BOTTLED IT!: Alfa Romeo Arna

With a car being built as a collaboration between an Italian and a Japanese manufacturer. The Alfa Romeo Arna is an example of how NOT to do it.

WHAT's really sad is that the partnership between Alfa Romeo and Nissan could have really flourished. It could have been a match made in heaven for the Italian and Japanese manufacturers.

Alfa Romeo are very well known for building beautiful, fun to drive cars. They have however suffered for being too brittle. With reliability woes and rust that plagued Alfas. Something they have become notoriously known for. Nissan on the other hand, are known for building competent, yet rather boring cars with bullet proof reliability.

Of course, with Alfa and Nissan entering partnership on designing, developing and building a car in their collaboration. Breath-taking looks and charisma marrying endless reliability. There could have been a real potential of fruition for both Nissan and Alfa Romeo. The best of both worlds.

Sadly, with the Arna is that it wasn't to be. For starters, the replacement for the Alfasud was designed by Nissan. Hardly a good start as it was heavily based on the Cherry. Not a car you would take an admiring glance at. But the car was built and assembled by Alfa. Oh dear.

That was going to be a recipe for disaster for the Arna. A car being made using both weaknesses of both manufacturers rather than using their strengths. An awful car lacking aesthetics with shocking reliability was the result. If only Nissan built the car and Alfa styled it. Not only would you get a stunning car, it would come with flawless reliability. A potential win-win here.

It's hardly surprising that the Arna wasn't a successful collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Nissan. That it has featured in many people's books as one of the world's worst cars ever made. As sourced from howmanyleft.co.uk, the Alfa Romeo Arna today is reported to be an extinct car on British shores. With no cars surviving or possibly registered on the road since 2007. No tears shed there, and rightfully so.

When two car manufacturers come in partnership. They should play to their strengths when making cars.  A car that was made not playing on their strengths. The Alfa Romeo Arna was a prime example.