1979 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Super - *No Reserve* Charity Lot

• Offered at 'No Reserve' as a charity lot with all proceeds going to 'Feedback Madagascar'
• Giugiaro-styled Alfasud was a revelation when launched, an all-new car with an all-new powertrain, built in an all-new factory
• Despite its small engine, the Alfasud impressed with its superb handling, road holding, and high cruising speed, enhanced by all-round disc brakes, a good driving position and a swift, light gearchange
• Quiet and refined, the 'Sud is now a collectors' favourite
• A rare UK/RHD example in 'museum-quality' condition with Bruno Cilento paintwork and with just under 32,000 miles covered from new; freshly MOT'd
• Accompanied by period paperwork, including sales brochures, handbooks and a Haynes workshop manual

When it went on sale in 1972, the Alfasud rewrote the small-car rulebook to become the forerunner of the 1980s ‘hot hatch’. Given that Alfa Romeo had no experience of small, front-driven cars, the sheer dynamic excellence of the flat-four-powered ‘Sud came as a pleasant shock to critics and commentators, who greeted it with rapturous acclaim. Developed by Austrian engineer Rudolf Hruska, who had previously worked at Porsche and Volkswagen, the Alfasud was noted for its powerful boxer engine, low centre of gravity, aerodynamic profile, and best-in-class handling. The innovative styling by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign was much-copied and much loved – with sales of more than 1m in 12 years, the 'Sud would become the best-selling model in Alfa’s rich history.

As so often with Italian cars, the Sud also had an interesting and backstory. The Italian government worked with Alfa to build the factory near Naples, as an investment in the impoverished South of Italy (hence the 'Sud' name). It is fair to say that the south’s inexperience in car manufacture meant the project did not run entirely smoothly; the first Suds were conspicuously susceptible to rust, although rustproofing was improved in ’77 and ’78.

The Alfasud 'Super' was the range-topping model, available with both 1.2- and 1.3-litre engines. The Super introduced improvements both outside, with new bumpers including large plastic strips, and inside, with a revised dashboard, new door cards and the choice of either Alfatex (vinyl) or two-tone cloth seats. In May 1978, the Super’s 1.3-litre engine gained power and capacity (now 1350cc) with a twin-choke carburettor setup.

This particular 5-speed car left the factory on the slopes of Mt.Vesuvius in 1979 and made its way to the UK, where it was originally sold to a young lady driver by a family dealership in Skegness. About four years later she sold the 'Sud on to a new owner in the Leeds commuter belt, and it remained in Yorkshire with just three owners until the late 2010s.

Given the model’s tendency to rust, the excellent condition of this 'Sud is highly impressive – indeed, it makes the colour (official name: Bruno Cilento, or Rust Brown) somewhat ironic. However, this is almost certainly down to the care that successive owners took of the car, perhaps sensing its status as a future classic. With only just 30,700 miles on the clock and a documented MOT history, it has clearly been lovingly cared for. The same degree of care was evident in its second-to-last owner, who brought it from North Yorkshire to Lewes in Sussex in the late 2010s.

Various receipts record the substantial amount of time and money this Italophile spent restoring the original details, from hubcaps to pedal covers. By the time it was bought by its last owner, an Italian car collector in London, it was almost museum-specimen quality; the collector’s high-quality bare-metal repaint by an Italian paint specialist and a thorough brake overhaul were the perfecting touch. The Boxer engine in is excellent mechanical health, the interior is original and intact, the steel wheels are original and the new tyres are in period style. Accompanying the car are numerous original handbooks, period paperwork, brochures, old tax discs and two sets of keys, plus extensive MOT and service history, helping to support its mileage and quality of ownership.

All in all, the preservation level of this Alfasud makes it a truly remarkable example of a model that was considered a landmark car at its very inception, and 20 years later would be described by one classic car magazine as “"The classic sporting saloon car of the 1970s."  The sheer preservation level of this little car warrants a place in a collection amongst the finest Italian machinery.

This very special car is coming to auction from a private collector of original low-mileage classics who has, for several years, supported the work of the charity ‘Feedback Madagascar’ https://www.feedbackmadagascar.net/

Excluding active war zones, Madagascar is the poorest state in the world. 21 million people live here, and 9 out of 10 people live on less than $2 per day. A quarter of children are out of school and half of the children under five suffer chronic malnutrition, the fourth highest rate in the world. Slash and burn agriculture and soil erosion have turned the island red and endangered huge numbers of animals and plants.

Our extremely generous vendor and Silverstone Auctions have aligned to offer this car at ‘No Reserve’ with the whole hammer price plus commission going to the charity. Not only will the new owner become the custodian of a very special Alfa, he/she will have played a significant role in helping the communities of this island. So, please come and see just how good this ‘Sud is, bid strongly and enjoy both the car and the feeling of helping such a worthwhile cause.