1973 Alfa Romeo Berlina

In 1967, Alfa Romeo replaced the long-running Giulia range with a new model which they called the 1750 Berlina. It was based on a stretched version of the Giulia's platform and wore styling by Bertone. The car offered additional legroom for rear passengers as well as larger cargo space. Under the bonnet was Alfa's alloy twin-cam four-cylinder engine which had an increased bore (from 78mm to 80mm) and stroke (from 82mm to 88.5) resulting in a capacity of 1779cc. It had a 9.2 compression ratio and a pair of twin-choke carburetors which helped boost power to 118 BHP.

The interior also received updates, becoming more luxurious and spacious. Wood replaced the metal dash and carpets were installed in place of rubber mats.

A revised model followed in June of 1971, the 2000 Berlina, at Lake Garda alongside the similarly re-badged Spiders and GTVs. The cylinder bore had been enlarged to 84mm which resulted in capacity increasing to 1962cc, which helped horsepower jump to 132 BHP at 5500 RPM. To help cope with the additional power, Alfa uprated the clutch. They also began offering an automatic transmission for the first time. Alloy wheels also became optional equipment. The exterior remained mostly unchanged; the only visual clues to help distinguish the two models were a new Alfa shield design and quad headlamps of equal size. On the inside, Alfa Romeo changed the instrument cluster, with new white and black dials, along with more wood trim.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2016