Superb ‘sixes’
Think of Italian classic cars and most will conjure ideas of wailing V12s or perky four-cylinder motors, but this country has made more than its fair share of six-cylinder-powered cars.
Going right back to the early days of its automotive industry, Italian car makers have looked to six-cylinder engines for their smooth, refined power.
Whether in straight-six or V6 configurations, these engines have powered everything from luxury saloons to rally winners.
Here’s our look at Italy’s six-cylinder classic cars, arranged in chronological order.
1. 1927 Alfa Romeo 6C-1500/1750/1900
The Alfa Romeo 6C became a mainstay of the company with the 1500 that was launched in 1927.
The 1487cc straight-six proved very successful on the road and in competition, and it was used with a variety of body styles.
A more powerful 1750 version arrived in 1929 and there was the option of a supercharger that lifted power to as much as 102bhp.
Depending on the engine spec and body fitted, the 1750 could reach speeds of up to 110mph.
Alfa Romeo’s final derivative of this engine was the 1917cc unit for the 6C 1900, which came with aluminium cylinder heads to deliver 67bhp.
2. 1934 Alfa Romeo 6C-2300/2500
Although it shared the 6C name, this was an all-new engine from Alfa Romeo designed by Vittorio Jano.
In its modest Turismo form, the engine produced a solid 68bhp, but if you opted for the Pescara version that increased to a much more satisfying 95bhp.
All told, Alfa produced 1606 2300 cars, wearing a mix of saloon, tourer, open-top and coupé bodies.
In 1938, the 6C-2500 became the last of this line, though it did appear in tiny numbers post-war up until 1951.
The straight-six could be fed by one, two or three carburettors, with the most potent giving 119bhp for the road or 145bhp for competition use.
3. 1936 Fiat 1500
Fiat was no stranger to straight-six engines in its cars, but the 1500 of 1936 was a much more modern design.
The short-stroke, four-bearing motor had a 1493cc capacity and gave 44bhp to feel peppy in the saloon or cabriolet 1500 models.
While not the quickest car of its class, the Fiat was noted for its refinement and the smoothness of its engine at speeds of up to 70mph.
Improvements arrived in 1939 and 1940, and the 1900 resumed production in 1946 with small upgrades improving power to 47bhp.
Approximately 46,000 Fiat 1500s had left the factory by the time the last rolled off the line in 1950.
4. 1950 Lancia Aurelia
Lancia’s elegant Aurelia range spanned saloon, coupé and convertible models, all using the sophisticated V6 engine designed by Vittorio Jano.
This compact motor started with a 1754cc capacity for the four-door car, growing to a 1991cc version and then a 2266cc.
For the nimble B20 GT coupé, Lancia installed the 2-litre motor or a 2451cc V6, which meant a top speed of up to 110mph.
The rare Spider and Convertible variants all used the larger 2.5-litre V6, but only 761 of these models combined were produced.
5. 1957 Lancia Flaminia
The heft of the new Flaminia saloon demanded Lancia use a 2.5-litre V6 engine from the outset, which was a new 2458cc motor.
It made for reasonable progress in the saloon, while a larger, 2.8-litre unit arrived in 1963, with improved pace and refinement.
Like the Aurelia before it, the Flaminia spawned a range of Coupé, Convertible and Sport versions.
The ultimate Lancia Flaminia was the Supersport Zagato that used a 2.8 V6 tuned to 150bhp to offer a top speed of 130mph.
6. 1958 Maserati 3500GT
Maserati joined the elite of the luxury GT market with its 3500GT, which was based on the A6G’s chassis.
The engine was a brand-new, 3.5-litre straight-six that went on to power the 350S racing car.
For the 3500GT, the 3485cc engine started out with 217bhp and upped that to 232bhp towards the end of the car’s life thanks to fuel injection.
Swapping to injection from the earlier triple carburettors was not universally welcomed, because the Lucas system was difficult to maintain.
When production ended, Maserati had built 1981 3500GT coupés and 242 convertibles.
7. 1959 Fiat 1800
Although seen largely as a maker of affordable cars, Fiat introduced its first all-new, post-war, six-cylinder model with the 1800 in 1959.
