View source for Engineering:Alfa Romeo Arna

{{short description|Hatchback produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli S.p.A.}}
{{Infobox automobile
| image        = Alfa Arna.JPG
| caption      = Alfa Romeo Arna three door
| name         = Alfa Romeo Arna
| manufacturer = [[Company:Alfa Romeo|Alfa Romeo]] [[Company:Nissan|Nissan]] Autoveicoli S.p.A.
| production   = 1983–1987<br />53,047 produced
| assembly     = Italy: Pratola Serra
| predecessor  = [[Engineering:Alfa Romeo Alfasud|Alfa Romeo Alfasud Hatchback]]
| successor    = [[Engineering:Alfa Romeo 33|Alfa Romeo 33]]
| class        = Small family car ([[Engineering:C-segment|C]])
| body_style   = 3-door [[Engineering:Hatchback|hatchback]]<br />5-door [[Engineering:Hatchback|hatchback]]
| layout       = [[Engineering:Longitudinal engine|Longitudinal]] [[Engineering:Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout|front-engine, front-wheel drive]]
| engine       = {{Unbulleted list | 1.2 L ''Boxer'' H4 | 1.3 L ''Boxer'' H4 | 1.5 L ''Boxer'' H4 }}
| transmission = 5 speed [[Engineering:Manual transmission|manual]]
| wheelbase    = {{convert|2416|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| length       = {{convert|4000|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| width        = {{convert|1621|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| height       = {{convert|1340|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
| weight       = {{convert|850|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
| related      = [[Engineering:Nissan Cherry#Cherry (Pulsar N12 generation) and Cherry Europe|Nissan Cherry Europe]]<br />[[Engineering:Nissan Pulsar|Nissan Pulsar Milano]]<br />Holden Astra
| designer     = 
}}
The '''Alfa Romeo Arna''' (an acronym for "'''Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli'''", meaning "Alfa Romeo[-]Nissan motor vehicles", but also a female Italian name) (Type 920) is a [[Engineering:Hatchback|hatchback]] produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli S.p.A. between 1983 and 1987. The company was founded on 9 October 1980, as a 50:50 joint venture between the Italian [[Company:Alfa Romeo|Alfa Romeo S.p.A.]] and the Japanese Nissan Motor Company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=t0UjAAAAIBAJ&dq=alfa%20romeo%20nissan%20autoveicoli&pg=3571%2C167805|title=Ital signs deal with Nissan|work=Montreal Gazette|access-date=14 April 2013|date=22 September 1980}}</ref>

==History==
On 9 October 1980, Takashi Ishihara of Nissan and Alfa Romeo President Ettore Massacesi signed a memorandum in Tokyo for increased cooperation between their two firms, and revealed their intent to create a joint production venture called AR.N.A. S.p.A. (Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli). Italian Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga endorsed the deal, despite political and auto industry opposition, because he hoped to bolster the fortunes of the state owned manufacturer, which had a cult following but was losing money.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alfa Venture|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SOdUAAAAIBAJ&pg=3673,3250718|work=The Age|access-date=19 August 2012}}</ref>

The immediate priority of Alfa management, including Massacesi and managing director Corrado Innocenti was to field a competitor in the increasingly lucrative family hatchback market sector where the compact [[Engineering:Volkswagen Golf|Volkswagen Golf]] and [[Engineering:Lancia Delta|Lancia Delta]] were proving successful, and they hoped an alliance with Nissan would bring a competitive model to market faster and more cheaply.

During that period, European countries were engaging in protectionism to guard their domestic car industries, with France even banning the import of Japanese made vehicles. Working with Alfa Romeo, who controlled a respectable amount of European auto sales at the time was seen as a good hedge for Nissan and a chance to establish a foothold in the European market.<ref name="ottawacitizen">{{cite news|title=Now it's Nissan-Alfa in Italy|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RNAyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2115,198678&dq=alfa+nissan&hl=en|work=Ottawa Citizen|agency=Associated Press|access-date=19 August 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Alfa Arna 4d.JPG|thumb|left|Alfa Romeo Arna five door]]
For the joint venture, a new plant was constructed in Pratola Serra, near Naples. The body panels of the car were constructed in Japan by Nissan, then shipped to Italy for final assembly. Nissan and Alfa Romeo also engaged in a commercial cabover truck, called the [[Engineering:Alfa Romeo Romeo|Romeo]] and rebadged as the [[Engineering:Nissan Trade|Nissan Trade]] for a short time.

