Start with what the Alfa Romeo 33 is: a 5-door hatchback / 5-door estate with Petrol engine, built from 1983 to 1995, in the age of turbocharging and the first electronic engine management. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to Ermanno Cressoni at Centro Stile Alfa Romeo / Pininfarina (estate). 989,324 were built.
Where it came from
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.
Under the skin
The engine is Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. On the scales it comes to 890 –. Drive goes through a 5-speed manual. The wheelbase is 2475 mm / 2470 mm (4x4). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
In the Alfa Romeo line-up the Alfa Romeo 33 has a clear place: it replaced the Alfa Romeo Alfasud / Alfa Romeo Arna; it handed the line to the Alfa Romeo 145 and 146; the factory was Pomigliano d'Arco plant, Campania. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Peugeot 205, the Toyota 4Runner, the Fiat Uno. Nearby in the Alfa Romeo catalogue sit the A.L.F.A 12 HP and the A.L.F.A 15 HP.
Owning one today
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Alfa Romeo 33 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.