Alfa Romeo Arna

Alfa Romeo Arna
Alfa Romeo Arna 3-door
Overview
Manufacturer	Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli S.p.A.
Production	1983–1987 53,047 produced
Assembly	Pratola Serra, Italy
Body and chassis
Class	Small family car (C)
Body style	3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel drive
Related	Nissan Cherry Europe Nissan Pulsar Milano Holden Astra
Powertrain
Engine	1.2 L Boxer H4 1.3 L Boxer H4 1.5 L Boxer H4
Transmission	5 speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,416 mm (95.1 in)
Length	4,000 mm (157.5 in)
Width	1,621 mm (63.8 in)
Height	1,340 mm (52.8 in)
Curb weight	850 kg (1,874 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Alfa Romeo Alfasud
Successor	Alfa Romeo 33

The Alfa Romeo Arna (Type 920) is a small family car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli S.p.A. between 1983 and 1987. The company was founded on 9 October 1980 as a 50:50 joint venture between the Italian Alfa Romeo S.p.A. and the Japanese Nissan Motor Company.

On October 9, 1980, Takashi Ishihara of Nissan and Alfa Romeo President Ettore Massacesi signed a memorandum in Tokyo for increased cooperation between their two firms, and revealed their intent to create a joint production venture called AR.N.A. S.p.A. (Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli). Italian Prime Minister Francesco Cossiga endorsed the deal, despite political and auto-industry opposition, because he hoped to bolster the fortunes of the state-owned manufacturer, which had a cult following but was losing money.

The immediate priority of Alfa management, including Massacesi and managing director Corrado Innocenti was to field a competitor in the increasingly lucrative family hatchback market sector where the compact Volkswagen Golf and Lancia Delta were proving successful, and they hoped an alliance with Nissan would bring a competitive model to market quicker and more cheaply. During that period, European countries were engaging in protectionism to guard their domestic car industries, with France even banning the import of Japanese-made vehicles. Working with Alfa Romeo, who controlled a respectable amount of European auto sales at the time was seen as a good hedge for Nissan and a chance to establish a foothold in the European market.

For the joint venture, a new plant was constructed in Pratola Serra, near Naples. The body panels of the car were constructed in Japan by Nissan, then shipped to Italy for final assembly. Nissan and Alfa Romeo also engaged in a commercial cabover truck, called the Romeo and rebadged as the Nissan Trade for a short time.

The product of the relationship was launched at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show; the car's name was an acronym meaning Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli. The Arna was largely based on the N12 series Nissan Pulsar / Nissan Cherry but featured Alfa Romeo engines carried over from the Alfasud, as well as an Alfa transmission, steering, front brakes and front suspension. It did however use an independent rear suspension and rear brakes from Nissan. The Arna was also briefly marketed as the Nissan Cherry Europe in the United Kingdom and Spain. Italian-built cars badged as Nissan Cherry Europe can be readily identified by their rear lighting clusters, which match those of the Arna rather than the Japanese-built Cherry.