100-447: HPE may refer to: Cars [ edit ] Lancia Beta HPE , introduced 1975 Lancia Delta HPE , introduced 1995 Organizations [ edit ] Hennessey Performance Engineering , American hypercar manufacturer Hewlett Packard Enterprise , American multinational information technology company United Alignment of Nationalists (Greek: Ηνωμένη Παράταξις Εθνικοφρόνων ),
200-594: A Fiat -based engine. The Fiat Twin Cam engine , originally designed by Aurelio Lampredi , who built engines for Ferrari until Fiat employed him, was one of the most advanced 4-cylinder engines in Europe at that time. It continued in production well into the 1990s and, in highly developed form, was used in performance road cars such as the Lancia Delta Integrale and Fiat Coupé . The Lancia engineers made minor changes to
300-619: A mid-engined sports car was also sold under the Beta name, the Lancia Beta Montecarlo . The company chose the name Beta for a new vehicle to be launched in 1972, symbolising a new beginning as it reflected the fact that the company's founder, Vincenzo Lancia (1881–1937), had used letters of the Greek alphabet for his early vehicles – Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and so on. "Beta" had been used before, first for Lancia's 1908 car and again for
400-566: A 'u' channel thus preventing dirt and water collecting and causing rust. Giovanni Michelotti produced three concept cars on Beta mechanicals. Two were four-door saloons based on the Berlina—one unusual in having four gull-wing doors —the other was a two-seater open-top car based on the Coupé. In 1980, Giorgetto Giugiaro built a concept car on Montecarlo mechanicals, called the Medusa . Unusually for
500-544: A 1.3L in early 1976. In 1978, the Beta Coupé became available with an automatic transmission and power steering. In 1981, the car received a minor facelift and at the same time the 2.0 became available with fuel Bosch electronic fuel injection. In 1983, a 2.0 VX supercharged engine became available with an output of 135 bhp. The bodywork was developed inhouse by Centro Stile Lancia led by Aldo Castagno, with Piero Castagnero acting as styling consultant. Castagnero had also styled
600-416: A 1953 bus. Lancia had previously used the first letter of the Greek alphabet, Alpha, but this was not chosen for the new 1972 Lancia due to the obvious confusion it might cause with Alfa Romeo models. When Fiat acquired Lancia in 1969, the company had been without a Technical Director for the year following the death of Technical Director Antonio Fessia . Ing. Sergio Camuffo was given the job of developing
700-450: A 6-year anti-corrosion warranty - an automotive first in the UK. Whilst later Betas (2nd Series cars) had reinforced subframe mounting points and post-1979 cars were better protected from the elements, these issues damaged the whole marque's sales success on most export markets. The revision to the crossmember was quite simple and meant turning it through 180 degrees forming an 'n' channel rather than
800-454: A Greek political alliance Êzîdxan Protection Force (Kurdish: Hêza Parastina Êzîdxanê, HPÊ ) Science and technology [ edit ] High-pressure electrolysis Holoprosencephaly , a cephalic disorder Other uses [ edit ] High Point Enterprise , a US newspaper Hope railway station (Wales) (station code), in Flintshire, Wales Topics referred to by
900-692: A Lancia dealer for an inspection. If their vehicle was affected by the subframe problem, the customer was offered a part exchange deal to buy another Lancia or Fiat car. The cars that failed the inspection were scrapped. However, on 9 April 1980 the Daily Mirror and TV programmes reported on the issue. There were claims that the problem persisted in later cars by showing photographs of scrapped 1st Series saloons, referring to them as being newer than five and six years old. Other contemporary manufacturers whose cars also suffered from corrosion were not treated as harshly. Lancia had already introduced one year previously
1000-564: 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
1100-433: A centrally mounted cross member bolted to the underside of the floorpan. An anti-roll bar was fitted to the floorpan ahead of the rear struts with both ends of the bar trailing back to bolt to the rear struts on each side. This unique design went on to be used in later Lancia models. The design was never patented by Lancia, and consequently inspired similar rear suspension system layouts in other manufacturers' vehicles during
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#17328551437901200-581: 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
1300-570: A fuel injected 2.0 engine. In 1984 a 2.0VX supercharged version became available. Like all other cars in the Beta range the HPE was discontinued in 1984. The final car to carry the Beta badge was the Pininfarina-designed and built two-door Lancia Montecarlo , announced in March 1974. This was a rear-wheel drive, mid-engined two-seater sports car that shared very few components with other Betas. The car
1400-551: A hiatus and did not bring any 1980 models. When returning in 1981, the Berlina was dropped as they focussed on the more popular sporting variants. Fuel injection increased the 2.0's power considerably, to about 108 hp (81 kW) (the published numbers vary considerably). 1982 was the last year for Lancia's half-hearted efforts in the United States. The Beta was available in a number of different body styles: Introduced in 1972,
1500-541: 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,
