[5] The Nissan-based Alfa Romeo Arna was launched shortly thereafter, offering a similarly sized but lower priced car.

The hatchback was styled by Ermanno Cressoni at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo,[6] while the station wagon was designed by Pininfarina.

The 33 became renowned for its nimble handling and powerful boxer engines, but also became equally well known for its unreliable electronics and tendencies to rust (a frequent complaint on Italian cars in general at the time).

The car featured numerous innovations for the company, including an instrument binnacle that moved up and down with the adjustable steering wheel.

[8] The luxurious 1.5 Quadrifoglio Oro (Gold Cloverleaf in the UK)[9] was distinguished by a silver grille, two-tone paintwork (metallic paint upper body separated by a brown tape from the dark brown lower body and bumpers) and clear front turn indicator lenses outside; by beige Texalfa leatherette/cloth interior, a woodtone steering wheel and shifter knob inside.

Standard equipment included bronze tinted glass, headlight wipers, passenger side wing mirror and a trip computer.

[12] The Giardinetta went on sale in 4x4 guise in June[13] and was joined later in the year by a front-wheel drive model, shown at the Turin Motor Show in November.

[16] It was powered by a 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) version of the 1,490 cc boxer, equipped with double twin-choke carburettors like on the Sprint 1.5 QV coupé; Alfa Romeo claimed a top speed of over 185 km/h (115 mph).

[17] In the cabin there were sport seats in black and grey cloth, a leather covered steering wheel and additional gauges for voltmeter and oil pressure.

Minor changes were made to the equipment of most models but the recently introduced 1.5 QV, such as the adoption of side skirts and a black grille on the Quadrifoglio Oro.

If outside there were only detail changes, the interior was more deeply revised; starting from a more conventionally designed dashboard and steering wheel, which superseded the innovative moveable instrument binnacle.

[20] All 1.5 variants now had the 105 PS engine from the now discontinued 1.5 QV; a TI (Turismo Internazionale, International Touring) trim level was exclusive to the front-wheel drive 1.5 hatchback.

Inside it featured a leather-covered steering wheel, red carpets, and leatherette-backed sport seats upholstered in a grey/black/red chequered cloth.

[20] In the United Kingdom only 1.5 and 1.7 Green Cloverleaf hatchback models were sold, as well as a market-specific 1.7 Sportwagon estate; all three were also available in "Veloce" versions, outfitted by Alfa Romeo GB with a colour-matching Zender body kit.

This featured a revised interior, the introduction of fuel injection, the 1.7 litre engine upgraded to include a 137 PS (101 kW; 135 hp) 16 valve version, and a heavily restyled front and rear ends, in line with the new Alfa "family look" established by the flagship 164.