Trucks (was: Transaxle)

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

Timothy Rogers writes "And, of course, don't forget the Alfa trucks.  My F-12
Van has a front transaxle.  I don't know if the older vans such as the Romeo 2
had transaxles as well."

Indeed, the original Romeo van (which preceded the Giulietta cars, and was the
source of the stamped grill which was the only pressing on the original
Giulietta Sprint body) was also a front-wheel-drive, and since it was the
first vehicle to use the alloy-block classic twin-cam (albeit with a single
throat carb and a humongous 35 hp) it was the only fwd alfa to have the most
'real' Alfa engine mounted in the proper longitudinal, rather than transverse,
orientation.

The larger Alfa trucks and busses were rwd but did not have pure-blood Alfa
engines; like the rear-engined tipo AR 1090 Alfa sedans they were based on
Renault designs. Not to disparage Renault, but if they had to go French,
Bugatti would have been a nice choice - or even Talbot-Lago, both Tony Lago (I
think) and Ettore Bugatti (I know) having been proper Italians who built
eminently respectable engines which accumulated Alfa-worthy competition
records.

John H.
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