Auto Express – August 20, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 55

50

MODERN

CLASSICS

AlfaRomeo156

Years produced: 1997-2007

Price range: £200-£6,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

RATHERthanallowthefamiliarGermanprestige
brandstocleanupinthesmallexecutive
sector,AlfaRomeolaunchedasaloonthatwas
describedbysomejournalistsatthetimeas
“themostbeautifulcarintheworld”.The156
wasn’tjustpretty;itwasbettermadethanany
Alfabeforeandhadarangeofcharacterful
engines.Eventhediesels(borrowedfroma
VauxhallVectra)hadsomeverveinjected
intothembytheItalianengineers.
Buttimehasn’tbeenkindtothe156,
withrustinthefloorpansandsills,eye-
wateringcostsforcambeltchangesand
electricalgremlinsmeaningmanyhave
beencrushed.Somecarshaveevenbeen
boughtjustfortheirleatherseats,which
areboltedintoolderclassicsoreven
turnedintosofasandofficechairs.
Findonethatisrot-freewithapetrol
engineandamanualbox,anditmakes
adistinctiveclassic-in-waiting,whichcould
beusedeverydaywithoutcompromise.

Italy

FIAT

MULTIPLA

Years produced: 1998-2004

Price range: £100-£2,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

ITtakesaleapoffaithtobelievethattheMultipla

willeverbecomeaclassic,butpricesaresolow

rightnowthatit’shardlyarisk.Thepre-facelift

car’schallenginglooksmeantbuyershadtolike

beingthecentreofattention;wethinkitmeans

theMultiplawillbecomesomethingofanovelty.

Whileyouwaitforeveryoneelsetorealiseit’s

aclassic,you’llhaveuseofahandysix-seater

(that’stworowsofthreeseats)MPV.

AlfaRomeo166

Years produced: 1998-2005

Price range: £300-£5,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

WHILEthe156(below)wassuccessfullychallengingthe

Germansinthecompactexecutivesector,Alfacouldn’t

pulloffthesamestuntinthenextclassupwiththe166.

Itwascertainlydistinctive-lookinganddrovewellenough,

withafree-revvingTwinSparkfour-cylinderortwoversions

oftheV6.Butdieselpowerandrear-wheeldrivewerein

voguebackthen,andneitherofthemwereonofferwith

the166,soitfalteredandneversoldinlargenumbers.

Now,themodelsthathavesurvivedofferacheapway

intoanindividualcarwiththelegendaryAlfaV6.

expertview

Beautyreallyhastobe

intheeyeofthebeholder

wheretheMultipla’s

concerned.Butthere’s

noarguingwiththe

practicalityitoffers.

John McIlroy

Deputy editor