Thanks so much for watching this episode. This week has been a great one for new subscribers so, if this is the first video you're watching since following, welcome and thank you! As always, I'd love to hear your three favourite designs from Alfa! Leave a comment below and I look forward to reading them. Best, Frank.
Nice Video Again ! But there is not really something to add to your selection. The GTV is a timeless beauty, just imagine driving through the Bavarian Mountains without a Radio
The 33 Stradale gets right in, of course. For me the other 2 would be the Duetto Spider (for its wonderfully clean surfacing) and the Alfasud Sprint Veloce (because I owned one back in the day and it still makes the '70s wedge shape look beautiful). The trouble with these old Alfas is that they assault you through their looks, the way they move and the way they sound. You just don't stand a chance of not falling in love.
For me, the Alfa 159 is so underrated...look at it next to an Audi, Mercedes or Bmw from the same era: the Alfa will look as it went in production 10 years later of the others.
The back end looks aaa little dated, but that front end... It was the best looking front end when it was first launched and has been every year since, and it will probably never stop being the best looking front end. It just doesn't age. It just looks universally good.
@@dawnkeyy yeah I can agree on the back, but still it isn’t that bad if you compare it to the other cars of that era. A true masterpiece. Unfortunately, talking about performance, it wasn’t as sporty as the Giulia and it didn’t get a quadrifoglio version...
Frank, my father is a Sicilian immigrant who started a mechanics shop in the 70’s called Alfa auto clinic in Long Island New York and owned it until he retired a few years ago. Like yourself, the Alfa Romeo brand is engrained in my DNA through my family. My father has owned 2 out of your 3 picks (I’ll let you guess which one he couldn’t buy) and I’ve owned 3 Alfa 164’s. To this day we own a red 1969 GTV, a white 81’ spider and a 92’ red 164 sport. Excellent video and by far my favourite car RU-vidr.
I distinctly remember as a kid seeing a red Brera on the road for the first time, I don't know why it struck me so much, from that point on 7 years old me started asking a lot of questions about cars
I grew up getting blasted around in a GTV6 B200 Chaparral... ADORE the brand. As a designer, don't you love that they use a lower-case 'a' for alfa and a capital 'R' for Romeo, just to give the logo a lovely swooping and rounded script!? I know I appreciate that irreverence! Best channel on YT, Frank. Stay healthy mate. - UK
33 Stradale. Pure emotion. Greatest car design ever. Period. And I'm biased, I own a 147 GTA which is the greates hot hatch design ever. Did I mentioned I was biased?
I wish you made an exception and did a Top 5 Alfa's. Also please consider doing something like overview/history or top pics for Pininfarina, Giugiaro, etc. Great work as always!
Love your aesthtic passion for design Fred. Im an alphisti without the required budget - whilst a modest lil coupe I had 2 alphasud Sprints - one a 1980's black green cloverleaf - was riddled with rust but due to an advantageous insurance claim from a collision I blew the budget in getting the body restored - however the body shop rang said they never imagined how much rust a car could have and we had to put a ceiling on thwe budget. But I never looked back at a car when getting out of one as much as this lil pocket rocket. Was like a stealth fighter before they were even imagined ha
I love the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, the 8C Competizione and the Montreal. One day please make a video about weird cars like the Fiat Dino, the coupe designed by Bertone and the cabrio by Pininfarina. My father owned the cabrio in Madrid, Spain.
Not really an Alfa devote, have to say I am more modern Alfa observer - the stunning looking Brera(although I read its not a great car),great looking classic Alfetta GTV and Alfa 64 for something edgy - Go Alfa .thanks for another excellent video Frank - really knocking it out the ball park . Cheers once again from Brisbane
It's so intriguing to look look through Alfa Romeo's designs again, thank you for asking! The 1750/2000 GT Veloce is my favorite, it always leaves me with a dreamy feeling because I'm not sure I'll ever see a car of it's size that's more elegant. My number two is the modern Giulia Sedan (always turns my ahead through a crowd) and Finally the 8C 2900 B. If it wasn't a Zagato design the TZ3 Stradale would be my second favorite. I bought the TZ3 as a DLC car in Forza from how beautiful I found it and will always love it.
