Vehicle Description
Alfa Romeo 1900 M AR 51 Matta- Sophisticated dual overhead cam
engine- Independent front suspension for superior off-road
capability- Very tough and reliable military-spec vehicle- Built by
Alfa Romeo at the request of the Italian Ministry of Defense- 1 of
2075 built, with fewer than 100 in proper functioning condition
todayIn 1951, the Italian Military was in need of a light
reconnaissance vehicle for their troops to drive both on and
off-road. At the time, Alfa Romeo was busy winning Formula 1 World
Championships but was tapped by the Italian Ministry of Defense to
help design and build a vehicle, able to explore some of the most
remote parts of the world. The project was given to the legendary
Alfa Romeo engineer Giuseppe Busso. Known for building brilliant
race and road car engines, Busso set to work designing a vehicle
that would be both durable and capable-all in just 10
months.Starting with a Land Rover 80, Busso began experimenting
with alternative technical solutions to solve the numerous issues
he had with the truck. The first thing he worked on was an
independent front suspension to allow for greater articulation on
rough roads while also making it more comfortable to drive on the
street. As usual for Busso, the most advanced piece of the vehicle
was the engine. Motivated by a 1.9-Liter Inline-4, the motor
featured dual overheadcams with 2 valves per cylinder and an
aluminum cylinder head on a cast iron block. Also, a dry sump
lubrication system was integrated to allow the vehicle to lean up
to 50 degrees without the engine experiencing oil starvation. These
technical advancements made the AR51 far more capable than its
contemporary off-road vehicles but also far more costly to
produce.Upon the car's introduction, it was given the nickname
"Matta" meaning crazy or mad which was coined by engineer Antonio
Alessio. After watching a prototype drive up and down the steps of
the Basilica of Assisi during a presentation to the public, he
expressed "...this is Matta". When the Matta went into production
in 1952, the Italian Military took it on numerous successful raids
to many unexplored parts of the world. Led by Count Bonzi, Mattas
led the charge to open a 7000km route from the Atlantic to the
Pacific Ocean in South America as well as a trip to the North Pole.
A Matta even went on to compete and win in the 1952 Mille Miglia in
a class reserved for military vehicles!
