The Alfa Romeo Matta is a four-wheel drive vehicle produced by Alfa Romeo of Italy between 1951 and 1954. The Matta was produced in both military (AR 51) and civilian (AR 52) versions, and was nicknamed (matta means “crazy” in Italian) because of its sports and advertising activities.
The Matta had an 1,884 cc, 8-valve, in-line four-cylinder engine that produced 65 horsepower (48 kW) at 4,400 rpm. The engine used dry sump lubrication, an aluminum cylinder head and a ball valve combustion chamber. The transmission was four-speed. The Matta had independent front suspension and a rigid rear axle.
Matta participated in many races and expeditions, including the 1952 Mille Miglia, where it won the military vehicle category. The Matta was succeeded by the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, which was released in 2016.

The Alfa Romeo AR51 is a military vehicle produced by Alfa Romeo between 1951 and 1954. The AR51 was a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a 1.9-liter, 65-horsepower inline four-cylinder engine. The AR51 participated in many races and expeditions, including the 1952 Mille Miglia, where it won the military vehicle category.
This could have been the end of the road for brave little Matta, but fate and the gods of motorsport thought otherwise. At the 1952 Mille Miglia (in the military vehicle category), Matta beat Fiat Campagnola by 42 minutes and took a decisive class victory – this of course means that Matta is now eligible to participate in today’s Mille Miglia.
In the world of motorsport, Matta participates in the Vatican-Beijing, Monte Grosso, Artico Lualdi, Fratellanza, Peace and takes part in the Bonzi Expedition in Indonesia.
Many original Alfa Romeo Mattas have been destroyed by rust in the decades between production, but the surviving examples are becoming increasingly popular with collectors as the vintage four-wheel drive sector continues to grow.

Some films and series in which Matta appeared:
– Day of the Jackal (1973), a thriller about a professional assassin hired to kill Charles de Gaulle.
– The Last Days of Pompeii (1984), a miniseries based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel about Vesuvius AD. about its eruption in 1979.
– The Sicilian (1987), based on Mario Puzo’s novel, is a historical drama about the life of Sicilian bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Giuliano.
– The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1992-1993), TV series that follows the exploits of Indiana Jones as a young man in the early 20th century.
– The English Patient (1996), a romantic war drama film based on Michael Ondaatje’s novel about a mysterious burn victim and his nurse in a World War II hospital.