The Alfa Romeo 145 is a 3-door hatchback (145) / 5-door hatchback (146) from Alfa Romeo, built from 1994 to 2000, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. Under the bonnet: 1.4 L Alfa Romeo Boxer engine. Chris Bangle at Centro Stile Fiat (145) / Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under Walter de Silva (146) drew it. The total made was 221,037.
Where it came from
The Alfa Romeo 145 (Type 930A) and the Alfa Romeo 146 (Type 930B) are small family cars produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1994 and 2000. The 145 is a three-door hatchback and was launched at the 1994 Turin Motor Show, while the 146 is a five-door hatchback, launched in 1995 to replace the Alfa Romeo 33. The 145 and 146 share exterior and interior components from the B-pillar forwards. A total of 221,037 145s and 233,295 146s were built.
Under the skin
Power comes from 1.4 L Alfa Romeo Boxer engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. It weighs 1140 –. It shifts through a 5-speed manual. The wheelbase is 2540 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Its family tree is legible: it took over from the Alfa Romeo 33; its successor was the Alfa Romeo 147; assembly was at Pomigliano d'Arco plant, Campania, Italy. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Subaru Outback, the Audi A4, the Toyota RAV4 — show what else the money bought that year. Nearby in the Alfa Romeo catalogue sit the A.L.F.A 12 HP and the A.L.F.A 15 HP.