1600-562: A little while longer than the other bodystyles. Late in the model's life Lancia released the Trevi VX, with a Roots-type supercharger fitted between the carburettor and low-compression two-litre engine; the Coupé VX and HPE VX followed soon after (June 1983). These three variants were known as Volumex models and had the highest performance of all the road-going production Betas, with 135 bhp (101 kW) and substantially increased torque over
1700-429: A mid-engined car it had four doors, and the body was shaped to have a very low drag coefficient for the time. Lancia built one very special variant of the Beta themselves. The twin-engined Trevi Bimotore was used for tests related to Lancia's new four-wheel drive rally cars; it was powered by one Volumex engine under the bonnet driving the front wheels, and another in the back driving the rear wheels, with air scoops in
1800-539: A number of engine capacities ranging from 1.3 litre to 2.0 litre. Breathing was provided by a single Weber carburettor until fuel injection was introduced on late two litre HPE and Coupe models. As with a number of previous front-wheel drive-Lancia models, the engine and gearbox were mounted on a subframe that bolted to the underside of the body. However, in the Beta the engine and manual gearbox were fitted transversely in-line. This Fiat-inspired configuration not only enabled neat engine bay packaging, but also, by tilting
1900-474: 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
2000-401: 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
2100-556: 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
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#17328551437902200-464: 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 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
2300-443: 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
2400-669: A technical inspection. It was not just the Series 1 cars or saloons - according to an employee of the recycling firm that disposed of the Betas, the Series 2, HPE, Coupe and Spider models were all affected and by late 1983, the scrap dealer Hallett metals in Crewkerne, Somerset had crushed the last of the affected cars. In fact, by 1983 Series 2 cars outnumbered Series 1 models by a large percentage. Deliveries to Hallett Metals were handled mainly by transport company Abbey Hill. Before being crushed (flattened),
2500-612: A third time for engine installation and final assembly. Lancia probably lost money on every car built. Number built: 9,390. In the early 1980s Lancia also produced a small number of Lancia Spider Volumex (supercharged) cars. This was the last Lancia to be offered in the United States, being the company's sole offering in 1982, their last year in the country. The Beta HPE was a three-door sporting estate or shooting brake introduced in March 1975. HPE stood for High Performance Estate, and then later High Performance Executive. This model had Berlina's longer wheelbase floorpan combined with
2600-488: 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
2700-517: 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
2800-604: A transmission unit then being developed by Fiat-partner Citroën for a forthcoming model of their own. Above all, and in contrast with the Fulvia , the Beta design was relatively inexpensive to produce in volumes significantly higher than those achieved by predecessor Lancia saloons. All versions of the car came with DOHC engines, five-speed gearboxes, rack and pinion steering , fully independent suspension using MacPherson struts , both front and rear, with disc brakes on all four wheels. The front-wheel-drive models were available in
2900-613: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Lancia Beta HPE The Lancia Beta (Type 828), stylised as Lancia β , was an entry-level luxury car produced by Italian car manufacturer Lancia from 1972 to 1984. It was the first new model introduced by Lancia after it had been taken over by Fiat in 1969. The Beta was made in several body styles, namely 4-door fastback saloon (Beta berlina), 4-door three-box , notchback saloon (Beta Trevi), 2-door coupé (Beta Coupé), 2-door targa (Beta Spider), 3-door estate (Beta HPE);
3000-680: 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,
3100-550: 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 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,
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3200-789: 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
3300-487: 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
3400-623: 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
3500-575: The Fiat 128 MacPherson strut front suspension and disk brakes at both front and rear. Lancia Beta parts were limited to those from the existing Fiat/Lancia standard parts bin: the transverse-mount version of the Fiat 124's twin cam engine and the five-speed gearbox and transaxle. Montecarlos were available as fixed head "Coupés" and also as "Spiders" with solid A and B pillars, but a large flat folding canvas roof between them. The very first examples had steel panels to
3600-412: The Fiat 132 . The Beta was very well received by the motoring press and public when launched. The various models were praised for their performance and their good handling and roadholding. They were widely regarded as a "driver's car" with plenty of character. The Beta was competitively priced in export markets and managed to become the highest ever selling Lancia model up to that point. Unfortunately
