Alfa Romeo Bella 1999

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Uruguay
Rivera
Tsukishima-TDUDT
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Alfa Romeo Bella '99
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When Alfa Romeo and Bertone get together, usually something great is born. The Bella is a prime example.

The Bella made its debut at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show and can be best described as a 2+2 coupe derivative of the 166. It used the sedan’s chassis and most of the inner bits and pieces wrapped in a very nice body carved by the very talented Bertone design house.

The name “Bella” (Italian for “beautiful”) is a perfect match for the concept which was more than just a pretty face since Alfa and Bertone joined forces to create a concept that could have easily gone into production. Unfortunately, it didn’t (like most cool cars...).

The interior cabin was designed with comfort in mind rather than sportiness, so that’s why up front there were regular seats instead of bucket seats found in performance cars. Although technically a 2+2 coupe, it was actually very cramped in the back. As a matter of fact, Eugenio Pagliano, head of interior design at Stile, admitted there was simply not enough space on the rear seats for adults. The concept was envisioned basically as a two-seater with some extra practicality by being able to haul more cargo after folding the split rear bench or by lifting the cushions.

The Bella was originally built with a four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine, but between the car’s inception and its official debut it received a new heart, an Alfa’s 3.0-liter V6 engine that produced 222 horsepower delivered to the front axle through a manual transmission. The car was entirely functional and members of the press actually had the chance to drive it.

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....???? Bella? You serious?! Holy cow, this car is hideous!! That's one of the beakiest, most ungainly front I've seen in years. And the rear three-quarter bulk makes the wheels positively minuscule in comparison. Sorry, but this is not the best of Bertone, not by a long shot.
 
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