Alfa Romeo never did, and maybe they should have but the results of a great deal of labour and cost have resulted in what is the world’s first four-door Brera. Here is the story of how it came to life!
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Despite the still contemporary design, the Brera and its drop-top sibling, the Spider, debuted 18 and 19 years ago respectively, with its near identical concept model being shown to the world for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in 2002. Penned by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign Giugiaro, the Italian hatchback was only ever produced as a stunning two-door… until now.
Built on the Tipo 939 platform, the Brera and Spider do share underpinnings with the similarly styled 159 sedan, which is where designer and owner of this bespoke creation found inspiration. Brendon Scholtz has been on this journey since 2019 after thinking about what a four-door version of the Brera would look like, able to comfortably seat and carry four adults. For any that have been in the Brera, very few can comfortably fit in the claustrophobic second row…
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Seemingly impossible, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to make it a reality and shortly thereafter, found a Brera body in Cape Town. The shell was without most front-end components, but it had its rear intact, which for this project was all that was needed. Eventually, Scholtz found a 159 to pair it up with, powered by an all-wheel drive V6 motor. With haste and excitement, the project commenced! But as with many pioneering endeavours, there will be setbacks and problems will arise throughout the process. This was no different.
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Fascinated by automotive design from a young age and being blessed with a keen eye, the initial build did not satisfy Scholtz in his pursuit of perfection. He mentions that the roofline was not satisfactory and the rear-end alignment did not retain its structural integrity. This paired with an inconsistent paint job and lacklustre build quality meant that this costly project was scrapped once it had been completed. At around the time most would throw in the towel, this Frankenstein’s creator found enough resolve to continue with the vision he had originally had when another Brera body became available. Without hesitation, Scholtz missed a flight to Cape Town to reserve the final piece of the puzzle, for the project that now had to be completed to his original vision.
With learnings from the failed first attempt, Scholtz’s hands-on approach meant that the entire rear end was skillfully removed, with spot welds drilled out and the integrity of the rear panels intact. The Brera’s components were then reattached to the 159’s chassis with impressive accuracy and plenty of work required to ensure the alignment was correct. All of the ancillary components were bolted on and wired up without complication but there were a few issues that required fine tuning. Being only a few kilometres from my home and a friend I have had from childhood, I was fortunate enough to arrange progress viewings with Scholtz, whose passion for the Alfa Romeo brand is ever apparent within the first few sentences exchanged.
By this point, where Scholtz was comfortable to show the progress, all of the mixed components were going back into one cohesive whole, and the semblance of a four-door Brera was becoming prevalent. That was almost a year ago and a testament to the time and effort required in a project like this. Trial and error is what Scholtz accredits the many-year project to but the final result, completed by a dedicated and resilient Alfista, is the vision of what could have been had Alfa wanted to elevate the Tipo 939 platform even further.
Scholtz adds: “This car is not just a project; it’s a statement. A celebration of Alfa Romeo’s spirit, designed and bilt by someone who loves these cars as much as you do.”
Presented at the annual Alfa Romeo Club of South Africa Concorso D’Eleganza over the weekend in Modderfontein, the bespoke project was received with critical acclaim. It may not aesthetically please all who see it, particularly purists, but even they appreciate the level of time, commitment and attention to detail this requires. Most importantly, as Scholtz says this is hoped to inspire others to chase their own dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. Just like the local homologation special GTV6 3.0-litre from decades ago, this project further reaffirms the devoted following Alfa Romeo still has in South Africa and the world-class outcomes they yield.
Scholtz does mention that the project is not yet complete, since he intends to install a body kit, but the heavy lifting has been done!