3700-595: 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
3800-513: 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 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,
3900-512: 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
4000-507: 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
4100-557: 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
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4200-563: The 1.8ES version was launched featuring electric windows , alloy wheels and sunroof . At the Turin Auto Show in November 1974 a 1300 engine joined the range at the bottom, then in the fall of 1975 the existing 1600 and 1800 engines were replaced by new 1600 and 2000 units. The 2.0 litre units had improved torque (up 20% to 128 lb ft at 2800 rpm). In the same year Lancia returned to the US market with
4300-410: The 1979 model year, a two-litre engine was installed, with power up somewhat, to 87 hp (65 kW). More importantly, torque was up by 17 per cent. A black and gold Zagato Limited Edition (LE) of 500 cars was offered for 1979, followed by a Special Edition (SE) of similar livery for 1981. Quality problems meant that US inspectors went to visit the plant to see what could be improved, but Lancia took
4400-642: The 1980s and 1990s. A short wheelbase coupé was introduced in June 1973, then the following year the 2+2 Spider convertible. At the 1975 Geneva Motor Show Lancia launched the HPE (High Performance Estate), styled in a similar vein to the Reliant Scimitar and Volvo 1800ES while utilizing the wheelbase of the Berlina. Later the Beta Montecarlo, a two-seater mid-engined coupé was launched. The different models all underwent various revisions and improvements over
4500-594: 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
4600-452: 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
4700-477: 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
4800-523: 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,
4900-484: The Beta gained a reputation for being rust-prone, particularly the 1st Series vehicles (built from 1972 to 1975). A widely circulated rumor states that the cars used Soviet steel supplied to Fiat in return for building the Lada factory. However, these claims have never been verified. The steel problems are more likely due to poor rustproofing techniques as well as the prolonged strikes that plagued Italy at that time rather than
5000-615: The Beta's predecessor, the Lancia Fulvia saloon and coupé. Number built: 111,801. This was one of the bodystyles to be marketed in North America. The 2.0L twin-cam I4 offered in North America produced 108 hp (81 kW; 109 PS) at 5500 rpm. The next version to be launched was a two-door convertible called the Spider (or Zagato in America), also with 2+2 seating. The Spider used
5100-505: The Beta. Automatic versions were introduced in 1978. In 1981 the 2.0 became available with electronic fuel injection. Berlina production ended in 1981. Late in the Beta's life, with assistance from Pininfarina , a substantially reworked 4-door three-box , notchback saloon variant was released as the Trevi ; the Trevi also introduced an original new dashboard layout designed by Mario Bellini which
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#17328551437905200-589: 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
5300-714: 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
5400-777: The Trevi were on offer at one time or another, although some were sold under different names: the Spider was sold as the Lancia Zagato (from 1979) and the Montecarlo as the Lancia Scorpion (because Chevrolet already had rights to the Monte Carlo model name in the US). Federalized cars were originally sold with a 1756 cc twin-cam engine with 86 hp (64 kW). This later dropped to 83 hp (62 kW) as emissions rules were tightened. For
5500-460: The UK, however the car was also sold in some other RHD markets so exact RHD production remains unknown). Only one right-hand drive Trevi VX was made. A small number of Trevis were built to run on LPG rather than petrol (gasoline) . This car marked a brief return of Lancia to the United States market beginning in 1975. Federalization was not quite harmonious, though, which combined with a lack of dealers to dissuade US buyers. All bodystyles except
5600-557: 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
5700-493: 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
5800-409: The cars. Lancia's lack of profitability was also evidenced by the absence of replacement models under development at the time of the Fiat take-over. The Lancia Fulvia , though much loved, had been developed with little concern for making it cost-effective to manufacture; it had therefore been sold at a high price in correspondingly low volumes. The company's new owner's objective with the new Beta
5900-553: 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
6000-767: 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 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
6100-490: 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
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#17328551437906200-429: The company soon faced financial troubles, leading to Romeo's contentious departure in 1928 and Italian government ownership in 1933. Under the control of 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
6300-697: 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 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
