Alfa Romeo · 1983–1995

Alfa Romeo 33

The Alfa Romeo 33 (Type 905 and 907) is a small family car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1983 to 1995. From a mechanical standpoint it was an evolution of its predecessor, the Alfasud, whose floorpan, chassis and drivetrain were carried over — albeit with simplifications to the suspension and braking system, eschewing the Alfasud's inboard front brakes for instance. The Nissan-based Alfa Romeo Arna was launched shortly thereafter, offering a similarly sized but lower priced car. The 33 has a unique place in Alfa Romeo history, as nearly 1 million of these cars were produced. During its 11-year lifespan the 33 got a minor facelift in 1986 and a major restyle in 1989. The 33 was discontinued in 1995 and replaced by the Alfa Romeo 145 and 146, which used the same Alfa Romeo Boxer engines but an entirely new platform based on the Fiat Tipo.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Alfa Romeo Alfasud|Alfa Romeo Arna · Successor: Alfa Romeo 145

All Alfa Romeo 33 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First series (1983–1986)

Initially known as the Alfa 33 (Type 905), the 5-door hatchback was launched in 1983 and a station wagon version (initially badged Giardinetta, later badged Sportwagon) was introduced the following year at the same time as a four-wheel drive version of the hatchback. The hatchback was styled by Ermanno Cressoni at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, while the station wagon was designed by Pininfarina. The 33 became renowned for its nimble handling and powerful boxer engines, but also became equally well known for its unreliable electronics and tendencies to rust (a frequent complaint on Italian cars in general at the time). Another issue was its braking and increased unsprung weight—the Alfasud's inboard front disc brakes (mounted on the gearbox) had been moved to the more common outboard discs (mounted on the wheel hubs). The rear discs of the Alfasud's four-wheel disc arrangement were replaced with drums. The car featured numerous innovations for the company, including an instrument binnacle that moved up and down with the adjustable steering wheel. The UK launch promoted the sleek design. It had a drag coefficient of 0.36. At launch two models were available, 33 1.3 and 33 1.5 Quadrifoglio Oro. Both engines were SOHC boxers fed by a twin-choke carburettor, carried over from the Alfasud along with its 5-speed gearbox: a 1,350 cc developing 76 PS (56 kW; 75 hp) at 6,000 rpm, and a 1,490 cc developing 85 PS (63 kW; 84 hp) at 5,800 rpm. Unlike on the Alfasud, fifth gear acted like an overdrive gear and top speed was reached in fourth. The luxurious 1.5 Quadrifoglio Oro (Gold Cloverleaf in the UK) was distinguished by a silver grille, two-tone paintwork (metallic paint upper body separated by a brown tape from the dark brown lower body and bumpers) and clear front turn indicator

First series facelift (1986–1989)

In autumn 1986 a mild facelift resulted in a revised range. Exterior alterations were limited to clear instead of amber-coloured indicator lenses, new wheel covers and alloy wheels, the adoption of side skirts by all models, and a redesigned front grille; two-tone paint schemes were discontinued. If outside there were only detail changes, the interior was more deeply revised; starting from a more conventionally designed dashboard and steering wheel, which superseded the innovative moveable instrument binnacle. All 1.5 variants now had the 105 PS engine from the now discontinued 1.5 QV; a TI (Turismo Internazionale, International Touring) trim level was exclusive to the front-wheel drive 1.5 hatchback. Changes were made to the suspension, brakes and gearbox, with closer-spaced ratios. A new 1,712 cc (104.5 cu in), 118 PS (87 kW; 116 bhp) engine was introduced on the 1.7 Quadrifoglio Verde, which replaced the 1.5 QV. The 1.7 engine was developed from the 1.5 by enlarging bore and stroke; it also used new cylinder heads, incorporating hydraulic tappets. To cope with the increased power the new QV was equipped with vented front brake discs. The 1.7 QV looked close to its predecessor, but had lost the grey mid-body stripe and gained new alloy wheels, front side window wind deflectors, more pronounced side skirts and a rear body-colour spoiler on the boot lid. Inside it featured a leather-covered steering wheel, red carpets, and leatherette-backed sport seats upholstered in a grey/black/red chequered cloth. On the Italian and some other markets a 1.8 TD turbodiesel variant was also available. Like all diesels fitted to Alfa Romeo passenger cars at the time, it was supplied by VM Motori. In order to fit in an engine bay designed for the particularly short boxer engine, a strai

