GTA RHD production and sales

[poohbah]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I was interested to work out how many RHD 156 GTAs may have been produced and sold globally, as well as how many GTAs made their way to Australia.

So I contacted Marco Fazio at Alfa records in Arese, and he was very helpful.

I have attached the spreadsheet he gave me, which in short, estimated global 'standard' 156 sedan GTA production at 2,623 vehicles and total 156 GTA production at 4,657 - which includes all Sportwagons and Selespeeds.

Marco advised there was no internal code or number which identified RHD vehicles, so the only way to work it out would be to tally up cars sent to RHD markets. On my calculations that would indicate 1,045 RHD manual sedans were sold globally.

While I have no doubt the global totals are fairly accurate, the individual breakdown by country is clearly misleading as it states only 2 GTAs were exported to Australia and only 1 to NZ.  (Can't be correct - there are at least 4 in Perth alone). I do recall reading on another forum that someone had asked ATECO which estimated it had imported something like 126 GTA sedans into Australia. That sounds a bit more realistic.

So I wonder if the Australian cars may have actually been imported from another RHD market, most likely Japan, which on Marco's numbers received 667 sedans. Marco didn't know, but its' the only explanation I can think of. My only other theory is that maybe the official figures reflect initial volume allocations for individual markets, which were different to the numbers actually despatched.

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Yes, I recall reading somewhere recently that around 120 or so were imported to Australia, but around 20 remained unsold after the 147 GTA was released for a far cheaper price, and the unsold 156s were sent to NZ.

Sorry, don't have the link to hand.

[poohbah]

Cheers Sheldon, that makes sense. And my car even rarer...

[Sheldon McIntosh]

I know the feeling, I bought myself a 156GTA a few months ago, aren't they grand?  Makes me smile every time I start it.

[poohbah]

You betcha. Can't believe the pickup - and sound - compared to my past "normal" Busso 156s. As I bragged to a friend when I got it - looks like Darth Vader (its black), sounds like a Ferrari, goes like stink...

[aggie57]

Yes, I recall reading somewhere recently that around 120 or so were imported to Australia, but around 20 remained unsold after the 147 GTA was released for a far cheaper price, and the unsold 156s were sent to NZ.

Sorry, don't have the link to hand.

Actually saw one in Auckland yesterday.  Sorry, no pictures - I was negotiating the endless lines of cones in Customs St.....

[poohbah]

Was that a Covid Chicane Aggie?

[Paul Gulliver]

I thought they would have thrown out the red carpet for the return of the prodigal son . Not red cones

[aggie57]

I thought they would have thrown out the red carpet for the return of the prodigal son . Not red cones

Ha ha.  Lottery to 'win' 7 days in quarantine + 3 days self isolation, hardly the red carpet.  But I did get out on the water a couple of tines, that was nice.  Back in the US now though so fast becoming a distant memory.....