Two of Italy’s leading motor manufacturers are bringing a piece of Italian racing history to Cheshire; Mangoletsi Alfa Romeo and Ducati Manchester, both based in Knutsford, teamed up for the launch of the Alfa 147 Ducati Corse.

Two of Italy’s leading motor manufacturers are bringing a piece of Italian racing history to Cheshire. Alfa Romeo Mangoletsi and Ducati Manchester, both based in Knutsford, recently teamed up for the launch of the limited edition Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse.

The car has been built by the two prestigious manufacturers to celebrate Ducati motorbike rider Casey Stoner’s victory in the MotorGP World Motorbike Championships – motorbike racings’ most sought after prize.

Mangoletsi, the UK’s largest and longest established Alfa Romeo dealership, and Ducati Manchester, the UK’s first Ducati dealership, both have the 147 Ducati Corse on display and are offering motor enthusiasts the chance to get their hands on the limited edition model – with just 200 cars available in the UK.

Managing director of Mangoletsi Fraser Hudson said: “Both Mangoletsi and Ducati Manchester are leaders for their marques in the UK, so it is a great opportunity for us to come together to celebrate the launch of the car. The 147 Ducati Corse is a fantastic affordable sporty hatchback, which demonstrates the success of two of the best Italian car manufacturers.”

With both manufacturers steeped in racing history and pedigree, the Alfa 147 Ducati Corse comes with Alfa Romeo’s 170bhp JTDM turbo diesel, handling courtesy of Alfa Romeo’s Q2 system, a Sport button that varies the mapping of the accelerator pedal to give a notably sporting response, and some distinct styling additions.

The Alfa 147 Ducati Corse is available in two versions, a five-door 1.9 JTDM 16V Q2 170bhp priced at £17,995 and a three-door version priced at £17,495. Exclusive to the Alfa 147 Ducati Corse is a unique 18” alloy wheel design with 225/40 R18 tyres, red painted callipers, satin effect electrically adjustable and heated wing mirrors, a rear spoiler, and appropriate Ducati badging.

Customers will also be able to choose from three individual external colours – Etna Black, Ghiaccio White and Giulietta Red. Inside the cabin, the Alfa 147 Ducati Corse boasts aluminium sports pedals, Ducati Corse sports dials with a red background, sports seats upholstered in black leather with red stitching, cruise control, dual zone automatic climate control with split temperature and distribution function, as well as a car radio with audio CD player, MP3 reader, and an auto-dip rear view mirror.

As is standard with the Alfa 147, this latest Alfa 147 Ducati model also includes ABS with EBD, VDC with brake assist, and remote audio controls on steering wheel. The limited edition 1.9 JTDM 16V Q2 170bhp model powers the Alfa 147 Ducati from 0-62mph in just eight seconds, and on to a top speed of 134mph. Alfa Romeo is the official car supplier to the Ducati Corse racing team.

Mangoletsi (Holdings) Ltd, located near Knutsford, Cheshire, is the UK’s largest and longest established authorised Alfa Romeo dealership. In 2007 Mangoletsi celebrated its 40th anniversary. During this forty year period, Mangoletsi has built up an enviable reputation across the UK for unrivalled customer service and a deeply embedded passion for the Alfa Romeo brand. Mangoletsi offers a constant stock in excess of 200 new and approved used cars. In 2007 Mangoletsi inaugurated a brand-new bespoke showroom complex which complements the existing state-of-the-art workshops and parts operations on the same site. Mangoletsi is also an authorised Fiat dealership. For further information: Tel: 01565 722899; Fax: 01565 722229; Website: www.mangoletsi.com/alfa; E-Mail: info@mangoletsi.com; SatNav Ref: WA16 9NS.