Alfa Romeo · 1952–1954
Alfa Romeo Matta
The Alfa Romeo 1900 M (better known by its nickname Alfa Romeo Matta, meaning "mad") is a four-wheel drive utility vehicle produced by Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1951 to 1954. Developed on request of the Italian Ministry of Defence, it was made in both military (AR 51) and civilian (AR 52) versions.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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History
The AR 51 (Autovettura da Ricognizione, "Reconnaissance Car") was the result of the request of a light reconnaissance vehicle for use on paved, unpaved and mountain roads. A civilian version, the AR 52, was later developed from the military AR 51; several variants were made, adapted for use in agriculture, firefighting, and road maintenance. The Matta was built from 1952 to 1954, with 2,007 military AR 51s for the Italian Army and 154 civilian AR 52 units produced. In 1954, the Italian army abandoned the AR 51 and switched to the Fiat Campagnola, which was mechanically simpler.
Specifications
The Matta was powered by a 1884 cc twin cam, 8-valve inline-four engine with dry sump lubrication. The cylinder head was aluminium and featured hemispherical combustion chambers, while the engine block was cast iron. Output was 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) at 4,400 rpm.
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 1900 M
- Manufacturer
- Alfa Romeo
- aka
- Alfa Romeo "Matta"
- Production
- 1952–1954
- Assembly
- Italy: Portello, Milan
- Class
- 4x4 utility truck
- Body style
- 2-door 4x4
- Layout
- Front-engine, four-wheel-drive
- Related
- Alfa Romeo 1900
- Engine
- 1.9 L I4 (petrol)
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual with low ratio transfer box
- Wheelbase
- 2200 mm
- Length
- 3520 mm
- Width
- 1575 mm
- Height
- 1820 mm
- Kerb weight
- 1250 kg (dry)
- sp
- uk
- Top speed
- 105 km/h
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/Q2140022CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_MattaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1367256689 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfa-Romeo-1900M_mod.jpgCC BY-SA 2.5 · Photo: Lennart Coopmans · 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.