Alfa Romeo 75 Original Generation (1985–1992)

Identity and production

This record covers the single generation of the Alfa Romeo 75, including its facelift. Produced at Arese, Italy, from 1985 to 1992, this four-door saloon replaced the Giulietta. Its name marked Alfa Romeo’s 75th anniversary. These dates describe the overall production period, not universal market-specific model years. Manufacturer history.

Development and engineering

Developed as project K1, the 75 reused Giulietta body components under financial constraints. Ermanno Cressoni’s Centro Stile design gave it a wedge profile emphasised by dark side mouldings.

The longitudinal front engine drove the rear wheels. The manual transmission, clutch and differential formed a rear transaxle. Front torsion-bar suspension and a coil-sprung de Dion rear arrangement with Watt linkage continued the Alfetta engineering lineage. Stellantis Heritage.

Engines and development chronology

The launch range included carburetted 1.6-, 1.8- and 2.0-litre twin-cam petrol fours, an injected 2.5-litre V6 and a VM 2.0-litre turbodiesel. A turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol engine subsequently broadened the range.

In 1987, the 2.0 Twin Spark introduced two spark plugs per cylinder, fuel injection and variable inlet timing; a 3.0-litre V6 also joined the range. The Turbo Evoluzione served competition homologation. Autumn 1988 brought the revised range, including the 1.8 IE and 2.4-litre turbodiesel. Availability and emissions equipment differed by market. Stellantis Heritage.

Facelift, markets and legacy

The 1988 facelift revised the grille, rear lighting and interior without creating a separate generation. US-market cars used Milano branding, V6 engines and market-specific bumpers and equipment; their specifications should not be applied to European 75s.

The production body was a saloon. Rayton-Fissore’s estate proposal did not enter series production. The mechanically related Zagato SZ and RZ were separate models.

The 155 succeeded the 75 in 1992. Historically, the 75 closed Alfa Romeo’s Alfetta-derived mass-production transaxle saloon era. Alfa Romeo retrospective.

Alfa Romeo 75

Parent model record within the Alfa Romeo catalogue.

Sources and image credit

• Alfa Romeo: 30 Jahre Alfa Romeo 75 — manufacturer retrospective, 31 March 2015.
• Stellantis Heritage: Alfa Romeo 75 — development and engine history.
• Dennis Elzinga: Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 V6 QV — photograph and CC BY 2.0 licence metadata.

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• Alfa Romeo 75 Original Generation 1.8 Turbo

  Introduced in 1986, the 1.8 Turbo combined turbocharged four-cylinder power with the Alfa 75’s rear-wheel-drive transaxle layout.

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• Alfa Romeo 75 Original Generation 2.0 Twin Spark

  Introduced in 1987, the 2.0 Twin Spark combined twin-plug ignition and fuel injection with the Alfa 75's rear-wheel-drive transaxle layout.

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