The engine was designed by Lampredi and noted for being surprisingly powerful, even in entry-level 1800 form with 74bhp.
While that later increased, the 2.1-litre version offered 80bhp and the 2.3-litre unit as much as 115bhp.
Fiat also used the 2.3-litre ‘six’ in its 2300 Coupé, and there was the option of a high-compression motor for the 2300S.
When production ended in 1968, around 185,000 examples of this six-cylinder range had been built.
8. 1962 Alfa Romeo 2600
Alfa Romeo’s new saloon was offered with a four-cylinder, 2-litre engine, or you could opt for the brawnier 2600 with its 130bhp straight-six.
The twin-cam engine gave the Berlina saloon strong performance, and it came with a floor change and front disc brakes to cope.
In the 2600 Sprint coupé and Spider models, the 2584cc, six-cylinder motor’s power increased to 144bhp for a 125mph top speed.
While the engine delivered undoubtedly strong performance, its extra weight over the 2000 model did little for cornering ability.
Rarest of all is the 2600 Sprint Zagato with its 162bhp engine – just 105 were made.
9. 1962 Maserati Sebring
Using the 3500GT convertible’s chassis swathed in a handsome coupé body, Maserati added the Sebring to its line-up in 1962.
From the start, it used the fuel-injected, straight-six engine from the 3500GT and offered 232bhp in its initial 3485cc capacity.
This grew to 3694cc for the Series II that came with 242bhp, while the uprated Series II had a 4014cc motor delivering 252bhp for a true 150mph top speed.
A three-speed automatic gearbox was an alternative to the standard five-speed manual gearbox.
Around 450 Maserati Sebrings were built altogether during a production run that spanned five years.
10. 1964 Maserati Mistral
Keen not to see good ideas go to waste, Maserati used a shortened and strengthened 3500GT chassis for the Mistral, along with the straight-six engine.
Starting with the 3.5-litre unit in 235bhp guise with fuel injection as standard, the Mistral soon gained the larger 3.7-litre unit that delivered 245bhp.
The ultimate version of the Pietro Frua-styled Mistral came with a 266bhp, 4-litre straight-six that could reach 155mph flat out.
Maserati also offered a Mistral Spider with an optional metal hardtop, and the company sold 120 of the drop-top in addition to 828 coupés.
11. 1966 Fiat Dino 2000/2400
Despite looking distinctly different, Fiat’s Dino Coupé and Spider models shared the same Ferrari-sourced V6 engines.
The Spider came first in 1966 to help Ferrari homologate its 2-litre V6 for use in Formula Two racing.
The quad cam V6 grew to 2.4 litres in 1969, with power rising from 158bhp to 177bhp, and consequent improvements in acceleration and top speed for both cars.
While the mechanical package was identical between the two models, the Spider’s body was styled by Pininfarina and the Coupé’s by Bertone.
The Coupé also had a wheelbase that was 12in (305mm) longer than its sibling’s.
12. 1968 Ferrari Dino 206/246
The Dino 206 was Ferrari’s first mid-engined production car and used the marque’s compact, 1987cc V6, mounted transversely to help with packaging.
Driving through a five-speed gearbox, the engine came with 177bhp for a 142mph top speed.
In 1969, the engine was increased in size to 2418cc to turn the 206 into the 246.
A key difference between the pair is the 206’s engine has an aluminium block to underline its racing roots, while the 246’s motor uses a cheaper-to-produce iron block with aluminium cylinder heads.
The 2.4-litre V6 gave 192bhp and on a good day it could see a true 150mph flat out.
13. 1969 Fiat 130
It would have been quite the claim for Fiat’s 130 saloon and Coupé had it used the same engine as the Ferrari Dino.
Sadly, the large saloon and its two-door sibling only used the iron-block bottom end of the V6 that had also been used in Fiat’s Dino 2400s.
For the 130 models, the V6 had single-camshaft cylinder heads and they were driven by a toothed belt rather than a chain.
The result was a more modest power output of 138bhp, even though the motor’s capacity had been increased to 2886cc.
