80-680: The Chrysler VH Valiant is an automobile which was produced by Chrysler Australia from June 1971 to March 1973. It replaced the VG series Valiant and was the first Valiant model to be a uniquely Australian design. The VH series Valiant was offered in the following models. Sedan and station wagon models were introduced in June 1971, followed by the Charger coupes in August, the coupe utility models in September, and
160-515: A "Chrysler Australia Ltd" which had operated as a vehicle manufacturer in Australia from 1951 until 1980, and was subsequently taken over by Mitsubishi Motors Australia . Chrysler Australia Ltd was established in June 1951 when the Chrysler Corporation acquired Chrysler Dodge Distributors (Holdings) Pty Ltd , a company which had been formed in 1935 by 18 independent distributors. During
240-654: A 142 kW (193 PS; 190 hp) version of the slant-six engine . Aside from the six-cylinder engine, the Dodge SE was very similar to the Australian-market Chrysler by Chrysler . A total of 67,800 VH Valiants were built prior to its replacement by the VJ Valiant range in 1973. In November 1971, Chrysler Australia introduced the CH series Chrysler by Chrysler , which was a long wheelbase, luxury model developed from
320-549: A 15 percent interest in the company in 1971, with the result that Chrysler Australia began building the Mitsubishi-designed Chrysler Valiant Galant . The association with Mitsubishi also gave Chrysler Australia another winner—the 1977 Chrysler Sigma . With a range of 4-cylinder "Silent Shaft" engines, competitive pricing, "Japanese" style and the availability of a luxurious "SE" version, with optional leather trim (an innovative sales approach in its era),
400-562: A 225 cid engine. Prior to 1971 South African Valiants had been sourced from Canada . Local versions were sold as the Chrysler Valiant Rebel, Rebel 660, Regal, Charger Coupé, and Chrysler VIP. Station wagons were also available of the Rebel and Regal. For 1973 the Dodge SE (for "Special Edition") appeared, a luxury version with different front and rear treatment, vinyl roof, full equipment and
480-515: A VH sedan and Charger line using around 40% local content and unique specifications. The column shift manual or automatic front bench seat Ranger XL had exterior trim the same as the Australian base Ranger (no door frame or wheel arch brightwork, no tail lamp embellishment), unique local seat design and upholstery and a two barrel version of the 245 Hemi engine. The Regal 770 had separate front seats, 265 Hemi with floor console shift automatic or 318V8 and
560-564: A bid to acquire the entirety of Alfa Romeo and offer job guarantees to Italian workers, an offer that Ford was unwilling to match. It also did not hurt any of the parties involved that an acquisition by Fiat would keep Alfa Romeo in Italian hands. In 1986, the deal was concluded with Alfa Romeo merged with traditional rival Lancia into Fiat's Alfa Lancia Industriale S.p.A. Already in 1981, Alfa Romeo's then-President Ettore Massacesi had stated that Alfa would never use Fiat engines—the engines being, to
640-581: A company called Fabral ( Fábrica Brasileira de Automóveis Alfa , "the Brazilian Alfa automobile factory") to build the Alfa Romeo 2000 there. After having received government approval, Matarazzo pulled out under pressure from Brazil's President Juscelino Kubitschek with the state-owned FNM company instead commenced building the car as the "FNM 2000" there in 1960. During the 1960s, Alfa Romeo concentrated on motorsports using production-based cars, including
720-541: A large extent, Alfa Romeo's identity—but would be happy to cooperate fully with everything else. Models produced from the 1990 onwards combined Alfa's traditional virtues of avant-garde styling and sporting panache with the economic benefits of product rationalisation, and include a "GTA" version of the 147 hatchback, the Giugiaro -designed Brera , and a high-performance exotic called the 8C Competizione (named after one of Alfa's most successful prewar sports and racing cars,
800-700: A modified appearance would minimise the risk of accusations that Australia was selling "last year's model". Through the 1960s, Chrysler expanded the Valiant range, with 2-door hardtop, long wheelbase (VIP) and sporty (Pacer) variants. Also, in 1966, with the Chrysler USA acquisition of the British Rootes Group , Chrysler Australia took over the Rootes Australia as well as the operation of their Port Melbourne factory. The principal Rootes model sold in Australia
880-474: A plastic radiator header tank. It had also the lowest drag coefficient (Cd) in its class The same trend continued with the Alfetta 2000 and GTV, which had quirks such as 50:50 weight distribution , standard fit alloy wheels and transaxle . Newer innovations include complete CAD design process used in designing the Alfa Romeo 164 and an automated/paddle-shift transmission called Selespeed used in
