Real Road Test: Alfa Romeo 164 V6 Cloverleaf - Passion and such sweet music!
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- This one actually left me lost for words, so beautiful is the noise it makes under acceleration! This 1991 Alfa Romeo 164 V6 Cloverleaf has that legendary Busso engine, terrifying torque steer and music that makes the stereo entirely unnecessary.
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We had a 1990 164 2.0 ts for 20 years and drove with it 640.000km (yeap you read right). We took care of her and she took care of the family. Never had an engine overhaul or a serious issue or a brake down. We just fully serviced the car every 10.000km since new and the only issues we had was 1 climate motor pump, 1 wheel hydrolic pump, and 2 window switches. Fantastic car in every way possible. Unfortunately it was time to move on to a more modern car but couldn't let her go since she is rust free. So she is still in the garage, just sitting since the end of 2010. Hopefully one day, I ll get her out again..
Mild mannered man with beard morphs into Jeremy Clarkson
POWERRRR
Ouch, Ian you got Clarkstoned
Thats what Alfa does to people
I remember an ex-work colleague acquiring one of these back in the mid to late 90s, and taking me out for a spin to show it off. My own car at the time was a mk3 1.4 Fiesta, and I remember the Alfa feeling like a total rocketship in comparison, and I loved the quirky Italian interior. Effortless overtakes on A roads, and travelling at extremely naughty speeds on the motorway. Fond memories from a quarter of a century ago!
Absolutely gorgeous car always wanted one in black with a tan leather interior. Definitely one of the best looking Alfas ever designed.
Gawd yeah black with tan interior, gorgeous combination
Silver with dark red leather for me please.
@@andicog
Also a good combination.
Another huge fan here. As seen as it hasn’t yet been taken, I’ll take mine in Rosso Corsa with tan leather please.
That era of Pininfarina that did some good stuff.
Oil pressure gauge AND a voltage gauge!?
Anyone who watches Motorweek Retro Reviews knows how ecstatic John Davis would be with this car just for having those! 😉
exactly!!
The 3 litre Alfa engine is one of the best out there. It was awesome in the 75, but the 164 wasn’t too bad either. There’s not many of any of the cars left that were based on this platform.
Very well engineered too, resolves 1st and 2nd order imbalances, no need for a balancer shaft. The crankshaft design is incredible!
It would be a crime to hide that beautiful engine behind a plastic cover...
This brings back happy memories of my 164 3 Litre 12v.I cant believe its nearly 30 years ago.
THE best looking and sounding car ever to grace HubNut. Have always been one of my favourite cars. The blocky styling and that awesome centre console have always been the main appeal, and the sound of the Busso is the absolute cherry on top. Fabulous video Ian.
I know I'm flying in the face of popular opinion, but I'm just not seeing the appeal of this Alfa (at least in terms of owning one). Then again, cars have always been subjective ever since we stopped making them be purely about transportation.
We need a ‘Power More is Magnificent’ T shirt now! Lovely car. Always had a soft spot for Alfas, had a GT back in the 2000s. I just love the Italian approach to pretty much everything really; cars, art, architecture, food, coffee, life.
What a G O R G E O U S car that is!!! Wowwwww!!!! Tha Busso sounds so so luscious!
I went car shopping with my late Father. He needed a new car, we looked at the v6 164 , he had to have an automatic. Also a 75. We also looked at a lancia thema . And a Saab 9000, and 900.he had always had Citroen's and fancied a change. He really wanted a 900 3 door turbo but due to an accident he struggled with a tight foot well , the answer was to of ordered it with a manual break peddle. He really liked the 75 too. Personal ide of had the lancia, the one we drove was excellent, ha green ish gray with a dark green Alcantara and some kind of satin wood, very classy and extremely comfortable... He chose the 9000, in CDS trim, dark gray with gray leather.... He regretted every moment of ownership, it often broke down leaving him stranded. The dealer was really not good, although he did find one nearer our home that was truly excellent... One day while cleaning a couple of years later he discovered rust in the boot to wing seem. He lost his patience Saab UK did not want to know, just out of warranty... He traded it in on a Citroen XM TD executive? He kept it covering nearly 300 k in it all it needed was a new gearbox and servicing.... Excellent car...