I loved the Alfa 164, it was born pre 1990, in the pre european obsolescence era. I am 41, and never had a car yet. Dont have the money. 155 was looking good too. Alfa Romeos had the most beautiful sounding 2,5 V6 engine, in the eighties and ninetees they were the fastest cars, always 230 km/h. The GTV was beautiful too, and courageus design, the rear lights are unmatched to this day I think.
I am looking at and thinking about cars for 30 years now, all day long mostly, if I stacked up my hungarian car magazines it would have reached to the ceiling in my room, I was thinking what is the best car I could possibly have for a very long time, and my final conclusion is Rolls Royce Silver Spur, with the Mercedes 560 hydropneumatic suspension fitted to it. Later Rollses have direct injection (which needs high pressure fuel pump that works only 1000 hours of operation per piece, and they break down in Phantoms, fills the exhaust system sometimes with up to 40 liters of coke, and is noisy) instead of indirect injection, double mass flywheel (will inherently break down regularly) instead of mono-mass flywheel (lasts for ever), 8 speed gearbox (changes gear too frequently) instead of 4 speed, aluminum block cylinders instead of nodular steel liners (which wear much slower, and you can redrill rehone them easily), expensive parts instead of cheaper parts... I don't like any newer cars made with new tehcnologies, like direct injection, 8 speed gearboxes, 25 computers on board, 2 km of cables in a car, fiber optics connecting the coumputers ... made since 2005. I like your designs.
"When I see an Alfa Romeo , I lift my hat" H. Ford - Loved the video - keep them coming - For me, the Giulia Spider (white w/ red interior please) is spectacular. I built three models of it trying each time to capture in paint what I saw in Road & Track. Secondly - in high school, couldn't stop thinking of the Alfasud Sprint Veloce. So horrible - so perfect. I would daydream how I could fix the flaws but never touch the exterior...well, I would have started w/ Appliance wire mags, but it was the 70's...... And last but not least - I helped my father work on my 1st Grade teachers '68 Duetto Spider. It was my first contact with Alfa Romeo, and I still remember running my hand over that rear fender peak towards the taillights. So different - so focused....I still can hear the 1600 (ok - 1570) sing as it went down the block....thanks for the review.
Great video (again!). My three in chronological order: 1) 8C 2900, 2) Giulietta Sprint Speciale, 3) 2000 GTV. Honorable mention: Brera, especially the show car. But if we are going to include show cars...BAT 5, BAT 7, BAT 9 !!! (now that would be a great video)!
Another great video Frank! I really appreciate your ability to articulate what you see and feel when you look at an automotive design. As an architect, I’m very aware of design quality and the inspiring quality of good design. But my area of understanding is buildings. Of course I have intuitive reactions to automotive design, but it’s so cool to hear you articulate and explain in detail. You open a pathway into a new and exciting world for me.
My favourite is the low-nose 1300 Giulietta Sprint Speciale. Followed by the TZ1 (which gives the 250 GTO a run for its money, looks-wise at least), the Alfetta, the Montreal (it's a front-engined Miura!), and the original boat-tail Spider. Also the Iguana, the Carabo and the crazy B.A.T. cars from the 50s.
That 1750 GTV is sweet!! I love the exterior of the 4c... thought about buying one....until I sat in it. No room for anything and the interior seemed very weak.... was disappointed. Went for an F Type Coupe instead. In the early 80s I rode in a GTV coupe and that was a very fast car, but the design... like a VW Dasher. I'd have to go for The Graduate spider.... perhaps that 7th grade teacher story and Mrs. Robinson influenced me.