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#1732895362270960-401: A pre-war voiturette, and Giuseppe Farina won the first Formula One World Championship in 1950 in the 158. Juan Manuel Fangio secured Alfa's second consecutive championship in 1951. In 1952, Alfa Romeo experimented with its first front-wheel-drive compact car, "Project 13–61". It had the same transverse-mounted, forward-motor layout as the modern front-wheel-drive automobile. Alfa Romeo made
1040-556: A second attempt in the late 1950s based on Project 13–61. It was to be called Tipo 103 and resembled the smaller version of its popular Alfa Romeo Giulia. However, due to the financial difficulties in post-war Italy, the Tipo 103 never saw production. Had Alfa Romeo produced it, it would have preceded the Mini as the first "modern" front-wheel-drive compact car. In the mid-1950s, Alfa Romeo entered into an agreement with Brazil 's Matarazzo Group to create
1120-443: A standard chassis and whether the resulting vehicles would be palatable to the public. Alfa 1900 Sprint were the basis of the B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9. The later B.A.T. 11 was based on the 8C Competizione. The Tipo 33 racing car, with its high-revving 2000 cc V8 engine became the basis for a number of different concept cars during the 1960s and 1970s, two of which ultimately resulted in production vehicles. Most made their appearances at
1200-614: A standard delete option vinyl roof. The Charger was assembled only as a 770 with the console automatic and lacked the Australian version's reclining front seats and rear overriders. Early production had one piece front door glass and opening rear side windows; due to sealing problems, this was changed to front quarterlights (an Australian factory option) and fixed rear side glass. VH Valiants were assembled at Silverton, near Pretoria in South Africa using Australian bodies, electrics and trim and locally sourced mechanical components including
1280-539: A successful niche as an alternative to Australian prestige cars—generally extended-wheelbase versions of traditional Australian family cars—the Holden Statesman/Caprice and Ford Fairlane/LTD . In 2012, Chrysler Australia took over the distribution responsibilities for Alfa Romeo , Fiat and Fiat Commercial . In 2013, the RAM brand of trucks was introduced to the Australian market, converted locally by ASV , at
1360-460: A then-novel wind-down rear window and tailgate. (Chrysler USA had acquired an interest in Simca in 1958, the basis for sourcing of this car). The assembly and marketing of Simca Aronde and Vedette models by Chrysler Australia was announced on 1 July 1959. In both 1958 and 1959, Chrysler Australia released Plymouth Belvedere , Dodge Custom Royal and DeSoto Firesweep models which were imported from
1440-488: A total of 150,722 vehicles at the company's three factories. On January 16, 2021, the operations of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA were merged to form Stellantis and the company was renamed Stellantis Italy. In spite of falling sales, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato announced in 2021 that a new model would be launched every year between 2022 and 2026, starting with the much-delayed Tonale , with full electrification of new models from 2027. Alfa Romeo
1520-517: A total of about 112,000 units, which was significantly lower than Fiat CEO Marchionne's global sales target of 300,000. The company set about to achieve a sales target of 170,000 units in 2011, including 100,000 Giulietta and 60,000 MiTo models, but it actually sold 130,000 units that year. Its medium-term target was 500,000 units by 2014 including 85,000 from the North American market. In 2017 Alfa Romeo increased production by 62 percent, building
1600-472: Is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of multinational automotive company Stellantis . Founded on 24 June 1910 in Milan , Italy as A.L.F.A. —an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili —the company was established by Cavaliere Ugo Stella to acquire the assets of the ailing Italian subsidiary of French carmaker Darracq , of which he had been an investor and manager. Its first car
1680-680: The 156 ; the 156 was also the world's first passenger car to use Common rail diesel engine. The Multiair -an electro-hydraulic variable valve actuation technology used in MiTo was introduced in 2009. In 2016, the Alfa Romeo Giulia came with electrical brakes. Many famous automotive design houses in Italy have accepted commissions to produce concepts and production vehicle shapes for Alfa Romeo. These include: Construction techniques used by Alfa Romeo has been imitated by other carmakers, and in this way,
