It was named Tipo 103.
Towards the end of the 1950’s Alfa Romeo was looking for a replacement of the Giulietta Sedan and even searched for a smaller car that could compete with the small Fiats like the immensely popular 1100.
Alfa was looking for something completely different and created a four door 3.60 meter long sedan, which technically was a long way ahead of the current bread and butter car. Underneath the car had a transversely positioned 900 cc DOHC engine under the front bonnet, which produced a healthy 52 BHP. It was designed with front wheel drive, using a full synchro four speed box and mimicking the drivetrain layout as first shown in the just introduced Austin and Morris Minis.
Outwardly it is immediately obvious that the later Giulia borrowed a few traits from this car, especially the front section, but also the glass house. Eventually it was decided not to continue with the development and to fully concentrate on the more upward market sections, although in 1967 the company took another look at the existing prototype. Eventually the first production FWD Alfa became the Alfasud, and this innovative car was left behind.
Only one prototype still exists, and it is on permanently display in the Alfa Romeo museum, where we shot the car in April 2006. Interestingly the identifying plate in the museum shows the car as originating from 1954, but real development only started in 1959.
The Tipo 103 was built in 1955, 4 years before the Mini. Dr Orazio Satta Puliga seems to have been the the designer of the projec and Ing. Hruska was in charge of its development.
