As the old saying goes, they're only original once. This Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina was owned by the same owner from new until 2005, where it changed hands successively amongst Alfa club enthusiasts. This is and unrestored car with exception of a bit of fresh paint here and there and a few minor repairs to keep it roadworthy. This Canadian market car is for sale in Washington and is a great chance to own a piece of Alfa history at a reasonable price.
1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina
With retirement looming I've been made aware that the number of vehicles in the garage must decrease. I can’t sell the Mini so as much as I hate to do it, the 1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina is now available. It is a Canadian-market car and was purchased new in Vancouver, BC. It stayed with the original owner until 2005 when it was sold to an Alfa club member in the Portland, Oregon area. It changed hands once more in 2010 (another Portland Alfa club member) and was then purchased by me in October of 2011.
It is an original, matching-numbers car, has never been molested and has always been garaged. It is quick, quiet and comfortable with around 140,000 original miles on the odometer. The engine starts easily, runs smoothly and does not burn oil. The transmission shifts smoothly, with no grinding going into 2nd or any other gear. It’s a great running car.
For safety sake, dual door mirrors and 3-point Securon inertia-reel seat belts have been installed. The mounting holes on the front fender for the old rear-view mirror have not been patched. New clutch master and slave cylinders have just been installed and also a new battery. The 185/70 Michelin tires are almost new. It also has a new OEM-style exhaust system.
The paint is tired but pretty good for it being 45 years old. Some panels have been resprayed (after parking lot dings were repaired). It has never been wrecked. The sills were replaced a few years ago and the boxed sections were waxoyled at that time. The interior is original and in very good to excellent condition with the exception of the passenger seat on which the white stitching is failing and there is minor sun damage on the top of the rear seat back. It has the optional rear seat glove box and the blanking piece that goes in its place. The dash has no cracks and all the gauges work (except for the clock).
The Alfa is located a few miles north of Seattle. More details and photos on request. There just aren’t many unrestored Berlinas left that are in this condition. I’m asking $13,000.
A car such as this raises the question of whether to go for a more modern Alfa Romeo 164 or dabble in the real classics, as the asking price is not much higher than what clean 164s are trading hands for these days. In addition, the price of this Berlina is within reason of what these cars are currently fetching. A perfect, restored Berlina will bring close to $20,000, but this car has history and patina, which is something that is hard to come across. Overall, this is a prime opportunity for someone looking for a classic Alfa that can be used as intended, not just admired under glass.
-Paul