Not so Hot Brands

[oz3litre]

Probably all of the Australian car factories were using ancient pre war machinery by the look of it. P76s weren't the only Aussie cars with wonky panels. I remember when I was working for Repco Brake and Clutch in 1974, we had an almost new Falcon John Goss special hardtop in and the panels down the sides were very wonky.

[colcol]

Those wonky panels on the 2 door Falcon may have been ripply due to the fact they were thinner than normal and wouldn't fit the body stamp dies properly, it may have been the batch Ford used to try and get the podgy Falcons weight down to a Torana, for the group C Touring Cars, Colin.

[oz3litre]

It is a shame they never got to put the Force7 hatchback on the market. That was an interesting car. Anyway, I enjoyed my time with P76s and they served us well as family cars with loads of room for camping gear. As I said, they were a lot nicer to drive than Holdens, Fords and Valiants of the time. They kept me busy modifying things to improve them and correct faults. They suffered from the old tin worm, like many cars of the time. Keeping that at bay was a battle, as it is with 105 Alfas. My last P76, which was a chocolate brown V8 four speed manual, went to a guy in Alice Springs who wanted an interesting car for club cruises etc. I replaced that with a 1985 Range Rover to which I fitted a lovely 4 litre Discovery engine. I sold that because I got tired of the clunky five speed manual transmission. I still like the Rover V8s and wouldn't mind another Rangie if I had somewhere to put it.  I have never been one for owning common cars.

[TFJ100]

Just to comment on the original reason for the post

Why is that strange?  I've met journos from Motor, Wheels and Unique Cars, and they are all extreme enthusiasts, are all extremely good drivers, and all get to drive a huge variety of new cars every day.  I would listen to their opinion any day.

I read this Wheels magazine, and I was also a bit surprised by the comment about the Alfa having "poor ride and handling". I wouldn't mind if this was a consistently held opinion, however in the "Showroom" section at the back of the magazine, they say about the Giulietta:

For: Engines, steering, suspension and handling. Cabin space, even. A "proper" Alfa, then
Against: Cheap, dated plastics inside. QV engine punchy but lacks aural appeal

Car magazine's GBU describes the Giulietta as: "Fine Golf alternative is stylish and grippy. Best enjoyed with fast, frugal 1.4 Multiair motor.

Autocar says the following about the Giulietta: "But this is not what you notice first about the Giulietta's manners if you're used to current Alfas. Instead, it's the ride quality, the wheels enduring ripples with a cushioned pliancy lost when the 33 came along. Better still, it's right up there with the Golf and Focus in terms of bump absorption."

So, IMHO, the Wheels writer has got it wrong. And if you are going to make damaging statements like that about a car, then you'd better know what you are talking about, otherwise people like us who are fans are going to call you out.

Now, let's get onto Wheels overall. Also, in my opinion, this is a magazine that has gone seriously downhill over the years, and now has a credibility problem. Circulation was down 19% towards the end of 2012, which means less advertising revenue, which means less to pay for quality editorial. It is a vicious cycle and although I don't know the exact numbers, I would guess it is down to less than half of its prime. ACP clearly went into crisis mode over Christmas and sent out "desperation"offers, like the one I took up....$3 an issue. And even at $3 an issue, it was a close call as to whether I bothered. I wonder if there will be consolidation in the sector soon. I remember a few years ago, the Editor admitted that they got more readers if they put a Commodore or Falcon on the cover, so that is what they did every month. Cue short term solution leading to long-term death. With Drive and the Herald Sun providing quite good local views at effectively no cost, the internet providing endless vehicular amusement, UK magazines available on subscription for $10 a month airmail, and local magazines like Top Gear muscling in on their scene, there really is nowhere for Wheels to go...I think it is just a matter of time.

Happy for others to disagree (and I'm interested in your views) , but I don't look to Wheels for any real quality of thought any more...just something that may provide some entertainment before hitting the rubbish bin a couple of weeks later. This is a pity because it was once something of a standard-bearer. I hope it can re-attain those heights, I just can't see a way for it to happen right now.

Torben

[Mr156_2.0]

there was a comment about the alfa 156 and 147 being a costly nuisance. if you dont know alot about these types of cars and need a mechanic, then yes they are expensive and probably not worth owning one. the money spent could get you another car of the same class that would satisfy you without the price tag. however i have owner a 156 for now going on 9 years and yes there is the odd hickup but:
1. she has never ever left me on the side of the road.
2. she has not been that expensive on parts
3. she has not been that difficult to fix.
my old motor did about the 305,000km and i have just replaced it with a 45,000km and yes removing the motor without a hoist was a pain, it would have been easier with 1. and it took 2 days.

so what im trying to get at is that its how much you know about them as to if you should own 1 or not.



alfa need models like the old Gulia and the old 2000 belina back if they want to be seen not only as a reliable marque but also as a desired 1