1997 ALFA ROMEO 164 3.0 V6 24V SUPER

This Alfa Romeo 164 is a smartly-presented example of the marque’s stylish 1990s executive saloon, benefiting from a recent respray and regular servicing. Under the bonnet is a ‘Busso’ 3.0-litre naturally aspirated 24-valve V6 engine, producing up to 208bhp and 196lb-ft of torque, driving the front wheels via a manual transmission. It has covered approximately 120,000 miles to date, but remains in very good order.

First registered on 19 March 1997, this 164 is an original UK-market car from the final year of production, with six previous registered keepers on the log book. It is now offered for sale by the trade.

The Alfa Romeo 164 was unveiled at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show. Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Saab had agreed to develop their own executive cars based on the shared Type Four platform they had engineered, in order to challenge the market leads from Britain and Germany. Unsurprisingly, this saloon was the most handsome of the production models, with elegant Pininfarina styling.

Today, the bodywork and paint are described as being in excellent condition, benefitting from a repaint undertaken in 2016, with only minor stone chips now apparent to the front end. The finish presents evenly, with no discolouration or damage to the lacquer, while the Alfa also retains its correct badging. There are small marks on the front bumper chrome trim, with a minor dent also apparent on the driver’s door chrome trim.  It rides on upgraded 16-inch split-rim QV alloy wheels, which are in generally superb order.

The 164’s cabin is a plush and period-perfect place to spend time on the road. New Alfa Romeo-branded mats greet occupants as they enter, while the grey cloth seats present very well with no rips or tears. The supportive seats appear to have retained their shape impressively. The dashboard retains all of its original switchgear, with this example benefiting from a sunroof and heated front seats as well as electrically-operated mirrors and windows. The radio cover shows minor signs of discolouration, and there are no electrical faults reported – the only foible being the inoperative odometer that has now been replaced.

The most recent service was carried out in August 2020 by David Connolly TVR of Northern Ireland. This entailed replacement of all fluids, as well as the ABS sensor and pump, while the car was given a full mechanical check over.

Prior to this, the engine was stripped and rebuilt with the cambelt also replaced in April 2018; while in September 2016 at 110,643 miles, the car received an oil service, new clutch slave cylinder, fuel filter and new airflow meter. The Alfa sports a stainless steel exhaust to unlock extra aural character from the ‘Busso’ V6, but is otherwise mechanically standard.

The most recent MOT test was on 11 July 2020. This was a clean pass with no advisories, following a failure in the previous month for various faults with the brakes, handbrake, corrosion on the rear suspension mounting area, and an issue with the ESP warning lamp. The wheels are shod in matching Michelin tyres on all four corners, which are in good condition with no damage to the sidewalls and ample tread remaining.

This Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 is a very presentable example of a lesser-spotted luxury saloon of the 1990s. With a stack of invoices showing thousands of pounds spent in the last six years in particular, this elegant executive is a sophisticated modern classic that could be readily put into daily driver duties, or would be a great addition to an assembly of other esoteric Italians.

The description of this auction lot is, to the best of the seller's knowledge, accurate and not misleading. Collecting Cars requests a range of detail about the lot from the seller, and performs a level of due diligence through HPI checks and MOT history. However, bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the description, and conduct any research they feel is necessary before committing to a bid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details.

All UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.