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Alfa Romeo CEM, electronic injection beyond Bosch

Beyond Bosch, electronic injection also found its development in systems such as the Alfa Romeo CEM. One of the most unknown and interesting pages in the mechanics of the brand

Until the 1955 Le Mans Disaster with its more than 80 deaths, Mercedes was living one of its best times in competition. In fact, their W196 signed a spectacular season just that same year. With Fangio winning the world title followed by Stirling Moss in the runner-up. Furthermore, at Le Mans 1952 the 300SL W194 had garnered victory with a truly outstanding performance. And well, as if that were not enough all that was based on an excellent technological escalation where fuel injection had a lot to say. Used by Luftwaffe aircraft in both diesel and gasoline engines, it managed to sideline aeronautical carburetors.

A process in which Robert Bosch was decisive before he died in 1942, marking the path by which his company would evolve years later in motorsports. Being a leader in a technology focused on improving combustion efficiency both in terms of performance and emissions. In fact, after the war, some other companies also recalled everything mounted on those aeronautical engines. So things, Mercedes rescued the injection system in order to install it in the 300 1954SL. The person in charge of, finally, announcing with hype and cymbal the benefits of this mechanism compared to traditional carburetion.

However, developing new patents required a huge investment. What's more, even equipping the new models with the existing ones implied a significant effort in terms of production. In this way, the idea remained somewhat stagnant within Mercedes and, of course, totally abandoned in the rest of the brands. However, Fate reserved two key events in order to implement the injection system in mass motoring. The first was registered in 1966. When the US federal administration approved new, much more restrictive laws on emissions.

In this way, if the European manufacturers wanted to continue getting sports muscle in that market, they had to improve the efficiency of their engines without, at the same time, losing too much power. At this point, it is curious to see how the different combinations of feed and catalyst configured different technical sheets for the same model, whether it was sold on this or the other side of the Atlantic. In addition, In 1973 the Oil Crisis exploded in the face of an industry accustomed to growing without obstacles during the entire previous decade.. In other words, another reason was put on the table to invest in fuel savings.

alfa romeo emc

Thus, many of the manufacturers only focused on improving their carburettors turned their gaze to the efficient possibilities of injection. Something that, in fact, was quite visible in Italy. Where the mythical house Weber had already fallen under the control of FIAT in 1952 for, de facto, you supply your products to the most prestigious and high-performance brands of the time. However, since the end of World War II something interesting had happened. And it is that the company created by Robert Bosch had not lost faith in the arrival of this situation.

In this way, for two decades he not only advanced with his direct injection patents but also developed electronic injection. Undoubtedly, the perfect system for that set of circumstances given from the Oil Crisis. Not in vain, the electronic injection is capable of perfectly adjusting the lambda factor in the fuel mixture. A transcendental fact with a view to improving consumption and, of course, reducing emissions. Thanks to this, with that system offered by Bosch, adequate responses were given both to the high cost of fuel -a consequence of 1973- and to the restrictive laws on pollution -a consequence of 1966-.

ALFA ROMEO CEM, ELECTRONIC MANAGEMENT ACCORDING TO PORTELLO

Although anti-pollution measures would arrive in Europe later than in the United States, the truth is that the Italian government realized what was to come as early as the late XNUMXs. In this sense, decided to coordinate the way in which its important automotive sector had to catch up. As a result, before the next decade arrived Alfa Romeo -State from 1933 to 1986- began to work with injection systems. In fact, the starting point for this was the mechanism developed together with Spica. Allied with Alfa Romeo since 1941 precisely for reasons related to the improvement of feeding in the aeronautical engines of its Avio division.

alfa romeo emc

However, since Bosch was the reference in the field of injection Alfa Romeo he also worked with the German house. Something that, unfortunately, did not seem to give the results expected by the Italian engineers. Accustomed to finding highly refined solutions in terms of performance and, therefore, seeing in technology that technology a too sober and prudent mechanism in relation to his passionate way of seeing things. In fact, there is an interesting example in the thread of this controversy. And it is that in 1979 -just the same year in which the cooperation with Bosch ended- the Alfa Romeo 6 appeared.

alfa romeo emc

Equipped with a Busso engine, this saloon had up to six carburettors. That is to say, it was as if the Alfa Romeo engineers had ended up so disappointed with the injection that, in an act of arrogance, they decreed a radical return to the essences. However, as skeptical as Portello's drafting tables were the truth is that times were changing abruptly. Therefore, an electronic engine control system was needed as soon as possible. At this point, precisely that same year the Italian state decided to give a definitive push to the development of the injection by granting millions of lire for its development.

A budget channeled through the FIAT Richerche Center, of which Alfa Romeo became a temporary partner in order to create its own electronic system without relying on Bosch at all. Starting from this, in 1983 the first patent was already ready, which, in an experimental way, was implanted in a series of Alfetta 2.0 arranged in the fleet of taxis in Milan. Anyway, what better test bench to check if that design really saved fuel? Even more so if, like, on the table, it was a highly refined mechanism. Able to disconnect two of the four cylinders according to the circumstances required.

alfa romeo emc

In fact, after those tests the system managed to save from 12% to 25% of fuel depending on the use. With all this, in the mid-eighties -very shortly before Alfa Romeo was absorbed by FIAT- the Electronic Engine Control System it was already ready to be applied in large series models. What's more, production of a pre-series of Alfetta 2.0 CEM with a thousand units even began. Pre-series that, by the way, was never completed at all. The few preserved samples being authentic collector's items among the alphists most given to the rarities of the brand. But why did that happen?

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ANCILLARY INDUSTRY

As we know, technology is of little use if it does not pass through the filter of the accounting department. Just the place where the CEM electronic injection presented its main problem. And it is that applying it to each engine represented a 50% increase in the cost of production thereof. In other words. The adaptation that the production line at Portello would have to undergo would be so costly that, in the short term, the Alfa Romeo CEM would be openly uneconomical. An unassumable fact given the complex situation of the Italian house during those years.

alfa romeo emc

This being the case, it is easy to understand how even the most prestigious brands have turned to Bosch as a supplier of electronic elements. Not in vain, here is the economic utility of a good auxiliary industry. Absolutely essential for the development of any automotive brand. In fact, seeing the situation, Alfa Romeo launched its Alfetta America for the US market. Equipped with Bosch electronic injection to thus adapt to emission requirements without losing the benefits of the European version.

After that, Alfa Romeo's technological dalliances began to be more realistic as they entered the FIAT Group. A place where, as the genesis of the Lancia Delta II demonstrates, the brand was put on the rail of the new times with the projects that ended up curdling in the 145 and, especially, 156.

Photographs: Alfa Romeo Historic Center

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Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

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