If we look away from the obvious, like the 8C, and the cars mentioned in the video, I think it's worth mentioning that the 159 is the most beautiful family car in modern time. And of course the Brera. So beautiful the owners should have their cars on a rotation podium in their living room or garden.
A very underrated Alfa that no one really mentions probably because they are so rare is the Alfa Romeo Montreal. Beautiful car with one of the best exhaust notes I've ever heard
Can we have a shout out to those steel wheels on the Guilietta? In an era when car wheels have developed ADHD it's great to see something so simple and elegant.
Great video! I also love Alfa Romeo. My 3 favorites: Alfa Romeo GTA, Alfa Romeo Montreal, Alfa Romeo 155 DTM (and the recent Alfa Romeo Guilia Quadrifoglio).
I do not have a specific 3 favourite Alfa designs but I do have a favourite modern one, the 159/Brera. Simply the most beautiful looking car, affordable to ordinary people, from the last 20 years. Perfectly proportioned from almost every angle and sharply styled with no superfluous detailing - it is absolutely timeless and still looks fresh today. Jeremy Clarkson once called the Brera 'automotive pornography'.
1. 33 Stradale 2. 1750 GTV (not imitating Frank; I own a '69, a dream car) 3. Very tough. On a given day I could choose the Giulia Sprint GT/GTV, Sud, Sud Sprint, GTV6 "Grand Prix", SZ (oddly enough), 156 GTA, the 8C-based Disco Volante (coupe or Spyder), or the 952 Giulia Q2 or QV or Stelvio QV
Great list and no surprise the 33 Stradale made it! Personally, I would have put the Montreal above the Giulietta because of how unique and beautiful it is at the front. Also, I absolutely love the 1989 SZ/ES30 styling even though it isn't exactly what most people would call "pretty"!
My favorite Alfa Romeo has to be the 1968 Carabo concept. The sharp, arrow-like angle of the front and how the body ever so slightly widens past the greenhouse without breaking up the aerodynamics makes it a car I wish went into production more so than any other concept.
So many to choose from with Alfa. Can't disagree with what you chose, mine are: '34 Tipo B P3 GTV 2000 Disco Volante (current) --> love to see you do a design review of this car.
The most import alfa in automotive design is the 2600 Sprint Coupe. It is the grandfather of all modern day BMWs, Audis etc because it was the first car that incorporated the headlights into the grill. This did away with the need to shape body panels around and from the headlights making manufacturing easier and cheaper. Giorgetto's first production car, a very misunderstood alfa because it didn't fit the model of a sporty car to drive. Giorgetto in an interview said he broke the rules when he designed the front of that car and in so doing changed the rules and created the "modern car". Also a very elegant car from front to back.
Hello I just wanted to say that I find all your videos simply absorbing, cant stop watching them. I’m an architecture student and wanted to thank you specially for the video in which you talked about the road to becoming a designer, which has greatly helped me to find motivation to finish my final project. Also I have to say that you have rediscovered the bic pen for me. So thanks a lot, and keep up with these amazing videos. PD: It was great to learn that you are also from Málaga!!
Excellent choices....my top 3 are slightly different though... 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS by Touring 1964 Giulia Sprint GT (Step Nose Coupe)...mostly because I own one but also prefer the earlier 2 headlight car to the later 4 headlight car.... 1967 Tipo 33 Stradale (again prefer the two headlight car to the four headlight car) JMHO....
It’s incredibly difficult to only pick a few gorgeous Alfas. It’s not a brand like Mercedes where you immediately think of the 300SL and not much else.