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#17328953622701760-789: The 8C of the 1930s). In 2005, Maserati was bought back from Ferrari and was now under Fiat's full control. The Fiat Group then created a sports and luxury division from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. There is a planned strategic relationship between these two; engines, platforms and possibly dealers are shared. In the beginning of 2007, Fiat Auto S.p.A. was reorganized and four new automobile companies were created; Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A., Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. and Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles S.p.A. These companies were fully owned by Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. (from 2007 FCA Italy S.p.A.). On 24 June 2010, Alfa Romeo celebrated 100 years from its foundation. Alfa Romeo has been suffering from falling sales. In 2010, it sold
1840-487: The Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 with "Ala spessa" body in 1940 Mille Miglia . The engine had six electrically operated injectors, fed by a semi-high pressure circulating fuel pump system. 1969 models for the North American market had SPICA (Società Pompe Iniezione Cassani & Affini, a subsidiary of Alfa Romeo) mechanical fuel injection . According to Alfa Romeo, the engine's power output and performance were unchanged from
1920-669: The Alfa Romeo overhead Twin Cam four-cylinder engine, initially displacing 1300 cc. This engine would eventually be enlarged to 2000 cc and would remain in production until 1995. When I see an Alfa Romeo go by, I tip my hat. Once motorsports resumed after the Second World War, Alfa Romeo proved to be the car to beat in Grand Prix events. The introduction of the new formula ( Formula One ) for single seat racing cars provided an ideal setting for Alfa Romeo's Tipo 158 Alfetta , adapted from
2000-595: The GTA (standing for Gran Turismo Allegerita), an aluminium-bodied version of the Bertone -designed coupe with a powerful twin-plug engine. Among other victories, the GTA won the inaugural Sports Car Club of America 's Trans-Am championship in 1966. In the 1970s, Alfa Romeo concentrated on prototype sports car racing with the Tipo 33 , with early victories in 1971. Eventually the Tipo 33TT12 gained
2080-678: The Holden Special Vehicles facility in Clayton, Victoria . The Chrysler marque was withdrawn from the Australian market on 19 November 2021 as its only model, the Chrysler 300, has been discontinued. Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. ( Italian: [ˈalfa roˈmɛːo] ) is an Italian luxury carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy , it
2160-682: The Jeep Cherokee , then expanding the range to include the Chrysler Neon (discontinued in 2002) Grand Cherokee , Jeep Commander , PT Cruiser , Crossfire , 300C , Voyager and Dodge Caliber . Initially, the attraction of the Jeep range was "value for money" although the first cars became known for poor quality of construction. In the 2000s, a range of vehicles was imported from the United States, Canada, Mexico , and Austria. The Chrysler 300C found
2240-512: The King of Italy , the two words were separated by two figure-eight knots —named Savoy knots in Italian, and symbols of the then-reigning House of Savoy . Originally solid brass, the lettering was changed to white enamel in 1913. In 1918, after the company had been bought by Nicola Romeo , the wording "ALFA" was replaced with "ALFA-ROMEO". In 1925, to commemorate the victory of the Alfa Romeo P2 in
2320-507: The Second World War . In 1928, Nicola Romeo left, and in 1933 Alfa Romeo was rescued by the government, which then had effective control. Alfa Romeo became an instrument of Mussolini's Italy, a national emblem. During this period, it built bespoke vehicles for the wealthy, with bodies normally by Carrozzeria Touring or Pininfarina . This era peaked with the Alfa Romeo 2900B Type 35 racers. The Alfa factory (converted during wartime to
2400-557: The World Championship for Makes for Alfa Romeo in 1975 and the Tipo 33SC12 won the World Championship for Sports Cars in 1977. As Alfa Romeo was a state-controlled company, they were often subject to political pressure. To help industrialize Italy's underdeveloped south , Alfa Romeo's new compact car was to be built at a new factory at Pomigliano d'Arco in Campania . Even the car's name, Alfa Sud (Alfa South), reflected where it
