From
6 to 10 April the German town will host the prestigious event dedicated
to vintage vehicles. Among the participants is FCA - with its Alfa
Romeo, Abarth and Fiat brands which will be parading a number of
precious historic models alongside the latest new releases.
Launch of the 28th edition
of "Techno Classica" hosted in Gruga Hallen (Essen) and ready to
welcome fans and exhibitors from around the world. FCA will attend the
event, confirming its interest in this sector pervading contemporary
society and enjoying continuous growth, which adds value to the modern
automotive sector. In particular, the public can admire several
historical models of the Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Abarth brands together
with the latest current production models. It is the best way to
strongly reiterate the uniqueness of each brand in the international
arena, a heritage of cars and designers, races and engines, style and
innovation that have marked technological progress and the sporting
events of the twentieth century.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo's collection focuses on its sports saloons, a concept that
the Italian brand itself invented and which has now been updated and
upgraded with the new Giulia. Visitors to the Essen show can see four
precious models from the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese called "La macchina
del tempo": the 1900 (1950), the Giulia TI Super (1963), the 75 Turbo
Evoluzione (1987) and the 156 D2 "SuperTurismo" (1998). Alongside these
rarities is a captivating Giulia Quadrifoglio, the quintessence of the
new Alfa Romeo style and the ultimate expression of the "meccanica delle
emozioni" concept.
The sports saloon concept originated back in 1950
with the 1900 (L4, 1884 cc, 80 HP) which opened the way to a new era
for the brand. Alfa Romeo's first car built entirely on a production
line, it was also the first to be designed according to industrial
criteria, including the monocoque, and the first with a four-cylinder
engine developed for mass production. The most significant features of
the 1900 are its dynamic performance characteristics. Speed, road
holding, handling and active safety made this model the first
high-performance three-box saloon (it was also highly appreciated by
private drivers).
In 1963, the Alfa Romeo Giulia TI Super further
developed the concept of "sports saloon". Built in 501 units, it is the
ready-to-race version of the Giulia, with the 4-cylinder 1.6 litre
engine increased to 112 HP lightened by a hundred or so kilos and with a
top speed of 190 km/h. Another star of the German show will be the 1987
Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo Evolution (L4, 1762 cc, 155 HP, turbo) that,
similarly to what happened 24 years before with the Giulia TI Super, was
produced in a limited edition of 500 units specifically made for type
approval in "Group A" of the Touring Car category. The rules of touring
cars changed a decade later. Since 1998, Alfa Romeo has raced the
so-called Class 2 version of the 156 model (L4, 1995 cc, 310 HP). And
so, tradition continues. Like the 1900, the Giulia and the 75, the 156
confirmed the winning concept of "sports saloon" that we find today in
the brand-new Giulia.
Finally, two vintage models will be on display
at "Techno Classica" in Essen: the Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider "Duetto" and
the Giulia Sprint GTA, which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of two
important events in the brand's history. In fact, in 1966 the Alfa Romeo
Spider, the famous "Duetto", made its début. It was the renowned
two-seater driven by Dustin Hoffman in the cult movie "The Graduate".
And in that same year Alfa Romeo won the European Touring Car
Championship for the first time with the Giulia Sprint GTA, and clinched
a repeat victory the following year. The GTA soon became the undisputed
queen of touring racing. In addition, also in 1966 it set another
record: it was the first touring car to complete the Nürburgring circuit
in less than 10 minutes. With De Adamich-Zeccoli, the Autodelta coupé
finished the Nordschleife in 9'59".
Fiat
Another brand making a
comeback to the "Techno Classica" is Fiat, which is presenting an icon
of the '60s to the general public: the Fiat 124 Sport Spider. Launched
in 1966, the model on display dates to 1969 and retains all of its
original charm still today. Developed from the Fiat 124 saloon, the
Spider version was a sports car that very soon everyone fell in love
with, also because of Pininfarina's design. Pininfarina is a historic
partner of the Italian car maker and a prominent name in the automotive
sector. The 124 Spider was fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox, a
1438 cm3 twin camshaft engine and disc brakes on all four wheels.
Americans
were mad about the proportions and noticeably Italian style of the Fiat
124 Spider, as well as its waterproof soft top that could be lowered
directly from the driver's seat very quickly and simply. Over 200,000
units were produced between 1966 and 1985, and more than three-quarters
of them crossed the Atlantic.
The new Fiat 124 Spider will also be on
stand at "Techno Classica". Its advanced style houses the classic
beauty of its ancestor without betraying its essence. A tribute to the
iconic car launched 50 years ago and whose name it carries, the new Fiat
124 Spider follows the tradition of its legendary ancestor and brings
its classic styling and performance to a new generation. The new Fiat
Spider is equipped with the reliable 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder
engine with MultiAir technology, which delivers 140 HP and 240 Nm of
torque, and is available with a six-speed manual transmission.
Abarth
Completing the line-up at
the "2016 Techno Classica" is the Scorpion brand, Abarth. It is
presenting a historic Fiat Abarth 124 in the road version and the new
Abarth 124 spider, which is making its official début in Germany
precisely in Essen.
Designed to satisfy even the most demanding
drivers, the car can already be ordered anywhere in Europe for Euro
40,000 and will be available in dealerships starting from September.
The new Abarth 124 spider can also be purchased with the FCA Bank solution by paying 300-Euro monthly instalments.
The
new Abarth 124 spider is fitted with rear-wheel drive, sophisticated
suspension and a four-cylinder 1.4 MultiAir Turbo engine with 170 HP,
paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic Sequenziale
Sportivo gearbox with steering-wheel paddle shifters.
The fusion
between historic heritage and the hunger for continuous technical
progress is part of the Scorpion brand's DNA, as also demonstrated by
the cars showcased in Essen and by the ambitious "Abarth Classiche"
initiative. This project, first launched last November at the Officine
Abarth in Mirafiori in Turin, is organised on various levels, from the
restoration atelier to the Abarth Register which coordinates shows,
events, rallies and competitions. As expected, the programme has been a
great success, with numerous certifications already carried out and a
long waiting list of bookings. The coherence between current models and
those which set so many motoring records is one of the secrets of the
brand's commercial success. More information is available on the
brand-new website:
http://www.abarthclassiche.com.
As for digital resources, "The Scorpionship", the only Abarth official
community dedicated to owners, collectors, Abarth club members and fans,
opened on March 1. Anyone can register by filling out the form on the
http://scorpionship.abarth.com
website. "The Scorpionship" members will have access to plenty of
exciting advantages, promotions and racing opportunities as well as
exclusive invites to meetings for fans.
Turin, 5 April 2016