6400-466: 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 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,
6500-527: The company's recently acquired Pamplona plant , though only the Coupé and HPE lift-back versions were included. The arrangement was short lived from 1979 up to 1980 because of a falling out in the early 1980s between Fiat , Lancia's parent company, and the Spanish government over the increasingly urgent need for investment to upgrade the SEAT range. In 1982 Volkswagen became SEAT's major auto-industry partner, and under
6600-543: 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
6700-459: The coupé's front end and doors. The HPE was developed by Pininfarina . At launch it came with either 1600 or 1800 twin-cam engines, these being replaced in November of the same year by new 1.6 and 2.0 units. In 1978, like other Beta models automatic transmission became available along with power steering. It was renamed the H.P.Executive (without the Beta) from 1979 and in autumn 1981 gained the option of
6800-417: The coupé's shorter wheelbase and featured a targa top roof panel, a roll-over bar and folding rear roof. Early models did not have a cross-member supporting the roof between the tops of the A to B Pillars. Later models had fixed cross-members. Production started in 1975. It was initially powered by either the 1600 or 1800 twin-cam engine, later being replaced by the new 1.6 and 2.0. In Europe, it never received
6900-532: The engine 20 degrees rearwards, the Lancia engineers achieved improved weight transfer over the driven wheels and towards the centre of the car, as well as lowering the centre of gravity . The rear-wheel drive Lancia Montecarlo employed a similar layout except the subframe was mounted at the rear. On the front-wheel drive Betas, Lancia designed a particularly original independent rear suspension with MacPherson struts attached to parallel transverse links that pivoted on
7000-472: The engine and gearboxes would be removed and placed in a separate container and no parts were to be removed or resold to the public. In the UK (Lancia's largest export market at the time), the company listened to the complaints from its dealers and customers and commenced a campaign to buy back vehicles affected by the subframe problem. Some of these vehicles were 6 years old or older and belonged to 2nd or 3rd owners. Customers were invited to present their cars to
7100-418: The engines fitted to the Beta range. These included new inlet and exhaust manifolds as well as different carburation. In addition the mounting points on the engine block were different so as to allow for the transverse installation as opposed to the longitudinal installation utilised by the rear-wheel-drive Fiats. For these reasons the engines are not interchangeable between Betas and contemporary Fiats such as
7200-559: The first body style to appear, and the most common was the four-door berlina ( saloon ), with a wheelbase of 2,535 mm (99.8 in) and ' fastback ' styling giving the appearance of a hatchback , although in fact it had a conventional boot like a saloon . This practice was common in the industry at the time as manufacturers deemed that hatchback designs would not be accepted in this market sector. It featured 1400, 1600 and 1800 transversely mounted twin-cam engines based on earlier Fiat designs along with five speed gearbox. In 1974
7300-412: The fuel injected engine, although a fuel injected version was sold in the US market in 1981 and 1982. The Spider was designed by Pininfarina but actually built by Zagato . The construction process was complex, with coupé bodies-in-white being delivered to Zagato for the roofless conversion, then back to Lancia for rust-proofing, then back to Zagato for paint, interior and trim, and then back to Lancia for
7400-527: 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 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
7500-407: 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
7600-408: The metal's origin. The corrosion problems could be structural; for instance where the subframe carrying the engine and gearbox was bolted to the underside of the car. The box section to which the rear of the subframe was mounted could corrode badly, causing the subframe to become loose. Although tales of subframes dropping out of vehicles were simply not true, a vehicle with a loose subframe would fail
7700-404: The name Monte Carlo for a Chevrolet model. The Scorpion name was a reference to Abarth . 7,798 Montecarlos were built between 1975-81. For some the Beta was not a Lancia but rather a Fiat. However Lancia had some autonomy from Fiat in the development of the Beta. The main reason for the Fiat label was that despite its unique Lancia chassis, suspension, interior and bodywork, the Beta used
7800-430: The new model in early 1970. Although in the difficult years before the Fiat take-over, a number of the engineering staff had left the company, Camuffo was able to pull together a core of Lancia engineers, who were tasked with getting the car into production by the end of 1972. Romanini, chassis design, Zaccone Mina, engine development, with Gilio and Bencini in testing. This was a very short timeframe, and development money
7900-836: The new regime the plant that had assembled the Lancia Beta, SEAT Panda and SEAT 124 switched to building the Volkswagen Polo . 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 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
