Alfa Romeo Arna

The Alfa Romeo Arna, Type 920, was a hatchback built between 1983 and 1987 by Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli S.p.A., a company founded on 9 October 1980 as an equal joint venture between the Italian state owned Alfa Romeo and the Japanese Nissan Motor Company. The name is an acronym of the company name and is also a female Italian name. Alfa management wanted a rival in the family hatchback segment, where the Volkswagen Golf and Lancia Delta were selling well, and hoped Nissan would deliver a competitive model faster and more cheaply. Nissan in turn saw a chance to gain a foothold in Europe at a time when countries such as France were restricting Japanese imports. Production ceased in 1987, as Fiat wanted the Alfa Romeo 33 to carry the brand in that segment.