20 years ago 03.03.2005 -the Geneva Motor Show opened wide the gates of its 75th edition,revealing one of the biggest and most important world premieres that year
OnThisDay 20 years ago - 03.03.2005 - the Geneva Motor Show opened wide the gates of its 75th edition to the visiting public, revealing one of the biggest and most important world premieres that year: the all-new Alfa Romeo 159!
Photo:2005 Geneva MotorShow original shots courtesy of Antoine Kohler.
Bigger and more muscular than the very popular 156 it replaced, the 159 came on a newly engineered platform born out of the brief marriage with GM. Although several vehicles were planned to be built on this platform (most notably the Saab 9-5), in the end, Alfa Romeo used it exclusively, finely tuning it to its own dynamic and high-performance expectations. It boasted a heavier and more rigid structure (a departure from the somewhat delicate 156 underpinnings), but with the suspension, steering, and driving behavior adjusted by Italian engineers to make it feel like a true Biscione.Photo:2005 Geneva MotorShow original shots courtesy of Antoine Kohler.
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with Alfa’s Centro Stile, starting from his Brera concept presented just three years earlier, it featured the signature scudetto, aggressive 3+3 headlights, and taut, well defined overall proportions, making it one of the most beautiful sedans ever produced.
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with Alfa’s Centro Stile, starting from his Brera concept presented just three years earlier, it featured the signature scudetto, aggressive 3+3 headlights, and taut, well defined overall proportions, making it one of the most beautiful sedans ever produced.
The JTS petrol engines and JTDm diesels offered a wide range of performance and efficiency, while the Q4 all-wheel-drive system added real-world usability, with a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes.
Adopted by the Carabinieri in Italy and even by the police force in Poland, it remains in the Alfisti’s collective imagination as a sexy yet robust, powerful yet capable Alfa - one that could even give Her Majesty’s bestest and finest secret agent 007 a run for his money.
Adopted by the Carabinieri in Italy and even by the police force in Poland, it remains in the Alfisti’s collective imagination as a sexy yet robust, powerful yet capable Alfa - one that could even give Her Majesty’s bestest and finest secret agent 007 a run for his money.
