1983 Alfa Romeo Arna 1.2L 5MT FWD (68 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Arna was the result of a failed badge-engineering program between Alfa Romeo and Nissan, and it’s no wonder that it lasted only four years on the market before it was kicked out of the assembly lines.

In theory, Japanese engineering and Italian design should work like a charm. But the Arna was not penned by Italians. Moreover, it was powered by Italian falt-four engines, and the cars were manufactured in Italy. This unwanted child came from a forced marriage between Alfa Romeo and Nissan, which was imposed by the Italian government. The Arna nameplate came from Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli, and it was a re-badged Nissan Almera N12, a car that was known as Nissan Cherry in Europe.

Its wedged shape was less appealing than the Lancia Delta from the same era or the Golf from Volkswagen. The rectangular headlights flanked the black plastic grille with the Alfa shield in the middle. From its profile, the Arna featured flush door handles and a five-door bodywork, unlike the Pulsar, which was available as a sedan and a three-door version. Italians knew the European market and understood that a three-door won’t be successful. Unfortunately, the five-door hatchback was also disliked.

The flat-four engines under the hood were good, but due to the electrical problems that the Arna encountered, Alfa Romeo hardly found customers for it. That led to a dismissal of the joint project in 1987 when the Italian automaker pulled the plug on this vehicle and counted on the successful Alfa Romeo 33.