2480-811: The 1950s and 1960s, Chrysler made a substantial investment in Australian manufacturing facilities. It consolidated assembly from other state capitals to its expanding operations in Adelaide. Vehicle production for Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales was in Adelaide from 1953 and Perth and Brisbane assembly ceased in 1954. The company had several facilities at Finsbury in Adelaide's northwest. The trim shop (car seats and interiors) and steel pressings (chassis components) produced components which were sent to Keswick for assembly. Chrysler also had an aircraft division which manufactured components for Canberra bombers , Jindivik drones and Winjeel trainers. Chrysler recruited both local men and young single men from interstate to staff
Chrysler Valiant (VH) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-594: The 40–60 HP and the RL Targa Florio ). In 1923, Vittorio Jano was lured from Fiat , partly due to the persuasion of a young Alfa racing driver named Enzo Ferrari, to replace Merosi as chief designer at Alfa Romeo. The first Alfa Romeo under Jano was the P2 Grand Prix car , which won Alfa Romeo the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. For road cars, Jano developed a series of small-to-medium-displacement 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder inline engines based on
2640-452: The 4C, Giulia and Stelvio. Alfa Romeo has introduced many technological innovations over the years, and the company has often been among the first users of new technologies. Its trademark double overhead cam engine was used for the first time in the 1914 Grand Prix car, the first road car with such an engine, the 6C 1500 Sport , appeared in 1928. Alfa Romeo tested one of the first electronic fuel injection systems ( Caproni -Fuscaldo) in
2720-470: The Adelaide suburb of Clovelly Park . An engine manufacturing plant was opened at Lonsdale in November 1967. These new factories replaced facilities at Keswick , Mile End and Finsbury . During this time, Chrysler Australia established its position as the third of the "Big 3" Australian motor manufacturers behind General Motors-Holden and Ford Australia . Beginning in 1962, Chrysler Australia assembled
2800-477: The Alfa Romeo body designs have often been very influential. The following is a list of innovations, and where appropriate, examples of imitation by other car manufacturers: Several concept cars have been made by Alfa Romeo: The Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica prototype cars were designed by Bertone as an exercise in determining whether streamlining and wind-tunnel driven designs would result in high performance on
2880-674: The American Plymouth Valiant , marketed as the Valiant by Chrysler . By 1963, they had developed a local version, the AP5 Valiant, with distinctive styling giving the car a separate identity from the US Plymouth and Dodge variants. The reason for developing different styling was concern that the local manufacturer could not afford to make substantial styling changes as quickly as in the US. Hence,
2960-523: The Auto Salon Genève. Here is a brief list: In general, concept cars for Alfa Romeo have generally become production vehicles, after some modification to make them suitable for manufacture, and to provide driver and passenger safety. The Zagato SZ, GTV, and Spider, Brera, and 159 are all good examples of Alfa Romeo's stylistic commitment in this direction. Alfa Romeo's logo incorporates two heraldic devices traditionally associated with its birthplace,
3040-656: The Dodge Kingsway Custom, Kingsway Crusader & Kingsway Coronet and the De Soto Diplomat Custom, Diplomat Regent & Diplomat Plaza. The Plymouth sedan was a popular choice for taxicab usage however the rise in popularity of the Holden during this decade led to the decline of this range of cars. In 1957, Chrysler Australia consolidated each of the badge-engineered marques in one car—the Chrysler Royal . This
3120-555: The French PSA Group to form Stellantis. Alfa Romeo is heavily involved in various motorsports —including Grand Prix motor racing , Formula One , sportscar racing , touring car racing , and rallies —with achievements giving a sporty image to the marque. Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo racing team, before forming his namesake luxury sports car maker in 1939. Ferrari has had
3200-549: The French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq , with some Italian investors. One of them, Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan , became chairman of the SAID in 1909. The firm's initial location was in Naples , but even before the construction of the planned factory had started, Darracq decided late in 1906 that Milan would be more suitable and accordingly a tract of land was acquired in