An unreliable saab 9000, with bad dealer experience? Both are almost unheard of, I can only apologise for his experience. I work closely with saab and have good connections to the main dealers left in the country and I guess the surviving ones were the best ones... But I've never really heard of any issues. And in my experience... 9000 was always a very reliable car, even 30 years on, it still can be
I own and drive a Saab 9000 since 3 years. It's indeed a very reliable car and the build quality is top notch. I love it to death!
Never heard any bad stories of 9000 ownership before, truly shocked me reading the comment above. I also have quite a few friends who owns/owned a 9000 and they adore them, never any big issues, high milages on the clock and still running as smooth as ever @@ollialbone3019
Many years ago I had a 164 V6 Lusso as well. Got it serviced by a mobile mechanic recommended by the owners club. He used to be a mechanic for the Alfa touring car team and was burrrrilliant! He advised that although the rev limit was about 7,000rpm, they were safely good for 8,500rpm. I don't know what he did, adjust or change something, but hearing the Busso at 8,000rpm!!! I will remember that sound to the day I die. And I never drove from Leeds to Tunbridge Wells, all of 200 miles in two hours. That absolutely never happened.
Some of the best wheels ever fitted on a car
That sound effect of thunder as you say Clover leaf. Is like the gods are going "Oh Really"
Very 80s, planar, boxy but still about as stunningly beautiful as a saloon gets. Wonderful details inside and out. I owned the two litre version of its successor - the 166.
A good friend of mine got a brand new and just introduced 164 3.0 V6 as a loaner while his Alfa Sprint was in for service. He took me and a couple of other guys for a spin and got the car up to 180 kph on a stretch of city motorway (Lyngbyvejen in Copenhagen) where the speed limit is 90 kph. It was early afternoon, so the road was by no means empty. The acceleration and sound up to 180 kph was amazing.
"Forget power: Less is more": 😂 You´re absolutely right, it´s a high quality car with a gorgeous engine. About 20 years ago I bought a new smaller Alfa, which was probably the worst car I ever drove. So after less than one year I gave it back to the dealer in exchange for a used 164. Huge difference: Very satisfying car, no problems at all. Very relaxing at long distance drives.
What a car, inside and out, and that engine sound!
This is my dream car. One of the best of era, in fact I would go so far as to say one of the best looking cars of the 20th century. Just gorgeous. The epitome of Italian wedge design.
This is a 12 valve cloverleaf quoted as 210 bhp , tweeked valve timing over the standard 188 bhp model .However the later 24 valve model in cloverleaf form was quoted as 230 bhp. Lovely cars.
Ah, the perfect review, I just wish it had been my 164 you were driving, I have a 12V Lusso manual (a rolling restoration) with seats off a later 24V cloverleaf (like the ones in your review car only perforated and with some extra buttons to adjust the front and back of the seat height individually. Its just the best thing ever, that 12V Busso noise is glorious. Your review car is a 12V model Ian, you can tell as it has a distributor, exposed HT leads and the old style dash, along with the better soundtrack. Fuel economy can be pretty brilliant on these actually, mine regularly gets me about 30MPG, granted the cloverleaf has shorter gearing.
Yes they are very reliable for how exotic they are, and nothing quite drive like them, i'll never sell mine, it means more to me than just a car. They are top quality, Galvanised so they dont rust and very thoroughly tested as they were developed. The only bits that do seem to let go on these are the bits with a Bosch stamp on them.
The torque steer seems excessive on that car, they do have a torque steering tendancy, but mine just pulls to the right firmly, its very easy to mitigate, I think it must have some issues with the suspension geometry or the wheel alignment, I don't think its the Diff, i have a Q2 LSD in my other Alfa (A 147 GTA and it does not wander like that).
Keep up these brilliant reviews HubNut!
'The sound of petrol being turned into raw power.' 'That feels like an emotion, not a motor vehicle.'
I fear the day when electric vehicles are the norm.
I can't find any emotion to think of buying a EV as they seem to only be built for the people who love computer algorithms and mass social media platforms. I know you can EV convert old cars but it does remove the noise of the mechanical engine sounds and somehow a silver or black battery pack and sealed electric motor doesn't look as aesthetically interesting as a working internal combustion engine.
As you say Absolutely Glorious. For the late 80s early 90s the 164 was well built, beautifully styled, the interior was gorgeous and the Busso engine was wonderful. Remember at the time we had the Volvo 760, Rover 827, Vauxhall Senator, Ford Granada, Renault Safrane, Peugeot 605, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry V6, Honda Legend. Of these the Volvo, Vauxhall, Toyota and Honda had the good build.
The Rover, Peugeot, and Nissan had great styling.
The Rover and the Granada, Safrane and Honda had gorgeous interiors.
All had strong engines but the only one approaching the Busso was the 2.7 shared by Honda and Rover.
The Senator, Granada, Safrane and 605 had great chassis but again, all inferior to the 164. The 164 had the whole package.
Ideally, the executive would own a BMW 530i for work and a 164 Cloverleaf 🍀 for enjoyment and leisure.
I, too, once owned a 164 Lusso. Mine was an early 12V manual from a time when they still fitted the electric rear seats (yes, rear). It didn't surprise me it was reliable because a large chunk of the stuff under the bonnet was made by Bosch (this at a time when German stuff was actually quality). I was once going up a wet hill and managed to get a bit of wheelspin when changing into fifth - even the 12 valvers could be lively in the wet. I miss that car.
Quadrifoglio Verde, giving me that warm fuzzy feeling, ever since the eighties ;-)
.... which dob or sob gave this vid a thumbs down? uncool!
Past Ian: This is one of the most reliable Alfa Romeo's
Current Ian: The wipers don't work on any of them
Future Ian: The speedometer doesn't work on any of them
I still want one.
Alfas are reliable believe me I've had 3. Doors not locking properly, headlights bulbs blowing, wipers antics are not to be considered as part of the car. They really don t matter as soon as the engine makes its music.
How very HubNut!
Sorry to disillusion you but. My speedo works and the wipers park correctly.
Had an Alfa 3.0 v6 spider and the only thing that went wrong was the electrics, which was Bosch, German
@@426baron Isn't it funny when people complain about light bulbs blowing and blame it on the car brand? Once I lent my jeep to a visiting idiot friend of mine (a computer engineer) for a few days, he woke me up in the middle of the night saying that the car I lent him (as in given to him for free and not for a profit so that he wouldn't waste his money on a rental) broke down and got him stranded. I asked him if he ran out of gas to which he replied:"I'm not an idiot but I don't know because the fuel gage is broken and reads 0". I went to his rescue and fixed the broken fuel gage by putting some gasoline in the tank. To this day he says my jeep broke down. And people wonder why Windows doesn't work.
Alfa Romeo made two of the most awesome engines for sound and performance, the Busso V6 and the classic twin cam all alloy four that was designed in the fifties. Never owned a Busso and that is a real regret, but had two with the classic four, both with Dellorto carbs (76 Alfetta 1.8 sedan and 81 GTV 2.0) and loved both of them. Maybe you could find one of those to test that hasn’t succumbed to tin worm, a tall order in the UK, I know. You will probably hate the gear change, it takes a lot of getting used to, but being rear wheel drive through a transaxle, you will not have to worry about torque steer!
Torque steer keeps you on your toes. Gets the blood pumpin.
Love those and the 75.
Fantastic .
Great now I find myself lusting over a Busso V6 Alfa again... damn it!!
What an awesome machine and a credit to its owner!
One of the best looking and sounding cars ever
I was lucky enough to drive one of these when new and to this day it’s one of my favourite cars to drive.
When the torque steer took him by surprise, he knew it was serendipity that had led to his choosing of the brown trousers that day.
What an absolute beauty this car is.
Ian Black cat was an omen, that the devil was chasing you, there was too much fun being had on this drive. Never thought I'd hear you say power less is more (but a little more is power & fun).
Oh my absolute God, what a beautiful machine. I had the pleasure of driving the lancia 8.32 once, in Leamington spa with left hand drive a dog leg first. Fun....it's pronounced tamer btw. My grandpa had a 155 with the twinspark and I learnt to drive in a 147 2.0 twinspark, obviously not the V6 but how have the mighty forgotten what we wanted. Fabulous, memorable cars. As a youth a then spent many a happy mile in a 33 1.5ie because I could insure it....none of us ever actually broke down either. Quite reliable when regularly Given beans.
0:26 ‘a thoroughbred V6 engine’ - can’t be said often enough, it truly is and all of these units deserve to be cherished ❤️
That's exactly how I felt about my 75 V6. You really need to track one down Ian, you won't regret it. All the right noises and rear wheel drive. ❤️
Exactly, better chassis. I had 2.
I personally also prefer the 75, the V6 America was cool and yeah: RWD with 180-190 bhp depending on age and trim.
NICE!!!!!!! That 75 V6 was such a sweet car.
Great cars, I'd drive it miles just for the hell of it. Bits fell off randomly and sometimes for no apparent reason it wouldn't start. But I loved it.
I’ve got a 75 V6 Cloverleaf. Absolutely love it. 222hp too
Those alloys are stunning some of the best I have seen. Rest of the car looks great.
My first job when I left school was working in a local Alfa Romeo dealership in the parts department. I had to learn motor trade Italian as all the microfiche weren’t in English. I remember specifically on the 164 fiche there being multiple options of part numbers for doors and windows. There were options tagged as ‘Mafia’ . Yes , you could actually order reinforced body panels and bullet proof glass for the Italian Mafioso. Love it 😂
I had a metallic graphite 164 Twin Spark as a company car for three years in the early '90s, it went beautifully, handled really well and it never missed a beat during our 80,000 miles together. I still miss it to this day.
Two minutes in and my is already tingling 🔥
I remember these as new cars, as I worked for three Alfa dealers. The Cloverleaf with that awful bodykit (sorry, it's just nasty) was thankfully quite rare - the standard 164 was very elegant. That's a 12v car. The autos had limiting stops on the steering rack as the gearbox was so big, resulting in a huge turning circle! The 2.0 Twin Spark was very popular - an excellent car, but not quite the same. The later facelift car was a beautiful thing with the old dated bits sorted out, especially in a dark colour. The 24v V6 had cam belt problems early on (not enough 'wrap around' the inner pulleys) and whilst it had more power, I don't think it was as nice as the 12v. 164's were galvanised and just didn't rust. The rear suspension crossmember does though. Overall they were a robust reliable car with the usual small Alfa niggles. A pity so few survived.
7:29 Speedo comes over all un-Italian and springs back into life! 😂 A dream car of mine. Absolutely lovely.
Had a chance to buy an Alfa and I blew it. One of my (many) car buying regrets. Thanks Ian
Same here. I was very, very tempted by a V6 166, but the Wife had her heart set on a X350 XJ, and as seen as she drives it the most, (I’m in my van), she won.
No, no Ian you didn't handle that black van pulling out in front of you correctly. I've watched enough dashcam videos to know you must accelerate as fast as possible towards him, brake sharply, smash your horn and swear a lot. You were too normal and calm.
Too true 😂
You are right 😂🤣😂🤣
well said...
No matter what you would have done, different or the same, the sad fact remains that the van wasn't stopping for anything. Now that is crap driving.
Alfa owners are Nice people , the BMW owners response for that situation though well described doesn’t apply to Alfisti.
The visceral feeling of power and noise you describe is exactly why so many riders like Harley-Davidsons.
This is a work of Art, soo much more than meets the casual tester. The finest door latch design ever-pincer twin latching and on pillar the latch is rubber damped, the doors shut nicer than German.
Now that you've had a drive in this, I'm not sure my 166 Sportronic is going to cut the mustard for you! Gorgeous car.
Just watched JayEmm reviewing a 1500 Van den plas and now you are reviewing a 6 cylinder Alfa 164. It’s a strange world!
I always remember when I passed my test and dad was going to help me buy a car for a teenager. We got to a car lot to check out some grotty fiestas. Saw one of these on the forecourt and was in love! Though this was short lived when I heard my dad shout "NOT A CHANCE!" as I approached it.
Love the qualifier on "first car I had with WORKING air conditioning." The suggests it was preceded by others with non-working air conditioning.
I always liked these. Lovely, handsome cars. Very well-built. When current, they were actually quite under-rated, and always good value as used cars. In the early '90s, the What Car? long-term fleet were running an F-plate 164 3.0 V6 Lusso in that lovely dark turquoise. The car was 3 years old and had covered 110,000 miles at the time of its final summary in late 1992. It surprised them, as nothing at all went wrong with it, and it still looked fresh, even the engine was like new. Of course, this was back when new-car magazines were photographing engine compartments during road tests.
Really a great car. I watched that video several times. Those days I drove auf Saab 9000 in the company where I worked. And I drove the Fiat Croma of one friend in Bologna, Italy. If you watch this video you can't believe, that those cars have the same base. The Alfa sounds great. My children always tell me that this would have been the right car for me, because I like to spend my holidays in Italy, I speak Italian language and like to listen Italian music. Maybe they are right 😊. But even when the 164 was very succsesful here in Germany the number of them is sharply reduced. And the rest of them is in loving hands. The others were owned just for fun in 3rd or 4th hand and died because those owners could'nt afford the high expenses to mantain them. Really sad for such a great car. I never had the oppertunity to drive one, but this video gives a very nice impression and makes you feel sitting in it. So, many thanks for the video. I'm loving it.👍
My 166 Lusso needs a heater matrix repair and I've been debating whether it's really worth doing. It's a big job and the sensible, economic, rational part of me has been getting used to the idea that it's time to let it go ..... and then you go and make this video and remind me just why I love it.
Having owned a couple more modern Alfas, I’m very glad to see this. Very much a drivers car.
One of the best looking cars I have seen. I might get one!
The design of the 164 is criminally overlooked - it's an "E Segment", theoretically a calm and collected executive cruiser and yet, it looks like it's wanting to go 2000kph even when it's parked; It's like it was stuck in "super pursuit mode" from an episode of Knightrider. Compared to the German competition of the time, it looks 10 years younger and still, in a way, retro-futuristic: tell me that design wouldn't fit a cyberpunk movie/game to absolute perfection...
One of my previuos apprentices had a 164 - young and seemingly uncapable of dying he outran a policeman in an unmarked car... didnt get a ticket but a quite stern telling off. His engine died after driving moreorless fuld throttle from mid Sweden to the Southwest part of denmark..
I always wanted to buy this car but somehow I missed it. One of the most beautiful Alfa Romeos and still strikingly beautiful today. Great Video💯👍
Nice car with a soul in it. Very nice exterior and interior and good maintained. I can see that the owner put a lot of work and money in it. To keep a car in this state you must have a passion for it. Nice testdrive Ian and a lot of admiration for the owner. I hope he keep it and have a lot of pleasure from the car.
What a gorgeous looking and sounding car. Truly beautiful.
That said, I’d love to see you drive an MG Montego Turbo.
I had a 33 1.7 ie in Andalusia, the torque steer would try to kill you on damp roads! Love alfa romeo's from the early 90s ☺
I had one of these - almost identical spec sans the tacky (to my eyes) rear spoiler. Had an Ansa exhaust and upgraded 17" 5 spoke alloys but watching the video brought back wonderful memories. Had 3 other 164s, all 3.0 manuals and loved them but the QV was one of my all time favourite cars. Decent tyres helped tame the torque steer which wasn't anything like as bad as you experienced. If it had a Q2 dif it shouldn't be an issue so there's something amiss there. I had a 166, GTV V6 and finally a GT 3.2 and fitted it with a Quaife dif - with this grip was better in the wet than without it in the dry! Certainly solved the torque steer. Going back to the 164 QV, I preferred the 12v to the facelifted 24v both to look at and drive. A hugely underrated car - thanks for reminding me 🍀🇨🇮🏁😊😷
I'm glad to see people appreciating this car because it indeed is very underrated especially where I live. Also, I have one myself a 2.0 v6 turbo, but currently, it's only a project car, can't wait for the day it finally lives once again and I can hear/enjoy that italian engine noise.
Lovely stuff. Thanks for sharing an outstanding car. I've just added an Alfa Romeo to the fleet, what a great decision that was
Oh, that engine note! Sweet Italian music, for sure. And the engine’s a sight to behold, so unlike the current trend of burying the engine under a silly plastic lid.
I heard "I now want a really powerful V6 in my 2CV".
Ah Biggleswade Sainsburys! My childhood hometown.... these are the roads I cut my driving teeth on, hooning around in my Dad’s Tara Loadbeta pickup 🤣
Lovely Jubbly Mr HubNut, beautiful car inside and out.
That Busso engine is intoxicating, and looks as good as it sounds! My lazy Lexus V6 sounds like a sewing machine in comparison. Loved that video, many thanks!
Wonderful, wonderful cars. I used to work for Alfa when they were new, & used to have to collect them from the docks & bring them back to the dealership in London, what a job that was! I once got caught by an early speed camera on the A12 doing 143mph in a Cloverleaf (covered in wax, only essential fuses fitted, so couldn't open windows/move mirrors etc), very very naughty, but difficult not to do now & then when they beg you for more all the time your honour! 75`s were also a lot of fun! (the 33`s were too, obviously, but they weren't selling as well at the time, & I never felt fully comfortable driving the LHD Spiders).
I also had a couple of old 2.0 164`s, both reliable, speedo`s & occasionally oil pressure gauges aside, (+ A/C digi displays if fitted), the wiper thing is worn linkages (quite common). The cast alloy door mirror bases tend to crack at 15 years or so, causing them to drop off. Nothing serious enough to detract from the joy of driving them though!
I don't remember the torque steer being such a significant issue with them, I think that one needs some attention tracking-wise, maybe a worn bush or two, the front does look a tad high, & those non standard, bigger looking rims with lower profiles wont be helping.
I had a Lancia Thema Turbo as well, now THAT had torque steer issues when the turbo kicked in...
Is this the sexiest car you've ever featured Hub? Me thinks it is.
Hooo crap ! After parting with my 156 v6 due to astronomical bills last year, I am now typing "alfa v6 for sale"... Thanks Ian.
I’m off there too
@@davidbarnsley8486 I was at Brands Hatch today with a for sale sign in my 166 3.2. I came home and tore up the sign. Don't think I can go through with it!
I was lucky to grow up with one of these. My dad bought it when I was 11. What a fantastic car it was. He converted it to LPG at one point and then sadly it was written off in a low speed impact. The motor and gearbox lived on in the Bi-Motore 164 made by Mike down at Rusper Alfa, Gatwick. I now have a 155 Q4 (Cloverleaf 4).
That's the 12v engine in that one. Torque steer special. The 24v cars were a touch better!
Had a wonderful dark green Lusso and other than fiddly electric windows it was completely reliable.
Bought at 3 years old and ran for another 40,000 miles.
Steady as a rock at high speed !
Once again you prove to be the Eric Outhwaite of car reviewers , shall we talk about the window wipers ?
Love these! Now time to find a 155!
Re: torque steer - I'm sure a full alignment might help that. LSDs should help eliminate wheel slip and reduce torque steer.
Sorry Simon, but it's inevitable in a V6 Alfa. Actually controlling it is all part of the fun 😁. Daily I drive a sober, reliable, economical 2004 Passat TDi, but I also own a 1997 GTV6. Bring on the noise and the expectation every time I drive it may be my last 😈
Had a 2L 155 twin spark in black with full body kit awesome car crap electrics
Beautiful engine noise! I have a not very HubNut car with an I5 engine, and the noise is so addictive!
Beautiful design , so very Pininfarina - a lot of accents in common with the Peugeot 405 also from the same design house.
Thank you for posting this
As a previous 405 owner,I thought this Alfa looked " bit" like it.
And the 605
Yes. The 405 was the last Peugeot to come to the US. They sold a few and then gave up.
605
Hub nut needs an Alfa V6! Now you're tourqing! Go for it. 😎😎
Wow! That is a beautiful 164. One of my favourite Alfa Romeos. The replacement for the 164, the 166 is a beauty too - and a car I’ve had the pleasure of driving.
Can’t wait for the ‘Elly with a V6’ video.
Back in 97 as thrusting 26 year old wannabe somebody, I went to an Alfa Specialist in inner West London to finally buy my dream car: a 5 year old 3 litre V6 Alfa 164. It was all the money I had, but I didn't care - I had lusted after this car since launch, and now it was going to be mine (regardless of the fact it was 5 years old and the mileage regarded euphemistically as a bit 'leggy'). So the dealer - a rather 'senior' gentleman, went with me on the test drive - slightly dubious and concerned with this relative 'yoof' behind the wheel. After asking a few probing questions of me, he began to relay the potential.... sorry, PROBABLE financial pitfalls I was to look forward to...... sorry, expect! So the exhaust was going to sting me for about £1500 (this is 1997 by the way!), the aircon was probably going to give way at some point, costing me another kidney, it loves brake pads, and did he mention it's penchant for munching through front tyres???
By the time we got back, I was terrified, and sheepishly said 'ok, I'll think about it', before slinking away back to the closest Tube station....... deflated and dejected, that I was probably going to end up just buying a Golf instead after all.
It was only years later that I realised what an absolute gentleman that dealer was. They were a LOONNGGG time established Alfa/Italian Car Specialist, and in fairness, this 164 was NOT what they usually dealt with (I'm pretty sure now it was trade stock - obvious to me now why there were so many classic Maseratis and a DeTomaso there!!). He understood my passion, but being the epitome of a gent that he was, he knew that - although funding a purchase is one thing - funding the upkeep of one is something completely different altogether, and he understood through those few probing questions, that maybe I just wasn't quite ready yet. So maybe it was a paternal instinct on his behalf, I don't know, but the margin on the car was so small to be of any consequence to him, that he would rather this young, 26 year old 'thrusting wannabe somebody' not drown in financial ruin so early in his Alfa Romeo love affair, and thus talked me out of it during that test drive.
Alas, I never did get to scratch that Alfa itch, and it has been one regret that has constantly reared it's head on too many occasions. On the plus side..... I did however satisfy my other lust for Italian motorbikes instead, where I now am lucky to have 5 in the 'shed' (3 Ducatis, 1 Benelli and 1 Bimota). So to look on the bright side, I guess if he hadn't had scared me off that 164 all those years ago, it may have opened up a financial wormhole I may never have escaped from, and would have taken me years longer to get my first Duke!
Ahhh well, maybe some day......... maybe some day!
I think anyone with a passing interest in cars falls in love with a particular Alfa. For me, it was the mid 90's and the 155 T Spark. When I saw scrapyards filled up with them just a few years later, I was reminded of the tenuous nature of Italian engineering.
Have great memories of my 3 litre lusso
Used to find turning the fog light on then off used to make the speedo work again
Stunning. No more words are necessary.
I used to own a 1989 164 3.0 V6 auto in silver with the dark lower body mouldings and it was my favourite car I've ever owned .
I am in love with this car for more than thirty years...but never had one I never had money and now It´s really hard to find some good piece today...
Reliable but expensive to keep it running.
I'm looking forward to the day you have a Hubnut performance car in your fleet like this!
What a beautiful car Brilliant video Ian 👍
My 1st accident was when i side swiped one of these in my lancia delta 1.3
The only modern car I genuinely desire is the Giulia Quadrifoglio. That says it all about Alfa for me. They’ve always made amazing cars.
Our 164 Twin Spark remains one of the best cars I've ever owned: handled beautifully, looked gorgeous, & was very reliable (unless I left it with the dealer service agents) - so yep, when new, the wipers, aircon & all the buttons worked. Ours was a G reg '89, owned from 92 to 97, & had the same interior etc as this one, but the TS did without the electronic dampers. Incidentally, the boot badge should rotate with the key slot underneath. It may need a bit of encouragement, if the owner usually uses the dash button. It also spent a lot of time on the same roads, as it came from the Bedford dealer. The TS didn't torque steer, either, just went like an elegant hot hatch.
Waiting for a Video on an Alfa 75 or FIAT Tempra. Love the Videos and your personality
I see Peugeot 405 down he side and Vauxhall Cavalier Mark 2 on the front. Now I can't unsee that. Strange that the overall package looks so good then.
Unquestionably one of the best Alfa’s ever. Looks and sounds amazing. Well done Signore.
Alfa’s should be, by law, black with red leather or red with black leather.
Absolute beast of a car . Drove one on hire from London to Glasgow and fell in love with it . Great video .
What a beautiful soundtrack! Lovely vid, thank you!
What a lovely machine,from the doors back it also looks similar to a Peugeot 405 Mi16 from the thumbnail! Those diamond cut rims set it right off! Appreciating in value for sure. 👍🏻
Always loved this two tone color on the 164 and that engine!
Stunning car, stunning sound, one very happy Hubnut. Great video as always Ian.