Alfa Romeo Alfasud

Reviews / Votes

The Alfasud's convoluted tale has rarely been appropriately told outside Italy, as English-speaking authors have generally stuck with a nauseating mix of unsubstantiated rumors and cheap jokes. Thankfully, author Chris Martin proves to be an exception and a very welcome one at that. The depth of his research on the topic is evident throughout the 176 pages of his book, which perfectly fulfills its title promise and can undoubtedly be regarded as the best English-language book available on this subject. -- Matteo Licata * Roadster-Life * This is a welcome addition to the Alfasud canon because it is a comprehensive look at the history of the model, as well as setting the context for its development by including introductory chapters on the history of the company. -- Amatori Alfa reviewer * Amatori Alfa magazine of the Australian Alfa Romeo Owners Club * Its full of solid facts .. and perhaps, the most interesting aspects of this book are the descriptions of the political, industrial and quality problems that surrounded the car. -- Ted Pearson * Auto Italia magazine * Everything you could possible want to know about Alfa's groundbreaking small car including the politics, the BMW-disguised prototypes, and the many aftermarket performance conversions. Utterly fascinating. -- Classic Cars reviewer * Classic Cars * This is not your normal automobile hagiography and answers a lot of questions that begin with 'why.'
Why was the Alfasud necessary?
Why was it designed by Rudolf Hruska?
Why was it not built at Arese?
Why was it built in Naples?
Why were there so many problems with the labor force and factory?
What was unique about the design?
Why were the Russians blamed for the rust problems?
Chris nailed almost all of these questions in a very convincing manner, well researched and interesting to read.
It is all there, "The Problems, Rust, Strikes, Politics and Corruption." Many of us had heard that cheap Russian steel was at the core of the problem, but this is not supported by facts. Martin's conclusions seem much more likely, though harder to swallow. -- Pete Vack, Velocetoday.com * VeloceToday.com *