An Italian buddy of mine bought a GTV in the late ‘70s in So Cal. The dealer wouldn’t work on them so he took it to an independent factory trained mechanic and told him that it didn’t drive like an Alpha. The mechanic took on of the sets of points and dumped the catalytic converter. Drove pretty well after that. A couple of years later my friend, Virgilio, said that, “Alfas are born with rust!”. Then he wanted me to follow him to Mexico where he would push it off a cliff and make an insurance claim. I declined. LOL
Wow these are just gorgeous! I hope we continue to see elegant designs in the future. The hype around the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq5 I feel is well deserved as they are both striking but I feel myself getting less and less excited the more I see them. You just know they won't hold a candle to these Alfas in 5-10 years time. There are some brands going to simpler designs like NIO and BYD but they're still a long way off drop dead gorgeous. Love the videos and can't wait to hear more! Just amazing how you're channel has grown!
The biggest problem with choosing one's three favourite Alfa Romeo designs is that... it's just three. I once described Alfa Romeo to my wife as a brand you like/love and you can't really pinpoint the reason. It's irrational. It's something more passionate. Like when you love another human being. You can pinpoint things that you like about that person, but if you love them, you just do. There's no other brand I could have made 30 illustrations in 30 days for their 110th Anniversary while thoroughly enjoying and learning about the brand's history. That's Alfa Romeo to me ❤️🍀
what you are saying is very true. In my life, I had several cars of different brands. However, the only ones I regretted having sold had been my Alfa Duetto 2.0 1991 and my 156. Those cars had definitely a soul, I could emotionally communicate with them; it would sound weird and difficult to explain...
As an owner of a Giulia Quadrifoglio, I was hoping to hear what you thought of the modern designs. I know you said in the video that the older designs were nearer to your heart but if you could make a video (or maybe just reply here) about their newer designs, I'm sure there would be an audience for it.
Frank, what do you think of the more modern 4C? While limited by more modern automobile manufacturing and safety requirements, I can see elements of the stradale
I'd like to see an analyse of the Alfa 159. A very lively design even today, people turn after the car on the streets. Interestingly, for me the sportwagon seems better than the saloon.
The 33 Stradale is really a timeless beauty of automotive engineering if you ask me, amazing video as always Frank!! Can you do ones with Maserati and McLaren too? Maybe even a video reacting to Gran Turismo's Vision GT cars?
Grazie Frank, fully agree with your reviews. Have you seen the Giulietta Convertible from the time of your first car! I would add the Montreal too. Cuore Alfa 🇮🇹❤
SALUDOS DE ARGENTINA . Mi tio aparte de desendiente de italianos tubo LANCIA y yo raton de biblioteca aprendi el amor al diseño italiano!!!!! demas esta decir que amo ALFA ROMEO y lo felicito por su expocision. tube oportunida de manejar un ALFA de nueva generacion emocionante!!!! la potencia era obvia .mi sorpresa (grata) fueron los FRENOS .SALUDOS del fin del mundo!!!!
Can you draw a modern version of Alfa Romeo 33 stradale or Ferrari 312/330 P4? Love the commentary and every video i've watched. I'm thankful for youtube algorithm that brought me here.
The Alfa-Romeo 155 for me. Well it may be a practical four door saloon, and not the most beautiful Alfa-Romeo. But compared it to the rest of the other saloons of the time, it is strikingly Italian.
Excellent list, got to see a 33S in person at the Peterson several years back and I've been utterly infatuated ever since. However, I would also have to add in the Brera and perhaps the early Spider as honorable mentions for a bit more modern examples.
25k views-3 days, Alfasti's of the world unite, can't wait for reasonable prices on electric power, Alfa classic body models to arrive in mass; that will look better and drive forever down the road
Must admit, 2 of my 3 are slightly more mundane - the 156 - a masterful saloon (and estate) car design - the only other saloon I can think of that is more beautiful is the Jaguar XJ6 series 3. Alfetta series GTV6 - gorgeous Giugiaro wedge shape, and the car that first got me interested in Alfas, and final one I agree with the first choice - the original Giulietta.
Frank, what do you think about the Alfa Romeo Stelvio? It’s the brands first SUV and therefore it would be great to know if you think it does the design history justice
