Considering he’s an Italian-born Englishman, born ten-twenty years after FDR died, not a big blot on his credibility about Alfa history. Yeah, I saw that, and he acknowledged that mistake in a comment. New processes to reduce rust were developed and implemented, and the issue steadily improved throughout the 80s. The use of salt increased dramatically in the 60s and 70s, and the proliferation of new cars and bodies along with a constant pressure to reduce production costs combined to make the seventies the decade of corrosion. This was a notorious era for rust, and in the US the problem was also severe, both with domestic cars (some worse than others) and Japanese imports, some of which undoubtedly rusted every bit as badly as these Italian cars. The reality is that other European cars were rusting as bad, or almost as badly, as the Lancias and Alfas. Lancia ended up withdrawing from the UK market due to this issue, and had to buy back a number of cars. It appears that rust-proofing on these cars simply was not given adequate attention, and combined again with labor issues and work stoppages, they rusted very readily, especially the subframe that supported the engine and transmission. The Beta range of cars were all-new, the first to be designed, engineered and produced under Fiat’s ownership. The Lancia Beta also had a terrible reputation. And clearly there was little or no genuine effort to mitigate corrosion in the way these cars were built and painted. Due to constant strikes at that plant, bodies that had already been dewaxed were left outside during work stoppages, so that corrosion started even before the bodies were primered and painted. The Alfa Sud had the worst reputation for rusting, but as I’ve read before, there were numerous reasons for that, and not because of the steel. In any case, Alfa Romeo (which was not owned by Fiat until 1986) clearly used steel from a major plant very close to the Alfa Sud Plant. Is it theoretically possible that Fiat bought some Russian steel? Yes, but there’s no concrete evidence, and there’s evidence to the contrary. Italy was Europe’s second largest producer of steel in Europe, and there are documents that state that the Russians were going to pay Fiat for the technology transfer to build the 124 (Lada) in oil, which rather makes more sense, since Italy was heavily dependent on imported oil. Don’t blame the Russians, this time.įirst off, there’s no conclusive evidence that Fiat ever used Russian steel. It’s well done, and the research, although not utterly exhaustive and 100% conclusive, is really quite good. I’ve long wanted to do a dive on this issue of bad Russian steel, but someone already beat me to it, in this video. Yes, we all like simple answers, but life-and cars-are more complex than that. It’s right up there in automotive internet myths along with the VW Beetle being nothing more than a ripped-off Tatra 97 and t he 1962 downsized Plymouth and Dodges being solely the result of something overheard at a garden party. The result is a small space that packs a visual punch, evoking days gone by while retaining its own contemporary feel.I’m a natural skeptic, and the myth that bad Russian steel was the reason Italian cars in the seventies rusted so badly has always seemed dubious to me. Vintage milk bottles emit a golden glow and cast interesting shadows across the space.įeature lighting, a honey coloured timber ceiling and exposed brick walls offset the shop’s polished concrete floors and metal finishes on the tables, counters and shelves, counteracting their hard surfaces and creating a sense of warmth. The milk crate shapes are laser cut with a zinc skin and brass coloured interior to echo the finishes of the table below. The table is split into two elements at different heights, maximising the seating space available while creating two distinct zones.Ībove the communal table hangs a cluster of milk crate pendant lights. Rather than using found objects and furniture, they created custom furniture and lighting pieces finished in zinc and brass, combining contemporary and antique.Ī custom-made zinc-clad communal table is the focal point of the interior, dominating the space and creating a sense of industrial scale. The design team of Chris Wilks, Cintia Mistro and Ed Kenny wanted to create an industrial, vintage workshop feel that retained an aesthetic distinct from other cafés. Giant Design were brought on board to create a space that was contemporary yet referenced the craftsmanship and hands-on nature of coffee roasting and brewing. With three shops under his belt already, Saxon Wright of boutique coffee seller Pablo & Rusty’s wanted to take his latest outlet in Sydney’s Lane Cove to a new level.
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