ALFA ROMEO 146 Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Alfa Romeo had to replace the aging 33 model from its lineup and it did that with the 146 that was introduced in 1994 at the Turin Motor Show.

But the Italian automaker understood that the trend for compact-sized vehicle favored mostly hatchbacks, and it came wit a brilliant idea. Instead of creating a single model, it came with two vehicles that shared their underpinnings, but had different bodyworks. Thus, the 145/146 duo appeared on the market, and both were penned by Walter da Silva. The platform used for these models was the same used by Fiat for the Tipo. But it wasn't a badge engineering process. Moreover, Alfa Romeo even used specific engines for its cars, such as the flat-four versions, while the Tipo was powered exclusively by inline-four powerplants.

Da Silva penned the 146 with a narrow front fascia where the hood was extended and stretched toward the bumper. Thus, he could incorporate the Alfa Romeo shield badge on it and split the main grille. Thanks to this design, he could place slim headlights with corner-mounted blinkers. The bumper featured a broad lower grille that complemented the cooling area. From its sides, the 146 sported a sculptured line that ran along the bodywork up to the rear taillights. At the back, the sloped-down tailgate could've been adorned with a small wing, depending on the engine version and options.

Inside, the dashboard was scooped on the passenger's side to create more legroom. The driver, had a neat instrument cluster in front of them with a center-mounted speedometer flanked by the water and temperature gauges on the left and the tachometer on the right. The materials used in the cabin were not exactly premium-quality, but above most other competitors. In the back there was adequate space for three passengers on the split-folding benchseat.

Unlike the Tipo, which was powered exclusively by inline-four powerplants, the 145 was fitted with flat-four engines ranging from 1.4 to 1.7-liter and inline-fours for larger displacement units and turbo-diesel versions.