Alfas claim to fame is that once you drive the car one forgets any "foibles" it might have, this is again the case with the Alfetta. It is an involving car to drive, you cannot really own one unless you have some passion for motor vehicles or it may get a little tiresome. For those who enjoy driving, the Alfetta is a good little car.

With the transaxle's near perfect 50/50 weight distribution (see Profile) the Alfetta handles exceptionally well. Remember my cars are now 20 and 22 years old, yet they handle better than many modern small cars. Most conventional cars have a 60/40 or worse weight distribution.

Most conventional rear wheel drive cars with both the engine and gearbox in the front half of the vehicle tend to be quite unsettled at the rear and nose heavy when cornering. This often results in understeer when entering a corner and oversteer when exiting the corner. The Alfetta is naturally quite nimble given that it only weighs 1140Kg, so it turns into corners without hesitation.

The extra weight towards the rear of the car has two advantages when driving. Firstly it reduces the chance of "snap" oversteer when exiting a corner which can be a nasty experience in the wet, and also means that wheel spin is reduced if one decides to artificially boost engine power as I have.

Photo courtesy of Michael Harris

When cornering the car tends to understeer a little and is very predictable with no real surprises no matter how hard it is pushed through a corner, this is perfect for strees free street driving. A slight lift of the throttle when exiting the corner will ease the understeer quickly.

Only the later version Alfettas featured power steering and this is a problem when parking or driving at low speeds. The steering is a little heavy though it does provide excellent feedback to the driver. I suggest installing the power steering unit from the 75 Milano which should bolt straight in, especially if wider than standard tyres have been fitted (which they should).

Brakes are definitely one of the unsung strengths of the Alfetta. The all wheel disks are miles ahead of locally built vehicles. The Alfetta stops quickly and without deviation, something i have noticed a brand new Toyota Camry still cannot manage some 22 years later.

Photo courtesy of Martin Kraus

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