Alfa Romeo · 1974–1986

Alfa Romeo 2300

The Alfa Romeo 2300 is an executive car that was produced by Brazilian automobile manufacturer Fábrica Nacional de Motores (FNM) from 1974 to 1978, and under Fiat from 1978 to 1986.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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Origin

The 2300 project traces its roots back to Italy as project 102/12. A prototype was assembled in 1971 and was sent to Brazil for tests in 1972. It was engineered entirely in Italy, specifically for the Brazilian market, and launched in March 1974 under the slogan "O importado fabricado no Brasil" ("The imported manufactured in Brazil", in Portuguese). At the time the adoption of 4 and 6-cylinder inline and V6 engines were studied, with some test mules tested with those engines, but due to the oil crisis in the 1970s and the arrival of a military government, import difficulties forced the factory to adopt the 4-cylinder engine from the Alfa Romeo 1900 with an increased displacement of 2,310 cc and coupled to a five-speed manual transmission.

Overview

The general exterior design of the new car was very similar to that of the Italian built Alfetta sedan, designed by Giuseppe Scarnati and first offered in Europe in 1972, although the Brazilian car was actually 41 centimetres (16 in) longer and 7 centimetres (2.8 in) wider than the Alfetta. Under the skin, the 2300 was based technically on the older 1900. The gear box of the 2300 was conventionally located adjacent to the engine and not (as with the Alfetta) across the rear axle. Like its Brazilian predecessor, the FNM 2000, the 2300 featured a four-cylinder twin camshaft engine, displacing 2,310 cc with a claimed output of 140 hp (104 kW). A maximum speed of 170 km/h (106 mph) was claimed. In the 1985 model year leaflet, the 2300 was called as "Alfa Romeo 85". This model was supposedly manufactured until November 1986, although a final 243 Alfa Romeos were built in Brazil in 1987. As demand for ethanol-powered cars rose, a stockpile of petrol-powered 2300s built up: as a result, Alfa Romeo foisted the Brazilian Alfa Romeo onto European (Dutch, Swiss, and German) importers in 1981 under the designation Alfa Romeo 2300 Rio. Around 600 of the cars were shipped to The Netherlands. The cars generally failed to sell and severe quality issues further deteriorated Alfa Romeo's image in Central and Northern Europe, with the importers eventually being forced to buy back the majority of the cars brought over. In the Netherlands, the bought back cars were sold on to used car dealers after three years in outdoors storage; without warranties the already decaying cars caused severe damage to Alfa Romeo's already crumbling reputation. The only real value of the Rio seems to have been to provide parts for restorers of the vintage 1900.

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Specifications

name: Alfa Romeo 2300
aka: Alfa Romeo 2300 Rio (European import markets)
Manufacturer: FNM (1974–1978), Fiat (1978–1986)
Production: March 1974 – November 1986
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Body style: 4-door saloon
Class: Executive car (E)
Assembly: Brazil:, Xerém, Rio de Janeiro (FNM), Betim, Minas Gerais (Fiat)
Engine: 2310 cc I4
Wheelbase: 2730 mm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Length: 4,690 –
Width: 1692 mm
Height: 1362 mm
Kerb weight: 1360 –
Predecessor: FNM 2150
Related: Alfa Romeo 1900
Successor: Alfa Romeo 164

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/Q2834751CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_2300CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1368252239 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfa_Romeo_2300_Rio_Front_View.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Warren Whyte · 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.