The product of the relationship was launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show; the car's name was an acronym meaning ''Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli''. The Arna was largely based on the N12 series [[Engineering:Nissan Pulsar|Nissan Pulsar]] / [[Engineering:Nissan Cherry|Nissan Cherry]] but featured Alfa Romeo engines carried over from the [[Engineering:Alfa Romeo Alfasud|Alfasud]], as well as an Alfa [[Engineering:Transmission (mechanics)|transmission]], steering, front brakes and front [[Engineering:Suspension (vehicle)|suspension]].

It did however use an independent rear suspension and rear brakes from Nissan. The Arna was also briefly marketed as the Nissan Cherry Europe in the United Kingdom and Spain. Italian built cars badged as Nissan Cherry Europe can be readily identified by their rear lighting clusters, which match those of the Arna rather than the Japanese built Cherry.
[[File:2011 NEC Classic Car Show Alfa Romeo Arna DSC 2212.jpg|left|thumb|Alfa Romeo Arna Ti Interior]]
Although no variants of the Italian built Arna were ever sold in Japan, a domestic version of the N12 Nissan Pulsar, labelled the Nissan Pulsar Milano X1, made use of the Alfa Romeo connection in its publicity and was fitted with the same black and green interior as the Arna Ti or Cherry Europe GTi. The model was entirely N12 based, though, and featured the usual transversely mounted the infamous Nissan E engine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1986/2205620/nissan_pulsar_3door_hatchback_1500_milano_x1.html |title=1986 Nissan Pulsar 3Door Hatchback 1500 Milano X1 (up to May 1986 for Japan ) specs review |publisher=Automobile-catalog.com |access-date=30 August 2018}}</ref>

While British Leyland and [[Company:Honda|Honda]] had a limited partnership in the United Kingdom at that time, the Nissan and Alfa Romeo alliance was the first of its kind between a European and Japanese automaker with joint investment into manufacturing and development. It was feared by the European Economic Community and ironically, Alfa's future parent Fiat, that the success of this partnership would create a Trojan horse, enabling Japanese automakers to compete "unfairly" in Europe, and thereby take sales away from other European auto-makers.<ref name="ottawacitizen"/>

However, such fears were quickly allayed upon the Arna's release when it became obvious that the Arna exhibited the worst qualities of each of its parents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/Top_ten_article.aspx?cp-documentid=475412|title= MSN Cars 'Top ten disastrous cars'|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061121185643/http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/Top_ten_article.aspx?cp-documentid=475412|archive-date = 21 November 2006}}</ref> The Arna featured tempestuous mechanicals, rust prone bodywork and indifferent build quality courtesy of Alfa Romeo,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/218766/alfa_romeo_gallery.html|title=Alfa Romeo gallery|access-date=11 February 2012|work=Auto Express|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224075432/http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/alfa-romeo/mito/30800/alfa-romeo-gallery|archive-date=24 February 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> married to a Nissan body of questionable build and frumpy, box like styling, with insipid handling common to Japanese cars of the time.<ref name="motorbase.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/1360028274/|title=Alfa Romeo Arna|access-date=18 March 2008|work=motorbase.com| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080403123415/http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/1360028274/| archive-date= 3 April 2008 |url-status = live}}</ref>

This mismatch of technical strengths served to kill the sales of the Arna very rapidly. As the car gained a reputation for poor build quality and questionable reliability, sales of the Nissan badged Cherry Europe sister car also nosedived, as loyal Nissan customers shunned it in favour of the "genuine" Japanese built Cherry instead.

By 1986, Alfa Romeo's parent company, the Italian government owned Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale was suffering from heavy losses, and IRI president Romano Prodi put Alfa Romeo up for sale, with Fiat ultimately emerging as the new owner of Alfa. Fiat's first decision was to cease Arna production owing to its poor reputation and poor sales, and to terminate the unsuccessful Alfa Romeo Nissan alliance. Production ceased in 1987, with Fiat intending to strengthen the competitiveness of the [[Engineering:Alfa Romeo 33|Alfa Romeo 33]] as Alfa's entry in that segment. By this time, Nissan had set up a European operation of its own at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK in Sunderland, which became hugely successful.