A larger 3235cc V6 arrived in 1971 for the saloon and this engine was always used in the Coupé.
14. 1972 Maserati Merak
Using the frame and much of the bodywork from the Bora, Maserati fitted the V6 it had built for the Citroën SM to create its own junior supercar, the Merak.
With a mid-mounted 2965cc V6 producing 187bhp, the Merak was a solid rival to the Ferrari Dino and Porsche 911.
When Alejandro de Tomaso took over Maserati in 1975, he set about refining the Merak and a ZF five-speed gearbox replaced the Citroën unit in 1976.
The SS version had arrived in early 1975 with 217bhp to offer a 155mph top speed, which was 8mph up on the earlier 3.0’s.
There was also an Italy-only, 2-litre V6 with a meagre 157bhp.
15. 1973 Lancia Stratos
Mating a Ferrari engine to a thoroughbred rally car was not the most obvious route to success, but it worked with startling results in the Lancia Stratos.
The Dino-spec, 2418cc V6 produced 188bhp in standard road trim, delivering 0-60mph in 6.8 secs and 142mph.
Full rally versions made as much as c320bhp and that was enough to power the Stratos to World Rally Championship titles for Lancia in 1974, 1975 and 1976, as well as the drivers’ title for Sandro Munari in 1977.
Given this success, it took Lancia a long time to sell the run of 492 cars built to meet the required number for homologation.
16. 1975 Maserati Quattroporte II
The Maserati Quattroporte II was a big departure for the Italian car maker that had a lot to do with its then owner, Citroën.
Power came from the SM’s 2965cc V8 with 207bhp, which could take this four-door luxury saloon to 124mph.
It also used the SM’s five-speed manual gearbox, which meant front-wheel drive and made this the only Maserati ever built with this feature.
A sales flop, a mere 12 units were produced in its three years of production and all were sold to customers in the Middle East, before this model was dropped and replaced by the V8-powered, rear-drive Quattroporte III in 1978.
17. 1980 Alfa Romeo 6
In almost every way, the Alfa Romeo 6 was doomed to fail, but it did have one saving grace: its V6 engine.
This was the first car Alfa Romeo used the Giuseppe Busso-designed V6 in and it could power the 6 to top speeds as high as 120mph.
There was a 2-litre version of the V6 for some markets and a 2.5 V6 as the range topper, which could also be had with a three-speed automatic transmission.
In 1983, Alfa Romeo added the Quadrifoglio Oro version with fuel injection but the same 156bhp as the triple-carburettor, 2.5-litre V6.
Fuel injection became standard in 1985, by which time the writing was on the wall for the Alfa 6 after just 12,288 had been built.
18. 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6
Alfa Romeo’s new Busso V6 found its perfect home with the launch of the svelte GTV6 coupé in 1981.
With fuel injection as standard, the 2.5-litre V6 gave a lusty 158bhp to propel the coupé from rest to 60mph in 8.6 secs and on to 127mph flat out.
The GTV6 was easily identified by the hump in its bonnet needed to clear the fuel-injection system.
A 3-litre V6 version was offered only in South Africa, while the US market had the option of an officially sanctioned Callaway Twin Turbo model that came with 229bhp to give 0-60mph in 5.9 secs and 140mph.
19. 1981 Maserati Biturbo
Maserati’s ageing line-up got a very 1980s shot in the arm with the arrival of the Biturbo in 1981.
The compact, two-door saloon packed a twin-turbo, 2-litre V6 developing 177bhp, which meant it could easily outpace a similarly sized BMW 323i.
The Biturbo evolved into a range of models, including a four-door saloon and a Spyder convertible, as well as the notch-backed Karif coupé that had a 2-8-litre version of the V6.
20. 1985 Alfa Romeo 75
Named to celebrate Alfa Romeo’s 75th anniversary, this boxy saloon needed something special to mark the occasion, and that came in the form of V6 engines.
From launch, 75 customers could order the 154bhp, fuel-injected 2.5 V6 shared with the GTV6 coupé.
However, the marque had something extra planned for 1987 with the addition of a 185bhp 3.0 V6 that turned the 75 into a serious performance saloon.
