Alfanomics

Photos courtesy Bring a Trailer

The Alfa Romeo 164 is an affordable and stylish Italian sport-sedan experience

 

Ask car enthusiasts who built the first mass-produced sport sedan and most will give credit to BMW. Ask an Alfisti and they’ll correctly name Alfa Romeo. When Alfa launched its rear-drive, 4-door 1900 sedan for 1950, not only did it trade its pre-war exclusivity for post-war sales volume, but also began a legacy of building sporty rear-drive sedans that sometimes outperformed even its own 2-door sports cars.

But by the 1980s, Alfa was in financial trouble and plans for its next rear-drive sedan concept were scuttled. Instead, an alliance was struck for a new front-wheel-drive model that would share a chassis with three other contemporary European cars: the Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema and Saab 9000. At least the 164 was the most interesting of this quartet, with sharp styling, unique suspension geometry and a thrilling engine that kept its Alfa-ness intact.

Still the real deal

Launched globally with a variety of powertrain options, including a 4-cylinder turbodiesel, the 164 landed on North American soil for the 1991 model year with just a single engine, the widely revered 12-valve, 3-liter “Busso” V6, so named for its creator, longtime Alfa engineer Giuseppe Busso. Three trim levels were offered here initially: a base model, the 164L plus the 164S. The L “luxury” models made 183 horsepower, while S “sport” versions had a special cam and exhaust, polished intake runners and high-compression pistons for 200 hp. S-trim cars also had a sporty body kit, with a deeper front air dam, side skirts and a rear spoiler. Both were available with either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed ZF automatic.

Like the Pininfarina-designed exterior, the 164’s interior was sleek and modern, with a button-heavy dash, as was common at the time, leather seats (highly bolstered in the S model), and a four-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel. Despite the 164’s parts-bin roots, Car and Driver wrote in its 1990 test, “Any C/D staffer dropped blindfolded into the 164’s cockpit could tell you, in about two seconds, that he was sitting in an Alfa.” The magazine found plenty to like about the car, noting, “The 164S offers speed, elegant styling, a tomb-quiet cockpit, a kick-out-the-jams V6, rarity and more character than any other $30,000 sedan.” Minor-but-irritating reliability issues over a longer-term road test did quell some of this enthusiasm.

In 1994, the 164S became the 164 Quadrifoglio and was upgraded with electronically adaptive suspension, while the L was renamed LS. Both came with a new DOHC 24-valve version of the Busso V6, with a bump to 210 hp for the LS and 230 hp in the Quadrifoglio. Acceleration times fell slightly, with mid-six-second 0–60-mph runs. While most buyers opted for a new multi-mode ZF automatic, the 5-speed manual was still available. In Europe, a new Q4 model added all-wheel drive to the equation and 164 production continued to 1998. Meanwhile, Alfa withdrew from the U.S. market in 1995, not to return for well over a decade.

Care and feeding

As you’d probably expect, it does take a little care and knowledge to keep a 1990s-vintage Alfa at its peak. At the top of the list is regular replacement of the timing belt, water pump, tensioner and idler pulley, every five to seven years. A broken belt results in big repair bills, so it’s best to be proactive. Budget $2k to $3k at your local Alfa specialist (assuming you can still find one).

The electronic dampers on the rare Quadrifoglio models have been unavailable for well over a decade and aren’t practically rebuildable, so most owners simply replace them with manually adjusted Konis. Make sure all the common electronic items work, including power windows, power seat motors, sunroof and climate controls. Cleaning contacts will sometimes bring these items back from the dead, but often new switches are required.

Also, with a transversely mounted engine, accessibility is tricky. That goes double for later 24-valve engines. Most of all, check for service and parts receipts. By now, any 164 should have a healthy binder’s worth of prior maintenance expenses. Forums such as Alfabb.com have model-specific sections with users that know just about everything that goes wrong — and how to fix it.

An affordable Alfa?

While keeping a decent 164 on the road will involve spending a grand or two each year, on average, these are relatively inexpensive cars to buy, and they make a good entry point to the marque. Skip the many tired runners for sale under $5k, and budget $10k–$15k to buy one of the better cars available. While that’s three times the amount of a bottom-feeder example, you’re still paying well under $20k for an honest-to-goodness Italian sports sedan with plenty of room for four, one of the best-sounding V6 engines ever made, and eye-catching Pininfarina styling. Manual-equipped cars tend to be worth more than automatics, but generally, condition, mileage and service history set the price over various trim levels. Find a great 164 and you’ll likely have a unique car at your next AROC gathering.