The Dauphine was a great success for Renault, with more than two million of them sold in a production run that lasted from 1956 until 1967. But while Renault was raking it in selling all of those Dauphines, Alfa Romeo wasn’t having such a great time. In a bid to enjoy some of Renault’s success, state-owned Alfa Romeo entered into an agreement with Renault, also nationalised, to build the rear-engined four-door saloon under licence. The plan had been to call the new car the Monterosa, but in the end Alfa decided to stick with Renault's moniker.
Mechanically the Alfa Romeo Dauphine was pretty much interchangeable with the Renault version. That meant there was a four-cylinder water-cooled ‘Ventoux’ engine in 845cc form in the back; this powerplant could trace its origins back to the 4CV which arrived in 760cc form in 1942. The gearbox was a three-speed manual unit with synchromesh on second and third, with first getting this little bit of luxury from late 1961.
Changes between the two Dauphines were slight. Apart from switching from six- to 12-volt electrics and different cloth being used to trim the seats, Alfa Romeo just stuck its own badge onto Renault's product and that was pretty much it. Those with a keen eye might spot the side repeaters for the indicators, on the front wings, while there were also rectangular sidelights below the headlights. Under the bonnet was a Solex 28 IBT carburettor, and with this the Alfa Romeo Dauphine was rated at a miserly 26bhp, whereas Renault’s equivalent car had a slightly healthier 31bhp.
The first Alfa Romeo Dauphines rolled off the production lines on 4 June 1959, and the following year 20,000 were sold in Alfa’s home market, which was a good result for a relatively niche manufacturer. But Fiat dominated the Italian market, and that wasn't going to change for many years.
For those who wanted something a bit posher, an Ondine edition was offered in 1961 and 1962, with extra brightwork and a cloth-lined boot. There were also perforated steel wheels and rubber-faced over-rides for the rear bumper. Heady stuff.
By the time the Ondine was canned in late 1962, it was clear that Renault wasn't sticking to its side of the bargain. The agreement was that Alfa Romeo would have the Italian market for itself and Renault would stick to France. But Renault decided that it could make a good living selling Dauphines in Italy, and when it introduced a Gordini edition it kept that to itself, whereas there was supposed to be an Alfa Romeo edition.
Despite sales being very hard to come by, Alfa Romeo persisted with the Dauphine into 1964, when for some unfathomable reason it was treated to a few minor upgrades for the cabin and the exterior brightwork. At the same time the Solex carburettor was switched for a Solex 28 IFT item which pushed the power up to a Renault-beating 32bhp. In a bid to tempt buyers Alfa also reduced the Dauphine’s price a little, but it was no good; buyers simply weren’t interested.
By the end of 1964 Alfa Romeo had axed its Dauphine with 73,000 examples sold. At the point that the Italian Dauphine was canned, so was the agreement between Alfa Romeo and Renault.