Second series (1990–1995)

The 33 was given a more extensive facelift in the end of 1989, the Series II or 'Nuova' 33 (Type 907), which went on sale in January 1990. This featured a revised interior, the introduction of fuel injection, the 1.7 litre engine upgraded to include a 137 PS (101 kW; 135 hp) 16 valve version, and a heavily restyled front and rear ends, in line with the new Alfa "family look" established by the flagship 164. The part-time four-wheel drive version (33 4x4) was joined by a version with permanent four-wheel drive, called the Permanent 4 and only offered on the most powerful, 16-valve version. The Permanent 4 received Recaro seats in front and a Nardi steering wheel, while providing better handling without the torque steer present in the front-wheel drive model. This model was renamed the Q4 starting from 1992. Late production 33s also do not suffer from the rust problems of their ancestors, as their frames are galvanized in the manner Alfa Romeo introduced with the 164. The wagon was facelifted a little after the saloon, receiving darker versions of the 1986 (facelift) taillights and a curvier rear bumper. The estate was now sold as the Sport Wagon in most markets (no longer "Giardinetta"), including Italy. In mid-1992, as required by the recent introduction of the Euro 1 emissions requirements, uncatalyzed models were either discontinued or only built for certain export markets with laxer standards. In May 1992 the 1.8 TD was accordingly updated to become the 1.8 TD Eco, but it was discontinued midway through 1993. Engines.

Z33 Free Time prototype

Zagato made a tall-bodied three-door prototype, a Compact MPV anticipating the Renault Scénic by over a decade. Called the "Z33 Free Time" this was shown at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show, but the project remained a single prototype. The "Free Time" was no longer than the regular "33" at just under 4 metres (157 in) and retained most of its driving characteristics, but with greatly increased interior space. The tiny six-seater was based on the chassis of the 33 but was visually more related to the Giulietta.

Hybrid version prototype

The 33 1.5 Sport Wagon was chosen by Alfa Romeo to test the possibility of creating a hybrid vehicle. Standard 1.5 boxer engine was combined with three-phase asynchronous electric motor (16 hp). The electric motor was coupled with gearbox via a toothed belt and therefore the car could move from the electric motor only, from the petrol engine only or - in the sense of hybrid propulsion - from both. The hybrid car could go 5 km on electric power only, in speeds up to 60 km/h. Changes to the body were minimal and the car weight was increased by 150 kg (110 batteries, 20 engine and 10 for power electronics). 3 vehicles were built.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Alfa Romeo 33
Manufacturer: Alfa Romeo
Production: 1983–1995
Assembly: Italy: Pomigliano d'Arco plant, Campania, Italy: Pininfarina Grugliasco plant, Piedmont , South Africa: Rosslyn, Brits (Alfa Romeo SA (Pty) Ltd)
Designer: Ermanno Cressoni at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, Pininfarina (estate)
Class: Small family car (C)
Body style: 5-door hatchback, 5-door estate
Layout: Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive
Related: Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Alfa Romeo Sprint
Engine: petrol:, 1.2 L Boxer H4, 1.4 L Boxer H4, 1.5 L Boxer H4, 1.7 L Boxer H4, 1.7 L Boxer 16V H4, diesel:, 1.8 L VM HRT 392 turbo I3
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2475 mm, 2470 mm (4x4)
Length: 4075 mm
Width: 1615 mm
Height: 1350 –
Kerb weight: 890 –
Predecessor: Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Alfa Romeo Arna
Successor: Alfa Romeo 145 and 146
sp: uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1362760CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_33CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1364483771 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfa_Romeo_33_1.3_VL_1991.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Sandermid at Dutch Wikipedia (Original text: Sander Miedema) · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.