grass

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

Tony Sims, still curious about the peculiarities if his late GT Veloce,
mentions that the round side marker lights appear to be original to the car,
and that they are Carello brand and are marked 14.103.717.

While I don't have any documentation on round markers on late US cars, that is
the Carello part number for the lenses used on the round Carello side-marker
lights, Alfa #105.71.65.015.00 and 105.62.65.014.00, previously used on
US-version cars. It differs from the Carello #17.380.847 lens used on the Alfa
#105.48.65.015.00 marker lights on the non-US cars. In other words, if there
is an anomaly here it is in an anachronism of early US equipment appearing on
a later US car, not in Euro equipment appearing on a US car.

Tony also continues the question whether it is a 1974 model year car or a 1975
model year car. 'Model year' is a marketing invention pioneered in the USA; a
car or other product is whatever 'model year' the manufacturer's sales
department says it is. Beyond that it became a regulatory tool, and the car
was then whatever 'model year' a legislature or regulatory agency said it was.
Lenders, appraisers, tax assessors, insurers, and resellers had their
peripheral interests, but in the late sixties and seventies in the USA
regulatory agencies were central. Alfa certainly manufactured GT Veloces after
1974, but there is abundant evidence that Alfa never marketed a "1975 Model
Year" GT Veloce for the USA. If they had, they would have had to comply with
DOT, EPA, and California regulations applicable to "1975 Model Year" cars. It
is a safe bet that ARI's lawyers knew the letter of the law, and that the
company milked the allowable latitudes of the rules for all they were worth,
and that those customers who were willing to buy a GT Veloce in 1975 were
quite willing to accept 1974 performance in a "1974 model year" car made in
1975. If that seems odd, go read some old road tests. All else equal, would
you rather have 150 hp with better fuel economy, or 111 hp with poorer fuel
economy?

John H.
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