3280-531: The Milan suburb of Portello , where a new factory of 6,700 square metres (8,000 sq yd) was constructed. In late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and the company was wound up. Ugo Stella, with the other Italian co-investors, founded a new company named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili), buying the assets of Italian Darracq that was up to dissolution. The first car produced by
Chrysler Valiant (VH) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-589: The P2 unit that established the architecture of the company's engines, with light alloy construction, hemispherical combustion chambers, centrally located plugs, two rows of overhead valves per cylinder bank and dual overhead cams. Jano's designs proved both reliable and powerful. Enzo Ferrari proved a better team manager than a driver, and when the factory team was privatised, it became Scuderia Ferrari . When Ferrari left Alfa Romeo, he went on to build his own cars. Tazio Nuvolari often drove for Alfa, winning many races before
3440-714: The Pomigliano factory ran at 16.5 percent through the 1970s, reaching as high as 28 percent. By the 1970s, Alfa Romeo was again in financial trouble, with the company running at about sixty percent of capacity in 1980. Since Alfa Romeo was controlled by the Italian government owned Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI), a deal was made where about a quarter of worker's salaries were paid through state unemployment agencies to allow Alfa's plants to idle for two weeks every two months. An aging product lineup and very low productivity combined with near-permanent industrial unrest and Italy's high inflation rates kept Alfa Romeo firmly in
3520-629: The Sigma marked Chrysler's sales comeback. Sigma soon became market leader in its class. In 1979, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation each acquired a one sixth equity in Chrysler Australia and in April 1980 the two companies purchased the remaining shares in the company from the US Chrysler Corporation, which was in bailout negotiations with the US government. The company name
3600-557: The US Market as announced by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne after a series of rumours. North American sales resumed in October 2008, with the launch of the limited production 8C Competizione coupe with Alfa Romeo models being imported by Fiat's US subsidiary Chrysler. Also in 2008, Alfa Romeo and Chrysler were reported to be in discussions over the possibility of producing Alfa Romeo cars in some Chrysler manufacturing plants that had shut down due to
3680-589: The US in CKD form and assembled at Chrysler's Adelaide facilities. The Plymouth was fitted with a 318-cubic-inch V8 engine and the Dodge and de Soto models featured a 361-cubic-inch V8. Assembly of the three models was discontinued in 1960 and they were replaced by a single model, the Dodge Phoenix , which was produced by Chrysler Australia through to 1973. In 1964, Chrysler opened its Tonsley Park assembly plant located in
3760-515: The VH Valiant. It was offered in four-door sedan and two-door hardtop bodystyles with a choice of 265 cid six and 360 cid V8 engines. Chrysler Australia Stellantis (Australia and New Zealand) Pty Ltd (formerly FCA Australia ), is the official Stellantis subsidiary in Australia and New Zealand, operating as distributor of Chrysler, Jeep , Dodge , Abarth , Alfa Romeo , Fiat and Leapmotor vehicles. However, there had previously been
3840-459: The VH series used a 105-inch wheelbase. From 1973 Australian regulations required amber turn signals be fitted to the front of all passenger vehicles, as well as the rear. This meant the combined park light/turn signals with clear lenses fitted to the VH were no longer legal. As a result 1973 build VH series cars were fitted with amber turn signals in place of the clear lenses, and park light were relocated to
3920-635: The aesthetics and performance of sport and luxury marques. Despite its strong brand image and relatively sizeable share of the high-performance auto market in Europe, by the 1970s, the company was operating at a loss, prompting IRI to sell it to Fiat Group in 1986. Alfa Romeo has since maintained its distinct identity and brand through several ownership changes, including Fiat's merger with the American Chrysler Group in 2014, forming Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and FCA's subsequent merger in 2021 with
4000-493: The carburetted version. The SPICA system continued until the 1982 model year with the introduction of 2.0 liter Bosch electronic fuel injection . Mechanical variable valve timing was introduced in the Alfa Romeo Spider , sold in the U.S. in 1980. All Alfa Romeo Spider models from 1983 onward used electronic VVT. The 105 series Giulia was quite an advanced car, using technologies such as all-wheel disc brakes , and
