THE ALFASUD YEARS, 1971-’89
1971 The original four-door, fourspeed Sud Normale: 1186cc, 63bhp for92mphand0-60mphin14secs with 32mpg. Priced just under £1400 in the UK when sales start in 1973 1973 Sud ti: two doors, five speeds, quad circular headlamps, spoilers and almost 100mph from 68bhp engine with a twin-choke Weber
1974 Se/lusso trim levels are supplementary to the mechanically identical standard four-door Sud, but with cloth trim, a rev counter and extra chrome detailing
1975 The new Giardinetta is a threedoor estate version, never sold in the UK; latterly available with 1.3- and 1.5-litre engines with single-choke carbs, but discontinued in 1980 1976 Sud Sprint: a new two-door coupé by Italdesign with hatchback, five gears and 1286cc, 75bhp engine. 5M replaces the Lusso: basically the five-speed gearbox in the four-door body, but still 1186cc, 63bhp
1977 ti 1.3 combines the two-door saloon body with the 1286cc/75bhp engine from the Sprint coupé. Fourdoor Super replaces the 5M with 1.2- or 1.3-litre engines and a single-choke carburettor, plus rubber bumper inserts and a revised dash
1978 The Sprint coupé and the ti gain new 1350cc or 1490cc engines, giving 78/85bhp. Black spoilers and wheelarch extensions for ti 1980 Facelift across the range, with new lights front and rear, black bumpers and revised dashboard
1981 Three-door hatchback variant is introduced
1982 Five-door hatchback replaces the four-door: flagship Gold Cloverleaf five-door has 95bhp, twincarburettor 1490cc from Sprint/ti
1983 New Green Cloverleaf threedoor has 105bhp, 1490cc engine, TRX tyres. Five-door Sud replaced by Alfa 33 and Sud Sprint becomes just the Sprint, also with a Green Cloverleaf version with plastic bumpers and body mouldings, plus new tail-lights, seats and steering wheel 1984 Three-door range replaced by the Nissan Cherry-based Alfa Arna, with Sprints now sitting on the Alfa 33 floorpan with outboard front discs and drum rear brakes 1987 Sprint range gains 1.7-litre, 118bhp model replacing the 1.5-litre
1989 Sprint production ends