In 3.0 V6 spec, the 75 was good for 0-60mph in 7.5 secs and 134mph all out, and handling matched the pace thanks to a rear-mounted transaxle gearbox.
21. 1985 Lancia Thema V6
The Lancia Thema V6 sold in low numbers during its production life and it was largely overlooked.
With its PRV (Peugeot, Renault, Volvo) 2849cc V6 engine and 148bhp used between 1985 and 1991, it might not have had purebred Italian roots, but it was a refined executive cruiser.
However, for those wanting rapid performance, Lancia went on to offer the Ferrari V8-powered Thema 8.32, while the mainstream Thema Turbo had more power at 162bhp, plus it was quicker and cheaper than the V6.
The third-generation Thema V6 that ran from 1992 to 1994 adopted the 173bhp 3.0 V6 from Alfa Romeo.
22. 1987 Alfa Romeo 164
Alfa Romeo might have used a platform shared with the Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema and Saab 9000 for its front-wheel-drive 164, but it was always going to have an Alfa V6.
There were 2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engines and 2.5 turbodiesel, but the pick of the range came with Alfa’s 3.0 ‘six’.
The sonorous Busso V6 delivered 189bhp for 0-60mph in 7.7 secs and 143mph, while the Quadrifoglio model of 1990 upped that to 197bhp and 147mph.
The 166 that followed the 164 in 1998 was similar in concept, but based on a platform shared with the Lancia Kappa, and the 166 used 2.5- and 3-litre V6 engines.
23. 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ/RZ
The Alfa Romeo SZ and its RZ convertible sibling may have been based on the humble 75 saloon, but that also meant sharing its superb, 3.0 V6 engine.
For the Zagato-styled coupé and convertible, the motor had its power finessed up to 207bhp, which gave it the pace to match its appearance.
Top speed was claimed at 153mph and 0-60mph took just 6.9 secs, while handling balance was a standout feature helped by the rear-mounted, transaxle gearbox.
This choice of engine also gave the RZ and SZ a V6 exhaust note every bit as distinctive as the exterior looks.
Even so, Alfa sold just 1036 RZ coupés and 248 SZ drop-tops.
24. 1992 Alfa Romeo 155
Faced with stiff opposition from Germany in the compact-executive sector, Alfa Romeo looked to its 2.5 V6 engine to give its new 155 some added appeal.
The 155 adopted front-wheel drive in place of the previous 75 model’s rear-drive set-up, but the V6 engine won over traditionalists with its 164bhp output.
This much power in a small saloon meant 0-60mph in 6.7 secs and a top speed of 139mph – enough to keep the BMW 3 Series in check.
For competition use, Alfa Romeo built the 420bhp V6 TI to race in the 1993 DTM (German touring-car championship) and won with 12 victories from 20 starts.
25. 1995 Alfa Romeo GTV/Spider
The GTV coupé and Spider were welcomed with open arms when they arrived in 1995, as much for their styling as the way they drove.
A 2-litre, four-cylinder TwinSpark engine was fine if you just wanted the looks, but the Busso V6-powered cars had the muscle to match the style.
The GTV and Spider were quick cars, ticking off 0-62mph in 6.6 secs and reaching a maximum of 145mph.
In 2003, the V6 was increased to 3.2 litres and 237bhp, pushing the GTV’s top speed a shade over 150mph.
A turbocharged, 2-litre V6 was offered only in Italy to meet the country’s tough tax limits.
26. 1996 Alfa Romeo 156
Alfa Romeo had long since learned it needed a spread of engines to tempt company car buyers, and alongside the smaller petrols and diesels in the sleek 156 there was the delightful 2.5 V6.
The Busso V6 now offered 187bhp in the 156 and was more than a match for anything the German car manufacturers could muster.
Yet, Alfa managed to go one better with the GTA model that arrived in 2001 and packed a 247bhp, 3.2-litre V6 to give 0-60mph in 6 secs and 153mph.
The GTA was a bit of a handful to drive with all that power sent to just the front wheels: sadly, Alfa Romeo didn’t offer its all-wheel-drive set-up for this performance V6 model.