The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 (Type 119) is a

luxury Luxury may refer to: * Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises *Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars **Luxury tax (sports), surcharge pu ...

executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car which is equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars), and small ...

produced by the Italian automaker

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...

from 1979 to 1986. Its name refers to the six cylinders of the Alfa Romeo V6 engine, which made its first appearance on this car.

History

On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range. The four-door body was fairly conventional and used a similar style to the existing

Alfa Romeo Alfetta The Alfa Romeo Alfetta (Type 116) is a front-engine, five-passenger sedan and fastback coupé manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo from 1972 to 1987 with a production total over 400,000. The Alfetta was noted for the rear position of its ...

, and in fact both vehicles share a great number of parts, including door panels; Design work on the 6 was done prior to the

, but the fuel crisis of 1973 delayed further development and led to the 6's belated 1979 debut. The styling was not particularly aerodynamic but the

drag coefficient In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient (commonly denoted as: c_\mathrm, c_x or c_) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment, such as air or water. It is used in the drag equ ...

was a somewhat respectable 0.41. Power came from an all-new 2.5 V6 engine which generated at 5600 rpm using a total of six carburettors and a single, belt driven

camshaft A camshaft is a shaft that contains a row of pointed cams, in order to convert rotational motion to reciprocating motion. Camshafts are used in piston engines (to operate the intake and exhaust valves), mechanically controlled ignition systems ...

in each cylinder head.

Power steering A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds. Hydraul ...

power windows Power windows or electric windows are automobile windows which can be raised and lowered by pressing a button or switch, as opposed to using a crank handle. History Packard had introduced hydraulic window lifts (power windows) in fall of ...

, central locking, electric wing mirrors and a 25%

limited slip differential A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the generic tr ...

were standard, making the Alfa 6 competitively priced compared to similar saloons of that time where such equipment typically was a costly extra. The car was also designed to set new standards in safety; for example it featured a shock sensor in the boot which would cut off the fuel supply in the event of a crash.

Facelift

In 1983, the car was revamped, with single rectangle

headlight A headlamp is a lamp (electrical component), lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage (language), usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the ...

s replacing the twin round units, new bumpers, a new grille and new trim around the rear lights. Minor interior changes were also carried out, whilst mechanically the engine's troublesome six carburettors were replaced by Bosch L-Jetronic

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All comp ...

, with the power remaining at . This revamp also saw the introduction of two new engines, a 2.0 version of the existing V6 engine (which retained the carburettors and was specific for the Italian market, where engines larger than two liters were heavily taxed) and a 2.5 litre VM 5 cylinder

turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...

. The Bertone Delfino concept car in 1983 was based on Alfa 6.

Specifications

The engine and gearbox were situated at the front and a limited slip differential at the rear. The 6 was fitted with four

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...

s, with the rear ones inboard, to reduce unsprung weight. The 6 has

De Dion tube De Dion rear axle A de Dion tube is a form of non-independent automobile suspension. It is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. Because it plays no part in transmitting power to the drive wheels, it is ...

at the rear and it has independent front corners, the gearbox was also located in the front. Two different 5-speed gearboxes were available: one with a "normal" layout, the other with " dog-leg" layout. A three speed automatic transmission from ZF was also available as an option and the ZF hydraulic

power steering A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds. Hydraul ...

was the first to be fitted to an Alfa Romeo.

Engines and production

References

External links

Alfa Sei websiteAlfa 6 Italian websiteFrench website
{{Alfa Romeo modern timeline

Alfa 6 The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 (Type 119) is a luxury executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1979 to 1986. Its name refers to the six cylinders of the Alfa Romeo V6 engine, which made its first appearance on this car. History On ...

Full-size vehicles Flagship vehicles Sedans Rear-wheel-drive vehicles 1980s cars Cars introduced in 1979