berlina ratios

["Andrew Watry"<andrew.watry@bender.com>]

     From everything I have seen and read (though I haven't actually 
     examined an axle lately), all USA-spec 5-speed Berlinas had 4.55 rear 
     axles.  This was also true for comparable year (1969-1974) Spiders and 
     GTVs.  I suspect that, among other reasons, this was because of smog 
     regs.  If the Berlina had used a different axle, it would have had to 
     pass a different federal smog certification process to get it into the 
     US, which I'm sure Alfa didn't want to afford, with sales of 1000 or 
     so Berlinas per year here.  Automatic Berlinas would be a different 
     story, but I have not heard that any were sold in the US, though Road 
     & Track did a brief test of one in 1972 or so.
     
     Andrew Watry
     Berlina Register
     67 Giulia Super
     69 Berlina
     74 GTV