4080-553: The city of Milan : A red cross, from the emblem of Milan , and the biscione , a big grass snake and a child emerging from its mouth—emblem of the House of Visconti , rulers of the city in the 14th century. The logo was originally designed in 1910 by a young Italian draughtsman from the A.L.F.A. technical office, Romano Cattaneo. In June 1910, the Società Anonima Darracq became Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, and
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#17328953622704160-490: The company group's restructure and cost cutting. Instead, as reported by The Wall Street Journal in November 2009, Chrysler discontinued several Dodge and Jeep models while phasing in Alfa Romeo ones and the new Fiat 500. The next significant milestones in Alfa Romeo's North American return occurred in 2014, with the launch of the more affordable two-seater 4C coupe . That year, Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. confirmed that its original agreement with Mazda Motor Corporation, for
4240-417: The company was the 1910 24 HP , designed by Giuseppe Merosi , hired in 1909 for designing new cars more suited to the Italian market. Merosi would go on to design a series of new A.L.F.A. cars, with more powerful engines such as the 40–60 HP . A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing , with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24-hp models. In 1914, an advanced Grand Prix car
4320-505: The company's existing car engines were produced in a vastly enlarged factory during the war. After the war, Romeo invested his war profits in acquiring locomotive and railway carriage plants in Saronno ( Costruzioni Meccaniche di Saronno ), Rome (Officine Meccaniche di Roma), and Naples (Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali), which were added to his A.L.F.A. ownership. Car production had not been considered at first, but resumed in 1919 since parts for
4400-592: The completion of 105 cars had remained at the A.L.F.A. factory since 1915. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20–30 HP the first car to be so badged. Their first success came in 1920 when Giuseppe Campari won at Mugello and continued with second place in the Targa Florio driven by Enzo Ferrari . Giuseppe Merosi continued as head designer, and the company continued to produce solid road cars as well as successful race cars (including
4480-408: The first vehicle to bear the new brand. Through the 1920s, Alfa Romeo produced several successful road and race cars, and was well represented in prominent European motorsport events, notably winning the inaugural Grand Prix in 1925. Nevertheless, the company soon faced financial troubles, leading to Romeo's contentious departure in 1928 and Italian government ownership in 1933. Under the control of
4560-445: The growth. Initially, Chrysler Australia assembled North American Chrysler passenger cars and trucks. Its most popular car in the 1950s was the US sourced badge engineered trio: Plymouth Cranbrook , Dodge Kingsway and De Soto Diplomat , each based on the 1954 US Plymouth . A coupe utility variant was also developed by Chrysler Australia and this was marketed in nine different versions; the Plymouth Cranbrook, Savoy & Belvedere,
4640-494: The industrial organization Institute per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI), Alfa Romeo initially continued making its signature custom luxury vehicles, but following the financial hardship of World War II, shifted to mass-producing small vehicles. In 1954, it launched the Giulietta series of family cars and developed the Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine , which would remain in production until 1994. Alfa Romeo became known for producing mass-market vehicles that nonetheless blended
4720-407: The mechanical holdings arm of IRI and its predecessors owned Alfa Romeo since 1932. Prodi first approached fellow Italian manufacturer Fiat, which offered to start a joint venture with Alfa. Fiat withdrew its plan for a joint venture with Alfa Romeo when Ford put in an offer to acquire part of Alfa Romeo and restructure the company, while increasing its stake over time. However, Fiat chose to put in
4800-406: The memorable Valiant Charger . This was a short-wheelbase (105-inch) two-door hardtop version of the standard Valiant. The car had distinctive sporty styling, including an integrated rear spoiler. The base model Charger was A$ 2750, and the range extended upwards with high-performance and luxury models. Charger won the " Wheels " magazine Car of the Year award in 1971. It was also a winner in
