I got wondering about the factory pressed vs hand-made panels. The factory was reviving and trying to get out of the post-war mess they were in. They built some more big cars on the pre-war chassis, but those days were over. The 1900 iron block sedan was popular, but old fashioned. They had to get modern and develop a new production line with smaller, monocoque cars in volume to survive.
So you can find pics of stamped steel, spot-welded chassis coming out. But those may be the Giulietta sedan made at the Alfa factory at Portello.
That car saved their butt. It was sporty, won races, hauled the family, was reasonably priced....
Then the Spider was built by Pininfarina at their factory, and the Sprint at Bertone. Bertone made the whole shell, loaded them on trucks, hauled them to Portello, where the drivetrain and running gear were installed. Not efficient, but that was the start of the transition away from coachbuilders to modern production.
So I don't know, but I think the panels on the Sprint were still fabricated by hand, because here's the wood buck they used....
The chassis was monocoque, with spot welded components.
Do those pieces look hand-pounded, or stamped...? I don't know.
But the panels were welded to it and then finished.
So you can find pics of stamped steel, spot-welded chassis coming out. But those may be the Giulietta sedan made at the Alfa factory at Portello.
That car saved their butt. It was sporty, won races, hauled the family, was reasonably priced....
Then the Spider was built by Pininfarina at their factory, and the Sprint at Bertone. Bertone made the whole shell, loaded them on trucks, hauled them to Portello, where the drivetrain and running gear were installed. Not efficient, but that was the start of the transition away from coachbuilders to modern production.
So I don't know, but I think the panels on the Sprint were still fabricated by hand, because here's the wood buck they used....
The chassis was monocoque, with spot welded components.
Do those pieces look hand-pounded, or stamped...? I don't know.
But the panels were welded to it and then finished.
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