First Posting for Alfa Romeo

urbanmaser

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Ok this is the first thread for Alfa Romeo which I thought I would start in view of the fact I have had a few of them starting with Alfa Romeo Montreal (for those of you old enough remember what it is), an Alfa Spyder, 156 2.5V6 and up until last year a GT 3.2 V6 (great car).

I cannot help newbies too much technically but I am pretty clued up on dealers and indies - feel free to contact me.
 

conaero

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Alfa was always my first love, its what let me to Maserati, Alfa's loss, Maserati's gain.

I was a Renault man I am sorry to admit, but always bought old sheds as a nipper. Then, once my business was established, I bought a new Megane Coupé, the ones with the pair of round lights on the back, it was terrible and more aggro than the old sheds. So, enough was enough, and I chopped it in, and you guessed it, bought another one, a Megane Convertible this time. Once again, fell to pieces, god awful horrid little French Sh!te box!

Its here that enough really was enough and turned to another marque.....Alfa Romeo. I bought a brand new 1999 GTV Phase 2 2L TS Lusso from Simon Jordon (Specialist Cars Direct) down in Bristol, who was importing them in, and I was blown away. It proved to be a pleasant experience, with only maybe 2 niggles, one was the windscreen wiper juddering....hum, sounds familiar!

I weathered the storm of my mate, you know, Italian rot box, Italian electrics, Italian depreciation!!!! ARRRGGHHH!

As I was Alfa hooked, my next car was a Beetle Turbo, hey, what, well, I had just met my wife and most decisions where being made with my trouser brain...hum. To be fair I was commuting from Chichester to Woking every day and bought a Bellingo van (don't laugh, it was very, very good as a van).

Next up was a 3 year old Alfa 156 1.8TS Sportwagon (which I still drive today) which I bought for the wife and the emerging family which replaced the Beetle (very good car, just felt a bit gay in it) freeing up the money for me to buy a new Alfa GTV 3.2V6 24v......oh.....my......god!

That was such a car, so powerful, so soulful.

After 3 years of ownership (mid 2005) it was time for a replacement, so looking to Alfa, nothing was grabbing me. The GT has always caught my eye, and anything from that point on that Alfa has produced, just did not float my boat.....a common complaint from Alfa's loyal customer base.

This is were I started to notice the 3200, and the rest as they say, is history.

I look forward to returning to Alfa one day, when they get their act together, and am sure, with the newly forged alliance with Maserati, it wont be long.
 
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urbanmaser

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I am no lover of Clarkson but have to agree with him that every true petrol head has to have owned at least one Alfa. Like you Conaero, after the GTV and the GT, Alfa did little to float my boat either. The Brera was a huge disappointment and was a far flung cry from the concept car that took the world by storm several years before.

The last true Alfa V6 was put into the GTV and the GT. The 3.2 V6 in the Brera just did not do it for me. After three glorious years with the GT I moved to Maserati and with no regrets.

I too am waiting for Alfa to do something magical and I too would return to the marque - perhaps a rear wheel drive with sub 5sec to 60 could sway me.......let me know if you see an 8C for around £50k :eek:
 

conaero

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UM, there is one in the pipe line, the new Alfa 169, its being based on the Maser QP underpinnings, not sure what the lump will be, but probably the 4.2V8, their GM junk 3.2V6 would be a big mistake in a car that would be circa 2T.
 

urbanmaser

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2,908
In all honesty though would you take a new 169 or maybe a 2 year old low mileage quatroporte for the same money??????? Alfa will have to come up with an 8C for sensible money to sway me back
 

conaero

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I know what you mean, but the Alfa will be drop dead gorgeous, don't get me wrong, the QP is a lovely looking car, buy you just wait to see what Alfa do!