Old News: But an Alpina Worth Reprising

[Conserv]

In 2008, before I joined, or even knew about, this forum, a few members here, such as Paul Wegweiser, Jim Gerock, and Tom Jones — I apologize to those I’ve not mentioned — were drooling over an early 1967 1600-2 that had been modified by Alpina before it arrived in the U.S. in August 1967. Here’s the prior thread. References to the 1600-2 of which I speak are buried in this thread, but an actual link to the article is long gone.

 

 

Well, I’ve finally found and read the original December 1967 Car and Driver road test of this car. And I’ve photographed the article so we don’t have to worry about the link. There are four pages of text, followed by a single page of specs and review findings.

 

If you‘ll allow me to summarize, this car is... totally f**kin’ awesome! ???

 

Just to place it in context, although the road test was published in December 1967, the actual road test occurred just before Labor Day 1967. Specifically, the owner, a Glen Dye of Wayzata, Minnesota, picked the car up on Friday, September 1, 1967, from its New Jersey Port of Entry, and brought it to Car and Driver. He had contacted Car and Driver during the winter of 1966-67, and had ordered the car seven months before it’s arrival, so let’s say January 1967. This is simply to say that this is an early 1967 1600-2, perhaps February or March 1967. The car lacks U.S.-style license plate lights — has Euro-spec license plate lights. This is all to emphasize that this car was ordered, constructed, shipped, and delivered before the 1600ti was introduced in September 1967.
 

And, for you matching-numbers fans, fuggitaboudit!  You’re gettin’ an Alpina 2-liter, instead!

 

Cost? $5,579, at a time when a new 1600-2, with typical Hoffman Motors options, was $2,743, as illustrated by VIN 1527753, manufactured June 6, 1967 (last photo). So, you could buy at least two new 1600-2’s for the price of the Alpina-modified car.

 

As did most Alpina (street) cars of the round taillight era, this car epitomized “sleeper.”

 

For $5,579, I’ll take two... ??

 

Enjoy. And don’t just look at the photos! ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Conserv

[Flunder]

Interesting: The car has the center clamp for the front lid but early style rockers without trim molding and a baldy cam cover.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Flunder

[Conserv]

On 5/4/2020 at 8:29 PM, Flunder said:

Interesting: The car has the center clamp for the front lid but early style rockers without trim molding.

So, Tom... it’s... transitional! ?

 

I believe I’ve only seen the “bubbled cowl” — Jim G’s apt description for cars without the center hood clamp — on cars manufactured within the 1966 calendar year. if that’s true, I wouldn’t expect a bubbled cowl here. Is that consistent with your experience — I believe you’ve got a December 1966 example? But, yes, I would have expected a rocker panel moulding on a car manufactured in 1967.

 

Was this a hot-rod modification by the boys at Alpina?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Conserv

[Mike Self]

Wonder where that car is now...Glen Dye, the original owner, was from Wazata, MN...isn't that Blunt's stomping grounds?  Could it be lurking in a barn or garage somewhere nearby?

 

mike

[NickVyse]

How cool is that, thanks for the scans Steve. Holy grail 02

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, NickVyse said:

... Holy grail 02

 

+1

 

Amen!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Conserv]

The resolution of the original article’s photos does not permit us to read the car’s VIN — sadly.  But it’s fairly likely a 151xxxx or a 152xxxx car. It’s unambiguously a Granada car: the color sticker is quite legible. The road testers lament that Alpina did not upgrade the 6-volt electricals to 12 volts, especially given that the 2000 NK for which such engine was intended would have ordinarily carried a 12-volt alternator, in lieu of the 1600-2’s 6-volt generator.

 

This car reminds me somewhat of the recent discussion of an April 1967 1600-2 that carries the engine from VIN 1660001, the first U.S.-spec 2002 manufactured — and very possibly the first 2002 manufactured, period. Both this Alpina and the April 1967 1600-2 have 2-liter engines, as do a large percentage of 1600-2’s and 1602’s, acquiring them naturally as original 1.6-liter engines reached the ends of their lives. But with both this Alpina example and the car carrying VIN 1660001’s engine, the excitement generated by their particular engines easily eclipses the loss of the original engines.

 

Given that the Alpina car started its life in Minnesota, there’s a considerable likelihood that rust has consumed the car by now. But if you come across an originally-Granada 1967 1600-2, with non-matching 2-liter engine — and I’m guessing a VIN-less block, cast before June 1967 — I’d be checking the hood for evidence of those mirrors...

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by Conserv

[Einspritz]

$252.00 for a CR 5-speed!

 

What a rip off!

 

 

[radiocure]

Who cares about that stupid Alpina, give me that 0 to 60 in 16 seconds Toyota Corona!! 

[Conserv]

44 minutes ago, radiocure said:

Who cares about that stupid Alpina, give me that 0 to 60 in 16 seconds Toyota Corona!! 

Now you see why we thought our 10-second ‘02’s were so fast! It’s all relative. ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[radiocure]

1 hour ago, Conserv said:

Now you see why we thought our 10-second ‘02’s were so fast! It’s all relative. ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Further, not sure what is more a sign of the times, the use of "swinging" in the ad copy or the 0-60 time ?

[JsnPpp]

I seem to recall that Steve @ Blunt once said that he tried to find the car some time back but was unsuccessful. 

 

So, it's either gone, in a garage, or a pile of rust somewhere.

 

I modeled the single "alpina" script on the red car after this car.  Always loved this car, especially that seat! That Glen guy had his priorities straight.

 

Jason 

[Crash513]

"Yeah, but how many guys can you fool in a 911?"  - Best line from any C/D article ever, IMHO. 

 

Thanks for sharing this amazing piece of history.  Made my day!

[mccusername]

1 hour ago, JsnPpp said:

Always loved this car, especially that seat!

 

Either an early Scheel 300, or I've heard tell of a 330-- fiberglass body with the killer hand stitching on the seams. 

 

Not usually a stance guy but I love how this car sits, a little squat. It seems maybe later Alpina cars were a little higher in the back but this one looks great.

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, JsnPpp said:

I seem to recall that Steve @ Blunt once said that he tried to find the car some time back but was unsuccessful. 

 

Yes, Jason, that might have also been mentioned in that 2008 thread. I found a Glen Dye who was born in Hennepin County, Minnesota, the county where Wayzata is located, on December 20, 1942, but, other than a couple of possible leads in Draper, Utah, in the early 1990’s, the trail for this gentleman went cold, or... I didn’t have enough add-ons to my Ancestry.com subscription to qualify for the “good stuff”... ??
 

But, seriously, someone born in 1942 would be 25 in 1967, probably just about right for a serviceman just ending an eighteen-month tour in Germany.

 

And that car could have gone to Utah, or anywhere!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve