autoevolution
 

Bad Cars From Great Manufacturers: Alfa Romeo Arna

The Alfa Romeo Arna is easily one of the biggest automotive mistakes of the 1980s. It was launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, and you can imagine the disappointment on people’s faces, as the cover was drawn away from the car.
Alfa Romeo Arna 7 photos
Photo: Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo ArnaAlfa Romeo ArnaAlfa Romeo ArnaAlfa Romeo ArnaAlfa Romeo ArnaNot An Alfa Romeo Arna
It is easily the worst and blandest Alfa Romeo ever made and it is unworthy, we say, to have ever worn the Alfa badge. This acute blandness was a direct result of a collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Nissan. The Arna (short for Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli) was merely a rebadged Nissan Pulsar (or Cherry) - a great sacrilege, if you were to ask ‘the purists’.

However, as Jeremy Clarkson put it, this car was even worse for one more reason: instead of being styled by the Italians and engineered by the Japanese, this car was exactly the other way round - it was boxy, characterless and dull, while also having some of the worst electronics ever fitted to a production car. If you are looking for an Alfa Romeo from the period, stay away from the Arna and get yourself a nice 33, instead.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories