Alfa Romeo, Pininfarina

1991 Alfa Romeo 164L

All of the 164 hounds out there know that 164s are cheap and easy to come by if you know where to look. Sub-$1000 transactions aren't uncommon, and we've heard of 164s simply given away to their new owners. And, while we understand the realities of market value - the potential market for a used 164 is really quite small - limited appeal doesn't mean that the 164 lacks for redeeming qualities.

In a 1991 Alfa 164L, you will find automatic climate control, heated seats, fog lights, 15" wheels, a 3.0L Busso V6, cruise control, power mirrors, power windows, power locks, and a power moonroof. In its time, that was a really generous list of options; if you want some interesting and Italian to drive in relative comfort, you can buy a new Giulia, sure, but a clean 164 will check many of the same boxes (off the track at least) and do so in excellent 90s Pininfarina style.

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Alfa Romeo, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, Centro Stile Fiat, Zagato

1992 Alfa Romeo SZ

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We have trouble keeping track of the various models, but it seems that Zagato has had a hand in a number of rare machines over the years. The examples that stick out to us are the various Aston Martin Zagatos, the Alfa Junior Zagato, Alfa 2600 Zagato, and the Lancia Sport Zagato. Then, of course, there is the Alfa Romeo SZ and RZ.

While Zagato played a role in building the SZ, the vehicle was actually styled in a joint effort between Zagato, Fiat, and Alfa. Utilizing CAD software and Fiat's wind tunnel, the team achieved an impressive 0.30 Cd, which led to a top speed of 152mph when all (or most) of the Busso V6's 210bhp were invited to the party.

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Gandini, Lamborghini

1973 Lamborghini Urraco P250 S

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There's virtue in starting with a hopeless example of a classic car, investing years of time and loads of cash into a restoration, and coming out with one more example of that particular classic on the road and able to visit shows. We can all hope that we aren't the ones to foot the bill or spend the hours in the garage massaging the panels, but for every car we've spent a little bit too much time, money, or effort on, there's a net benefit to the automotive community.

Sometimes - in the case of cars of significant historic value - these restorations can lead to some financial benefit. In order for this to happen, the car must be acquired prior to renewed interest in the particular model in question. Time it right, and by the time the restoration is complete, the vehicle is ready for sale in a competitive market. We've seen this with nearly every 1960s Ferrari, among other Italian classics.

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Alfa Romeo, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo

2001 Alfa Romeo 166

We've been flooding the readers with Alfa Romeo sedans lately, so we'll let the flood continue with this flood / water damage title 2001 Alfa Romeo 166. When Alfa Romeo departed the US market, US customers were due for a successor to the 1991-1995 Alfa Romeo 164. Had things turned out differently, this is what we would have received.

When it comes to Alfa sedans, we like to think of the Milano as essentially a 1970s car with a lot of plastic attached to it to pass for an 80s car. Take a look underneath a Milano, and you can see that the component assemblies were not very well-integrated. If you take a look underneath a 164, you'll see an increase in complexity and a number of improvements in the name of reducing variation between vehicles. Looking at the 166, we see the current age of automotive assembly - most of the fluid and electrical connectors, the minor clips and the formed routings all look like they could be from a car today.

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Alfa Romeo, Bertone

1965 Alfa Romeo GTA 1600 Corsa

Recognize the wheels? GTA replicas have grown common on Giulia sedans and GTVs alike in the past decade or so. Mags in the true sense, they are constructed from a magnesium alloy on the true GTA, an exercise in lightweighting.

A stands for Alleggerita - lightweight in Italian - in the GTA. In the effort to reduce mass, traditional steel body panels are swapped out for aluminum outer body panels, which are then bonded and riveted to the inner steel panels. Windows are made from plastic, and the interior benefits from lighter trim. Under the hood, the aluminum power plant is fitted with magnesium alloy in the cam cover, timing cover, and transmission bell housing.

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Alfa Romeo, Pininfarina

1995 Alfa Romeo 164 Super 2.5L Turbodiesel

We've always found diesel engines to be a great way to desecrate the Alfa Romeo experience. Take away the music, the power, and the high-strung tension of moving the needle up to redline, and you've subdued the spirit of an Alfa.

But, a 164 is not a typical Alfa in the way that it moves down the road. It has a large footprint, a considerable curb weight, and FWD, for one thing. And though the 164 screams with the 24V Busso, it does have a Germanic heftiness to it - a solid feeling that would benefit from the drama-free torque of a diesel powertrain. We think the 164 driver would especially enjoy the diesel on the autobahn, where low engine speed at high vehicle speeds makes for a calmer experience.

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Alfa Romeo, Reader Classifieds

Reader Classified: 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano Track Car

This reader classified comes to us from Vancouver, WA. We love the unique paint and track-ready setup. A street-legal Milano for not much cash sounds pretty good to us!

Contact:

tedgathe@gmail.com or 360-281-0868

For sale: 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano. The car is located in Vancouver, Washington. Converted to a track car several years ago but is street legal and does not need to be trailered.  Engine modifications and suspension work was done by Nasko a well known Alfa mechanic in Portland, Oregon. Engine work includes Sperry heads; fuel injection system rebuilt last year; new clutch. Suspension has Bilstein shocks and racing springs. Roll bar installed. A set of slicks comes with the car.  It's a great little car to run on your local track at an affordable price

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Alfa Romeo, Pininfarina

1991 Alfa Romeo 164L

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How about a 164 to follow up yesterday's Milano Platinum? We're on a roll with clean, cared-for examples this weekend, and today's 164 is even better than the Milano listed yesterday.

The 164 is what followed the Milano as the North American sedan offering from Alfa Romeo, but it's not really an honest successor to the Milano. The 164 rides on an appreciably larger platform than the Milano does, and coupled with features like automatic climate control and leather seating surfaces - some of the best on any car, if you ask us - really feels upmarket to the Milano. Row through its five gears, though, and you won't be let down in the driving dynamics department. We'd recommend withholding judgment of the FWD platform until you drive one - you won't be let down.

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Alfa Romeo, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo

1987 Alfa Romeo Milano Platinum

When it comes to Alfa Romeo Milanos, the masses - i.e. those who do not count themselves among the Alfisti - generally remember the model by its kinked up belt line and Alfa V6. A few might be familiar with the torsion bar front and DeDion rear suspension setup, and the rear transaxle with inboard rear brakes. And some may even know the Verde model to be the top of the range.

Today's Alfa Romeo Milano Platinum sits right below the Verde in the Milano model range. I might disappoint the AlfaBB with my description here, but I believe that the Platinum is basically a Verde as far as options go, though mechanically there are some changes. The Platinums have smaller diameter torsion bars and sway bars, and forgo the 3.0L V6 in favor of the classic 2.5L. The transaxle is a 4.10 final drive in place of a 3.55 in the Verde, but the Platinum is the only Milano model, outside of the Verde, that offered a limited slip differential.

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Bizzarrini, Fiat, Giacosa

1977 Fiat 128

We haven't been stingy with affection for the classic Volkswagen Golf on these pages. Taken out of context - no divided Germany, no fuel crisis - it's a remarkable automotive design, though it may have been driven by necessity more than we care to admit today. Capable of relatively high-speed travel in full comfort with all of the features required in a car and nothing more, it's a high water mark in the automotive design world.

Well, it owes some of its excess to none other than the Fiat 128. After all, it was chief engineer Dante Giacosa and his team at Fiat that brought the world the East-West layout of the engine and transmission found in nearly every FWD car today. It is even claimed that the team at Volkswagen disassembled a 128 while developing the original Golf platform.

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