4880-424: The most wins of any marque in the world. The company's name is a combination of the original name, "A.L.F.A." ("Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili" - “Anonymous Lombardy Automobile Factory”), and the last name of entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who took control of the company in 1915. The first factory building of A.L.F.A. was in the first-place property of Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID), founded in 1906 by
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#17328953622704960-498: The panel below the front bumper. Chrysler Australia's “Hemi 6” straight six engine was offered in three displacements, 215 cid (3.5 litre), 245 cid (4.0 litre) and 265 cid (4.3 litre). and a 318 cid V8 was also available. A 340 cid V8 was fitted to the Charger 770SE E55 model which was released in October 1972. 3 speed manual and 3 speed automatic transmissions were offered initially with a 4 speed manual available on Charger models from June 1972. Local importer Todd Motors assembled
5040-465: The production of Macchi C.202 Folgore engines: the Daimler-Benz 600 series built under license) was bombed during the Second World War and struggled to return to profitability after the war. The luxury vehicles were out. Smaller, mass-produced vehicles began to be produced beginning with the 1954 model year, with the introduction of the Giulietta series of berline (saloons/sedans), coupes and open two-seaters. All three varieties shared what would become
5120-551: The rear of the car, while the front end gained dual (vertically stacked) headlights. These changes failed to arrest the slide in sales, as General Motors-Holden came to dominate the Australian market, and the Royal was viewed as being outmoded and expensive. Production ceased in 1963. The saving grace for Chrysler at this time was the French Simca Aronde —a popular 4-cylinder compact car which Chrysler Australia assembled from CKD kits at their Forestville factory. Local engineers developed an Aronde station wagon unique to Australia, with
5200-407: The red. Other creative measures were attempted to shore up Alfa, including an ultimately unsuccessful joint venture with Nissan endorsed by Alfa's then-president, Ettore Massacesi, and Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga . By 1986, IRI was suffering heavy losses—with Alfa Romeo having not been profitable for the last 13 years —and IRI president Romano Prodi put Alfa Romeo up for sale. Finmeccanica,
5280-445: The sales stakes, capturing the imagination of the Australian public in the same way as the Ford Mustang did in the US and the Ford Capri did in the UK. By the mid-1970s, sales of the Valiant range stalled, as a combination of factors worked against Chrysler Australia: In 1975, Chrysler introduced the Centura with a choice of a 2-litre (4-cylinder) and 3.5-litre or 4-litre (6-cylinder) engines, and two equipment levels, XL and GL. This
5360-529: The speculated manufacturing of a new Alfa Romeo Spider based on the Mazda MX-5 had been terminated mutually in December 2014. The proposed model for this joint venture became the Fiat 124 Spider convertible launched in 2015. In 2015, Alfa Romeo's return to this market was further bolstered by the automaker's display of the new Giulia at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In February 2017, Chrysler featured its Alfa Romeo brand exclusively in three ads during Super Bowl LI . Alfa Romeo's US importer, FCA US LLC , imports
5440-494: The supply of parts. By the time the car arrived in Australia, its appearance was dated and, as a result, the Centura did not generate significant market interest. A mild 'KC' Centura update in GL and GLX variants combined with a simplified choice of two versions of the 4-litre engine arrived in 1977, but the car then quietly disappeared from the market by the end of 1978. Chrysler Australia's parent company began working closely with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation after they acquired
5520-489: The two-door hardtops in November. The VH Valiant featured an entirely new body which was larger and more roomy than that of its VG series predecessor. The VH Hardtop models used body panels that were made entirely in Australia, unlike the previous VG Hardtops which had used imported sheet metal for all panels rear of the windscreen. The hardtops now rode on a 115-inch wheelbase, 4 inches longer than that on sedans and wagons. The Valiant Charger , which made its debut as part of
5600-463: Was a facelifted version of the 1954 Plymouth that continued in production until 1963. The Royal was an automotive curiosity. Starting life as a side-valve 6-cylinder manual, with 3-speed manual column gearchange, it was progressively modified, with the addition of US sourced engineering features such as power steering , the push button "Powerflite" automatic transmission and an OHV V8. On the styling front US "Forward Look" style tailfins were grafted on
