Glenn Sowade's "All-White" Alfasud Ti
If you have once owned an Alfasud or if you had once the
possibility to be passenger in an Alfasud, you will not forget it anymore. Glenn Sowade
who lives near Berlin had been infected with the Alfasud-virus in his youth by
the "All-White" Alfasud Ti his mother owned that time.
"Actually
I had no hope to find an original All-White Alfasud Ti special edition. The
childhood memory of my mother's All-White Ti came to my eyes. It had transformed
into a sad and rusty wreck in only six years", Glenn tells. The mentioned
car of Glenn's mother was a very special one, a rare Alfasud Ti 1.5 "Sondermodell ganz in weiß"
(meaning All-White). Finding a survivor of this special edition is very
difficult. Being a German special edition, launched by the German Alfa-importer
itself, the 500 cars which were built in 1982 were only sold in Germany - and
all had to fight with salty and cold winters. The chance of finding an All-White
Ti sold in South-Italy does therefore not exist ...
Lacking the offer of such a car, Glenn decided to search for an alternative in
2001. He found his alternative in the shape of a grigio nisida metallizzato
painted Alfasud Ti 1.5 QV. Nearly "his" Alfasud
only the paint and the special AW-Delta body-kit plus the Ronal A1 wheels were
missing. Parts which could be fitted quite easily. After the successful repair of
some rusty body parts Glenn wanted to start the transformation into an "All-White"
Ti. He found a complete AW-Delta body-kit (consisting of front and rear bumper,
wheel arch extensions, sill covers and a special panel which is installed
between the rear lights) in Austria and collected it during a winter holiday in
the Alps. Glenn traced the missing roof spoiler near Kassel where a friendly 2CV
enthusiast had it on stock. Ronal A1 light alloy wheels in 6
x 14 size also found its way into Glenn's cellar. Luckily the AW-Delta company
did not only build its Alfasud body-kit exclusively for the Alfa Romeo Germany
invention "All-White Ti" but offered it to the free market. So some Alfasud
enthusiasts bought it and fitted the parts to their Tis in the early 80s.
The
exact circumstances of the "All-White Ti's" birth are unknown. Presumably
white paint was just in use in the
Pomigliano d'Arco's paintshop and
one painted more bodies in white than the
market had ordered. The unsold production could have been delivered to Alfa
Romeo Germany in Frankfurt without that they had ordered the cars there. At the
time the "All-White Ti" was launched (in the beginning of 1982), the
standard Alfasud Ti 1.5
hatchback with 95 bhp awaited its replacement by the Ti 1.5 QV with 105 bhp which
was presented in October 1982.
Presumably Alfa Romeo Germany decided to boost the sale of white "stock" Alfasud Tis by
adding some more white paint and a body kit.
Well, Glenn did not dare to modify his Ti QV. He believed
the Ti QV to be much too rare for being transformed into his white dream. He
kept it in its original trim and had six summers full of fun with the car.
This website became his standard lecture at that time. In the end of the year 2005
he spent his holidays on the Philippines. When he returned home after some weeks
(without internet...) he made a short look at the German Suche / Verkaufe
page of this website and could not believe his eyes. There was his dream, an original "All-White
Ti" with only 87.000 kms on the clock which was said to be free of rust - for sale! Glenn
instantly phoned the seller only to hear that the
car
had been sold one day before his phone call.
The following months went by and sometime Glenn was surfing on mobile.de when he
discovered that "his" special edition was for sale again. The new owner
wanted to have twice the money the car had cost some months ago... After
having seen the car and after some sleepless nights Glenn bought the car and the
seller got his 100% win. Soon Glenn sold his Alfasud Ti 1.5 QV.
"I never regretted the purchase", Glenn says. "The car has only one preowner.
It was sold near Mannheim and got a wax cavity protection directly after it was
sold new. Lokari liners in the front fenders effectively avoided rust in the
A-pillar section and around the windscreen frame. The 87.000 kms are credible,
the paint is shiny and the AW-Delta panels paint does not show any crackles.
Even the interior looks like new." The original contract written on the 19th of
March 1983 came with the car. The price on the contract is 18.185,80 DM. The car
was only sold in 2005 because of the death of its first owner - ho died on the
Philippines.
Certainly this special Alfasud is a very rare piece. There are certainly more
existing Alfasuds built in 1972 than "All-White Tis". Maybe it is the only
survivor of this special edition?
Glenn has dedicated a website to his Alfasud:
www.alfasud24.de
Last Update: December, 28th 2007 Created: December, 28th 2007
© Layout and text by Tim Rauen. Photos by Glenn Sowade.