The History Of ALFA Romeo 147

The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo since 2000. The 147 was also voted European Car of the Year for 2001.

The 147 was launched at the 2000 Turin Motor Show as a replacement for the ageing 145 / 146 hatchbacks, and is based on the running gear of the larger 156 saloon. It is available with 1.6- and 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder petrol engines and a 1.9-litre diesel engine.

As of 2008, the car is in its eighth year of production and is now one of the oldest small family cars on sale in Europe.

The 147 was designed by Walter de'Silva and Wolfgang Egger. The 147 received considerable praise for its styling on launch, later it was awarded with some styling awards. The entire 147 range was revamped in 2004, with the exterior styling changed considerably to be more reminiscent of the new 159 and Brera models, most notably for its more aggressive look. The 147 achieved a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.32.

The 147 was facelifted in the end of 2004: new front grille, new headlights, new rear lights and interior was updated on all models besides the GTA version. Also new more powerful diesel engine arrived and suspension was also tweaked. In 2006 was launched 147 1.9 JTD Q2 version, which features a front Torsen limited slip differential. Alfa Romeo presented a new limited edition 147 called Ducati Corse In 2007 Bologna Motor Show. The car is equipped with 170PS (168hp/ 125kW) JTD diesel engine and Q2, a front Torsen limited slip differential.

The 147 is scheduled to be superseded by the new Alfa 149 in 2009.

High-performance versions

The hot hatch 147 GTA model was launched in 2002. The GTA used a 3.2 V6 engine, produced 250PS (247hp/ 184kW) and could achieve a top speed of 246km/ h (153mph). It has a widened body (15mm at each side) to accommodate the 225/ 45R17 tyres. Earlier models have 6-speed manual transmissions; later models use Selespeed.

Its competitors in Europe include the Audi S3, BMW 130i, Volkswagen Golf R32 and the Renault Megane RS.

London-based after-market tuner Autodelta has produced a "bored out" version of the GTA sporting a 3.7-litre V6, producing 328bhp (245kW), and a split-axle differential gear for the front wheels. Autodelta has made also a Rotrex supercharged version producing 400bhp (300kW).

Reviews

The handling of 147 was praised in some reviews, in spite of criticism regarding the light (sensitive) steering, which makes some drivers feel less involved. However, light steering does help during parking maneuvers. Other criticisms of the 147 included a cumbersome gearshift, unsupportive seats and the lack of interior space compared to its rivals. The car became well-known for its engine note, which is unusually mellifluous for a car of its class. The 147 suffers from poor resale value in Great Britain. The 147 GTA and 147 Autodelta GTA have been road tested by Jeremy Clarkson, and featured on television show Top Gear with a power-lap around the track by The Stig. In his review of Autodelta 147 GTA car for The Sunday Times, Clarkson described the acceleration as "...Ferrari throttle? Forget it. When you stamp on the accelerator it’s like you’ve hit the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive. Suddenly all the stars are fluorescent tubes. ..." and the handling as "....A corner was coming. And then it was a distant speck in my rear-view mirror. I vaguely remember turning the wheel and I have a dim recollection of being astounded by the grip . . . and then the moment was gone. No, really, the damn thing is a barnacle....".

At the moment there are three petrol engines (105 PS,120 PS,150 PS) and two diesel engines available (120 PS and 150 PS).

Petrol

Diesel

Connect is an on board information system: an on-board telematic system located in the central console that via its 5” monitor gives access to satellite navigation and hands-free GSM phone as well as allowing you to adjust the radio and CD player settings. If subscribed to the CONNECT system by simply pressing the green button you will be connected directly to a member of the service team for assistance.

The Alfa Romeo 147 has won more than 27 awardsincluding the following:

• The European Car of the Year in 2001;
• Das Goldene Lenkrad ("The golden steering wheel", BILD am SONNTAG - Germany) in 2000;
• Auto Europa 1 (Panel of engineers, drivers and journalists headed by Auto Bild - Germany) in 2001;
• Trophées du design (Automobile Magazine - France) in 2000; and
• Carro Importado do Ano no Brasil - (Brazil Import car of the year) in 2002.

In Europe was arranged a one-car racing series, European Alfa 147 Challenge for Alfa 147 Cup race cars starting from 2003. In 2005 this series was driven alongside with World Touring Car Championship, winner of 2005 season was Irish driver Eoin Murray. The car used on the series was Alfa 147 GTA Cup producing 220 bhp from its straight-4 1970cc Twin Spark engine.