8000-465: The normal two-litre 200 N⋅m (148 lb⋅ft). The Coupé VX and HPE VX can be distinguished from the normal cars by the offset bulge on the hood which is required to clear the new air intake, a spoiler fitted below the front bumper and the rubber rear spoiler. They also have stiffer spring rates. Lancia produced 1272 Coupé VX, 2370 HPE VX and 3900 Trevi VX. Most were left-hand drive (only 186 right-hand drive HPEs and around 150 RHD Coupés were imported to
8100-434: 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 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
8200-520: 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
8300-472: The rear doors. The two gearboxes were linked, and an electronically controlled throttle replaced the mechanical system so the two engines worked together. There are few records of Lancias ever being assembled outside Italy but, exceptionally, Betas were. It was announced in August 1976 that SEAT would commence Spanish production of the Lancia Beta. Three years later Beta production by SEAT indeed commenced at
8400-494: The rear wings above the engine bay, but this limited version made reversing difficult and it was replaced by glass panels. This gave a flying buttress appearance to the rear, similar to the Maserati Merak . First Series cars (1975–1978) were badged Lancia Beta Montecarlo. They were named "Montecarlo", written as one word, not Monte Carlo , one of Monaco 's administrative areas, although the rear badge reads "MONTE-CARLO". There
8500-407: 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,
8600-495: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title HPE . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HPE&oldid=1174972723 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing Greek-language text Articles containing Kurdish-language text Short description
8700-494: The same year; the Beta was the first Lancia manufactured with an automatic transmission factory option. In 1981 power steering also became available on certain Right Hand Drive models. Also in that year a fuel-injected version of the 2.0-litre engine became available on certain models. The Coupé and HPE underwent a facelift in June 1983 (at the same time that the supercharged VX versions were introduced) and remained available for
8800-696: 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
8900-650: The years. Power steering specially produced by the German company ZF became available on certain Left Hand Drive models and was also used on the Gamma . For 1975 the exterior styling was modified by Pininfarina: "the back window has been relocated in a more upright position" to aid visibility, the rear quarter pillars gained sharper trailing edges, the waistline was lowered and windows made larger. Electronic ignition became available in 1978. Automatic transmission became available
9000-527: 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
9100-423: 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
9200-442: 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 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
9300-507: 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
9400-573: 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 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
9500-552: Was originally designed as Pininfarina's contender to replace Fiat's 124 Coupe , but lost out to Bertone's cheaper design, which became the Fiat X1/9 . Pininfarina's design was called the X1/20 at the prototype stage. Lancia launched the Montecarlo as a premium alternative to the X1/9, with the 2.0L twin cam engine rather than the X1/9's single cam 1.3L. Both used a similar chassis floorplan, based on
9600-461: 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
9700-443: Was relatively limited. These were key factors that influenced the decision to use an existing power plant: the Fiat twin overhead cam, straight-four engine with its alloy head and cast iron block. At the Beta's launch late in 1972 Fiat chief Gianni Agnelli told journalists that Lancia's output would be about 40,000 units in 1972 at a time when a volume of 100,000 was needed to cover the fixed costs involved in developing and building
9800-508: Was then a 2-year gap in production in order to revise a brake issue where the brakes had a tendency to lock up. Lancia solved this problem by removing the brake servo. The revised Second Series cars (1980–1981) were simply badged as Lancia Montecarlo. In the United States, the First Series cars were marketed as the Scorpion alongside the rest of the Beta range, as General Motors was already using
9900-423: Was then applied to the third series Berlina. Number built: 194,914 Berlinas plus 36,784 Trevis. In 1973 the second style to appear was a 2+2 two-door coupé with a 2,350 mm (92.5 in) wheelbase, although due to the fuel crisis did not become available to the public until early 1974. It was launched with 1.6 and 1.8L engines. New 1.6 and 2.0L engines replaced the original units in late 1975, followed by
10000-415: Was to retain the quality image and price premium of existing Lancias, while minimising development time and production costs, using in-house Fiat group technology and parts where possible. The project adapted a well-regarded existing Fiat engine, fitted transversely and driving the front wheels, in line with Fiat's investment in this configuration during the previous decade. The gear box was a development of
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