Alfa Romeo 155
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Alfa155front.jpg
| Alfa Romeo 155 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Alfa Romeo |
| Production: | 1992–1996 |
| Body Styles: | FF midsize car |
| Engines: | 1.7 8V 1.8 8V 2.0 8 1.6 16V 1.8 16V 2.0 16 2.5 V6 2.0 TD 2.5 TD |
| Predecessors: | Alfa Romeo 75 |
| Successors: | Alfa Romeo 156 |
| Competitors: | Audi A4 BMW 3 Series Citroën Xantia Ford Mondeo Mercedes-Benz C-Class |
The Alfa Romeo 155 is a mid-size automobile manufactured by the Italian Alfa Romeo manufacturer between 1992 and 1997. Built to replace and augment the RWD Alfa Romeo 75, it was somewhat larger in dimension but keeping somewhat similar styling, and was FWD instead.
Timeline
- March 1994 - Silverstone model, 1.8 8v
- April 1995 - widebody cars fitted with "new" 2.0 16v but 1.8 kept the 8v
- 1995 - Quickrack fitted
- June 1996 - widebody 1.8 16v introduced
- Grill changed from flush to recessed (c. 1993)
- skinny to wide (1995)
- "Sport" cars 1995 only (?)
- Sportpack available from 1996 (?)
- Super replaced Lusso for Wide cars (?)
- Quickrack introduced 1995
- 1994 - Q4 (UK only)
- 1995 - Silverstone, 1.8v+2.0 8v Skinnies, V6
- 1996 - 1.8 8v Widebody and later in the year all 155's stopped in the UK.
155s in motorsport
The 155 was phenonemonally successful in touring car racing, using the sporting variants GTA (for "super touring" specification championships) and V6 TI (for the DTM). Between 1992 and 1994, the 155 managed to take the Italian Superturismo championship, the German DTM championship (both with Nicola Larini at the wheel), the Spanish Touring Car Championship (with Adrian Campos), and the British Touring Car Championship (with Gabriele Tarquini). The 155 remained competitive until it was replaced with the 156, finishing third in the DTM (then known as the International Touring Car Championship, or ITC) in 1996 with Alessandro Nannini and winning the Spanish championship again in 1997 with Fabrizio Giovanardi. The 156 was to continue the high standard set by the 155, winning the European Touring Car Championship multiple times.