in ten years.

At the launch of the Alfa Romeo 156, six engine versions were offered. The star was the twin spark plug V6 'Twin Spark' gasoline engine, characteristic solution of a series of legendary engines of the brand over the years. In the 156, two spark plugs per cylinder with four valves were combined for the first time.

In 2000, the 156 was presented with a station wagon body, called Sportswagon. In combination with the Q4 all-wheel drive, a 156 Crosswagon later arrived with 6.5 cm more ground clearance. In the European summer of 2003, the 156 redesigned by Giugiaro appeared, recognizable by its huge radiator grille, but from September 2005, the 156 was gradually replaced by the 159.

The 4-cylinder gasoline engines had a displacement between 1.6 and 2.0 liters, as well as an output between 120 and 166 hp. Above them was the 2.5 V6 with 190 hp (later 192). In 2002, it was followed by the 3.2 GTA with the legendary 'Arese V6', which reached 250 hp and 300 Nm of torque, and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds.

The 156 was one of the first series production cars in the world to use direct injection diesel engines based on Common Rail technology, which is widely used today. The 1.9 and 2.4-liter turbodiesels (from 105 to 175 hp), recognizable by the acronym JTD, stunned experts and the public. For the first time, diesel engines offered performance, noise reduction and comfort on par with gasoline engines.

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