Author: Nathan Chadwick
Photography: Manufacturers/Wikipedia Commons
Alfa’s engines are often the highlight of the car – so its no wonder they’ve been used elsewhere…
Nissan Cherry Europe (1983 – 1987)
This might be the butt of many a joke and a regular member of recycled listicles of ‘crap’ cars, but look beyond the copy & paste journalism and there’s much to enjoy. Namely, Alfa’s 1.2L flat-four, which made 59bhp, giving it a top speed oof 105mph and 0-60mph 13.1seconds. This quirky collaboration between Nissan and Alfa, it’s rare and a charming oddity these days that drives better than you’d ever imagine.
Fiat Croma 2.5 V6 (1985 – 1996)
The junior member of the Type-Four platform sharing programme with Lancia, Alfa and Saab, the Croma used Alfa’s 2.5-litre Busso V6, which produced a healthy 168bhp. It may not have been as luxurious as the Lancia Thema (more on that in a moment), nor as sporty as the Alfa 164, it could be something of an understated outside-lane hero, showing up more prestigious badges. All out it could hit 137mph, with 0-60mph taking 8.2 seconds.
Lancia Thema 3.0 V6 SIII (1992-1994)
Mention the Thema and thoughts go to two places – the Ferrari 308-derived 8.32, and then someone will point out that the Delta Integrale-engined 2.0-litre Turbo model was pretty much just as quick for a lot less money. However, there was a third way, via the Alfa 3.0-litre V6 in 12V form, which delivered 185bhp and replaced the previous PRV 2.8-litre V6. Top speed 140mph, and 0-60mph took 7.2 seconds, a mere 0.8 seconds slower than the 8.32.
Lancia Kappa 3.0 V6 (1994 – 2000)
As Fiat Group tried to accommodate sporty Alfa into its line-up of brands, Lancia’s sporting image was replaced with a return to more luxury, and subdued styling courtesy of the Ercole Spada. While Alfa donated its 3.0-litre V6 24V Busso engine, which gave 201BHP, it didn’t shout about it – the chromed intake pipes on Alfas were painted black. Despite the downbeat image, it could shift – top speed was 147mph, and 0-60mph took 7.8 seconds. Smooth, torquey and luxurious, it made for an understated Italian cruiser that us Brits missed out on.
Lancia Thesis 3.2 V6 (2001-2009)
Stung by criticism that the Kappa was a bit too unadventurous, Lancia dialled up the exoticism for the Thesis – and were criticised for being too weird. There was nothing wrong with the range of engines available, for five-cylinders to diesels, but for creamy smoothness it had to be the venerable Alfa Romeo V6 Busso in 3.2-litre form, which made 227BHP. Top speed was 145mph, with 0-60mph taking 8.5seconds. Luxurious, tech-packed, rare and with some truly exotic detailing, it’ll certainly cause a stir at any Italian car meet.
Gillet Vertigo (1994-2006)
For those of you who played sim-racing games in the early to mid 2000s, this name might be familiar. But for everyone else, this lightweight carbon-clad supercar hails from Belgium, launched in 1992 by former racing driver Tony Gillet. It used a range of Alfa Romeo V6 Busso engines, often highly tuned to take advantage of a 950kg kerbweight. The one to have would be the 2002 Vertigo Streiff, named after F1 driver Philippe Steiff. Gillet bored the engine to 3.6-litres and got 355bhp out of it; just 25 were made.
Minari Mk2 (1980s-2000s)
Designed to accept Alfa Romeo Alfasud or 33 running gear, the Minari Road Sport featured a rigid GRP monocoque body and a steel subframe supporting the engine. Approximately 130 Mk2 kits were sold before production ceased in 2000. A variety of engine variants were used, from the Sud’s 1.5-litre twin carb unit (good for 85bhp), through to the Sud’s 1.7-litre 8-valve powerplant, which was good for 118bhp. Finally, the 1.7-litre 16v unit from the 33 doled out 137bhp. Agile and lightweight, at its quickest the Minari could hit 120mph and 60mph in less than nine seconds.
Hawk HF (1980s-1990s)
With original examples of the Lancia Stratos achieving telephone-number prices, it didn’t take long for Stratos kits to appear during the kit car boom of the 1980s. The chassis is a tubular steel frame with an unstressed GRP body, closely mirroring the original Stratos, but with 2.5-litre and 3.0-litre versions of the Alfa Romeo Busso V6, which produced around 187bhp and 200bhp. Thanks to the light weight, it could hit 149mph and 0-60mph in less than 6.5 seconds. Around 130 kits were built before production wrapped up in 2013.
Lister Bell STR (2010s-present)
The spirit of the Hawk Stratos kitcars was continued by LB Specialist Cars, with the Lister Bell STR. It features a torsionally rigid CAD-designed space frame chassis constructed using a semi-monocoque central structure, tubular section front and rear cradles, and a full integral roll cage. The chassis is designed to mimic certain elements of the original Lancia’s appearance while adding modern safety features and comfort. Like the Hawk, it used various versions of the Busso V6, though some use a Toyota V6 and even a Ferrari V8.
Giocattolo Group B (1986-1989)
The Giocattolo Group B is a mid-engine sports car produced in Australia between 1986 and 1989. It was developed by Giocattolo Motori Pty Ltd, founded by Paul Halstead and designed by Barry Lock, a former McLaren F1 engineer. The car was based on a heavily modified Alfa Romeo Sprint body shell, featuring a mid-mounted engine layout and rear-wheel drive. Though later models used a Holden V8, early versions used a 2.5-litre Busso V6 that was good for 164bhp, enough to ping the car to 60mph in 5.4 seconds and on to 160mph.
Love Alfa’s legendary engines? Tell us what forgotten collaborations you’d like us to write about next in the comments below.
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