The Tipo Quattro platform (type four) was a

front wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...

platform co-developed in the 1980s and 1990s and shared by the

Saab 9000 The Saab 9000 is an automobile produced by the Swedish company Saab from 1984 to 1998. Representing the company's foray into the executive car scene, it was developed as a result of the successes of the turbocharged 99 and 900 models. The 90 ...

Fiat Croma The Fiat Croma name was used for two distinct large family cars by Fiat, one a five door liftback manufactured and marketed from 1985 to 1996, and after a nine-year hiatus, a crossover station wagon manufactured and marketed from 2004 to 2010. ...

Lancia Thema The Lancia Thema (Type 834) is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000. The Thema was first sh ...

, and

Alfa Romeo 164 The Alfa Romeo 164 (Type 164) is a four-door executive saloon manufactured and marketed by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998, styled by Pininfarina, and cooperatively designed and sharing platforms and numerous elements with the Fi ...

. The platform, ultimately in production for fourteen years, was the fifth and largest of Fiat's Tipo platforms, a numbering sequence that began with zero, hence "four" (the four does not refer to its use by four carmakers).

History

The platform emerged as an agreement between the four carmakers in October 1978 to reduce development costs on new top-of-the-range saloons, although it would be another six to nine years before the cars were launched. It was front-wheel drive, with optional four-wheel drive, and used an all-wheel independent

MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles. The name comes from American automotive engineer ...

suspension, except on the Saab. The Saab and Lancia versions were the first cars to be launched in 1984, with the Fiat debuting a year later, and the line-up being completed in 1987 with the arrival of the Alfa Romeo. The Fiat and Lancia looked much like the Saab, but the Alfa Romeo only shared the chassis. The wheelbase is 2.67 m (105 inches) on all models. The Saab and Fiat were launched as five-door hatchbacks and the Alfa Romeo and Lancia sold as four-door saloons. Lancia added the only Type Four estate in 1986 and Saab eventually added a saloon version of the 9000 in 1988. Because of their similarity, numerous parts are interchangeable among brands, e.g., the

windshield The windshield (American English and Canadian English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from t ...

from the Croma and the 9000; the sideview mirrors of the 9000 and the Thema. To accommodate their shared development, the Saab 9000's ignition key was situated on the steering column instead of between the front seats, as typical on other Saab models. The Alfa Romeo features an exclusive front suspension and chassis modifications. The Saab has a beam axle rear suspension, rather than the independent MacPherson found on the other models. The front end of the Saab varies extensively from the Italian models due to the much improved crash protection. The Thema was the first of the Type Four models to be replaced when it was succeeded by the

Kappa Kappa (; uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; , ''káppa'') is the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value of 20. It was d ...

in 1994 – which made use of a new ''Type E''-platform which also spawned the 164's successor, the Alfa Romeo 166, in 1996. Fiat stopped manuafacturing the Croma in 1996 without an immediate replacement. The 9000 was replaced in 1997 by the 1998 9-5, based on the Opel-derived

GM2900 platform GM or Gm may refer to: Companies * General Motors, US automobile manufacturing company which was founded in 1908 ** Motors Liquidation Company, the US automobile manufacturing company known as General Motors Corporation from 1916 to 2009 * ...

also shared with its 900 and 9-3 siblings. The Alfa Romeo 164 was replaced by the 166 in 1998, signalling the end of the Type Four platform after 14 years. File:Saab 9000 front.jpg,

(1984-1998) File:Lancia Thema i.e. 16V.JPG,

(1984-1994) File:Fiat Croma 1989 grey.jpg,

(1985-1996) File:1991 Alfa Romeo 164L, front left (Hershey 2019).jpg,

(1987-1998)

In popular culture

On the 6th episode in the 9th season of the British motoring program ''

Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the ori ...

'', James May welded together the front halves of a Saab 9000 and Alfa Romeo 164 to make a stretch limousine. He said the two cars should be entirely compatible because they had the same wheelbase and floor pan. It was nicknamed the "Salfa Romeaab".

References

External links

History Fiat Type Platform
(archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Type Four Chassis Fiat platforms Alfa Romeo platforms Lancia platforms