==Models==
[[File:2011 NEC Classic Car Show Alfa Romeo Arna DSC 2210.jpg|thumb|right|Engine of Alfa Romeo Arna 1.5 Ti.]]
The Arna was initially sold as a three-door L and a five-door SL, and was fitted with the Alfasud 1.2 boxer engine (63 PS). In 1984, a three-door TI version, with an {{convert|86|PS|kW hp|0|abbr=on}} 1.3-litre boxer four engine, was introduced, which was capable of reaching a top speed of {{convert|170|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}}. In November 1984 (model year 1985) came a more powerful 1.2 engine in the same trim configurations with {{convert|68|PS|kW hp|0|abbr=on}}, while there were no external differences there were light alterations to the interior.<ref name="QR0185">{{cite journal | journal = Quattroruote | title = Ora corre con qualche cavallo in più | trans-title = Now running with a few more horses | language = it |date=January 1985 | volume = 30 | issue = 351 | publisher = Editoriale Domus | location = Milan, Italy | editor-first = Raffaele | editor-last = Mastrostefano | pages = 82–83 }}</ref>

Later, there were also some TI trim cars built with 1.5-litre engines, sold also as the Nissan Cherry Europe GTI.<ref name="alfasud.alfisti.net">{{cite web|url=http://alfasud.alfisti.net/ase13.html|title=ARNA|access-date=29 October 2007|work=alfasud.alfisti.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118110742/http://alfasud.alfisti.net/ase13.html|archive-date=18 November 2007|url-status = dead}}</ref> The more powerful 1.5 TI/Cherry GTI had a top speed of {{convert|175|km/h|mph||abbr=on}}.<ref name="carfolio.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=18876|title=1985 Alfa Romeo Arna 1.5 Ti|access-date=29 October 2007|work=carfolio.com}}</ref> The TI version was discontinued halfway through 1986.

==Engines==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Engine
!Model
!Engine code
!Displacement (cc)
!Configuration
!Max power PS (kW)
!Max torque 
!Top speed
!Acceleration 0 to 100&nbsp;km/h (0-62&nbsp;mph) (s)
!Availability
|-
|1,2 ||L/LS|| AS 305 || 1 186 || Flat-4 || 63 (46) at 6,000 rpm ||{{convert|88|Nm|lb·ft|0|abbr=on}} at 2,000 rpm ||{{Convert|155|km/h|0|abbr=on}}||  || 1983/84 
|-
|1,2 ||L/LS|| AS 305 || 1 186 || Flat-4 || 68 (50) at 6,000 rpm ||{{convert|92|Nm|lb·ft|0|abbr=on}} at 2,000 rpm ||{{Convert|156|km/h|0|abbr=on}}|| 14,1 ||1984/87
|-
|1,4||TI || AS 300006 || 1 351 || Flat-4 || 71 (52) at 5,800 rpm ||{{convert|107|Nm|lb·ft|0|abbr=on}} at 3,000 rpm ||{{Convert|156|km/h|0|abbr=on}}||  || 1983/84
|-
|1,4 || TI||AS 31010 || 1 351 || Flat-4 || 86 (63) at 5,800 rpm ||{{convert|121|Nm|lb·ft|0|abbr=on}} at 4,000 rpm ||{{Convert|173|km/h|0|abbr=on}}||  || 1984/86 
|-
|1,5 ||TI ||AS 31016 || 1 490 || Flat-4 || 95 (70) at 5,800 rpm ||{{convert|133|Nm|lb·ft|0|abbr=on}} at 4,000 rpm ||{{Convert|175|km/h|0|abbr=on}}||  || 1984/87
|}
Source:<ref>[https://www.ultimatespecs.com/it/auto-caratteristiche-tecniche/Alfa-Romeo/608/Alfa-Romeo-Arna-15-Ti.html ''ultimatespecs.com'']</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Nissan}}

[[Category:Front-wheel-drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Subcompact cars]]
[[Category:Hatchbacks]]
[[Category:Cars powered by boxer engines]]

{{Sourceattribution|Alfa Romeo Arna}}