Alfasud (901), 1972 – 1980

The Alfasud was Alfa Romeo's first mass-produced front-wheel drive model.

As early as 1960, the company had developed the Tipo 103, a compact sedan with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive. Regardless of the supposedly convincing results of numerous test drives, Alfa Romeo decided against series production of the Tipo 103 at the time because, according to expectations at the time, greater profits could be achieved with middle and upper middle class models.

Some sources also point to an informal division of the Italian automobile market between Fiat and Alfa Romeo, which would have been rendered irrelevant by series production of the 103.