5680-510: Was a medium-sized competitor for the Holden Torana and the Ford Cortina . The 'KB' Centura was based on the European Chrysler 180 (which had been introduced in Europe in 1970), with facelifted front and rear styling (reputedly based on the intended design for a Sunbeam version of this car, which never reached production). The launch of the Centura was delayed by several years as a result of embargoes placed on French imports, due to France conducting Pacific nuclear bomb tests , which impeded
5760-612: Was based on a US engine design for trucks, it was never produced in North America. The Valiant was a good seller, but never quite gained the level of market acceptance as its major competitors—the Holden and the Falcon . In 1971, Chrysler Australia released the Valiant VH model (still based on the US A-Body platform ), it was significantly wider than earlier Valiants, with the lineup including
5840-527: Was built. 18 January 1968, saw a new company named "Industria Napoletana Costruzioni Autoveicoli Alfa Romeo-Alfasud S.p.A." being formed, 90% of which belonged to Alfa Romeo and 10% to Government controlled holding company Finmeccanica . This plant was built in the wake of France's 1968 protests and Italy's Hot Autumn and was never "properly started." The employees had mainly construction backgrounds and were not trained for factory work, while industrial relations were troublesome throughout. Absenteeism rates in
5920-646: Was changed to Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited on 1 October 1980. Mitsubishi continued to build the Valiant models with Chrysler badging until August 1981 and production of the Sigma range continued under the Mitsubishi name until 1987. Colt , Magna , Verada and 380 models were subsequently produced before production of passenger vehicles was discontinued in March 2008. The company continues to operate today as one of Australia's major importers of road vehicles. Chrysler returned to Australia in 1994, initially importing
6000-626: Was designed and built, the GP1914 , with a four-cylinder engine, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and twin ignition. However, the onset of the First World War halted automobile production at A.L.F.A. for three years. In August 1915, the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo , who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components, compressors, and generators based on
6080-423: Was entrusted with doing the final design. The original badge was round, of enamelled brass , measuring 65 mm (2.6 in) in diameter, and carried already all the present day accoutrements: the red cross on a white field of Milan on the left, a green biscione on a light blue field on the right, all surrounded by a blue ring inscribed with the words "ALFA" at the top and "MILANO" at the bottom. In honour of
6160-507: Was imported to the United States by Max Hoffman from the mid-1950s. The Giulietta Spider was developed on the request of Max Hoffman, who proposed an open top version of the Giulietta. In 1961 Alfa Romeo started exporting cars to the United States through its own dealer network. In 1995, Alfa Romeo ceased exporting cars to the United States, the last model sold in that market being the 164 sedan. On 5 May 2006, Alfa Romeo made its return to
6240-461: Was readying its first model, the 24 HP . The board asked chief engineer Giuseppe Merosi to devise a badge for the radiator shell of the new car; Merosi turned to his collaborators. One of them, Cattaneo, was inspired by the coat of arms he had seen on the gates of Castello Sforzesco to include the biscione in the logo. Merosi liked the idea, and together with Cattaneo came up with a sketch, then approved by managing director Ugo Stella; Cattaneo
6320-420: Was the 24 HP , designed by Giuseppe Merosi , which became commercially successful and participated in the 1911 Targa Florio endurance race. In August 1915, ALFA was acquired by Neapolitan entrepreneur and engineer Nicola Romeo , who vastly expanded the company's portfolio to include heavy machinery and aircraft engines. In 1920, the company's name was changed to Alfa Romeo , with the Torpedo 20–30 HP being
6400-473: Was the Hillman Hunter and this car became a steady seller for Chrysler until 1973. In 1970, they introduced the unique-to-Australia "Hemi" 6-cylinder engine —launched with an endorsement from Stirling Moss . Billed as being "Right—for all the right reasons", this engine went on to become the most powerful 6-cylinder engine produced in Australia (equipped with triple Weber carburettors ). Though this engine
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