While never sold here as Alfa Romeo had pulled up stakes in the U.S. before its introduction, today's Nice Price or No Dice 155 elsewhere replaced the 75/Milano that we did get. Now we can taste that replacement, and we will have to determine if its price proves palatable as well.
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Tipo Tre
Of late, we've had some extremely high-mileage cars here seeking favor. With the current import taxes being levied on new cars, the used car market is heating up, making even the well-worn worth at least considering. Italy once had heavy taxes on automobiles with engines over 2.0 liters, both domestic and imported. Fortunately for Italians with a desire for displacement, that practice ended in 1994. As a result, this 1996 Alfa Romeo 155 2.5 V6 could be enjoyed inside Italy without its owner having to pay the 38% VAT (fun tax).
Few, however, took advantage of the opportunity. The 155 was not a sales hit for Alfa, with fewer than 200,000 built over the model's six-year run. Why was that? Perhaps it was because the FWD car replaced the 75, a rear-wheel drive car that could trace its lineage back to the Alfetta of the early 1970s. Or maybe it was because, being one of the first cars introduced under Fiat's ownership of Alfa Romeo, its styling was penned too close to that of the Fiat Tempra, with which it shared its Tipo Tre platform.
Bellissina Busso
Thankfully, this 155 has some true Alfa Brio under the bonnet. That's the 2.5-liter eight-valve V6, a legendary engine designed in the early 1970s by Alfa chief engineer and former Ferrari technical director Giuseppe Busso. With its polished intake runners and red Alfa Romeo script cast into its cam covers, the Busso is a thing of beauty. Making 164 horsepower and 159 pound-feet of torque, it also offers some pretty impressive power for its era.
Here that's mated to a five-speed manual transaxle and, according to the seller, benefits from newish timing belts, a fresh water pump, replaced ignition leads, and a general resealing all around.
Other updates on the car include Koni yellow struts and shocks. Masking those are a set of gray Speedline alloys fitted at the factory. There are also disc brakes all around. According to the seller, the car is rust-free, a claim supported by a shot of the underside that shows no obvious leaks or other issues.
Everything Works
This being an Alfa, and more to the point, one from the era when the Italian carmaker wasn't selling cars here officially, one might imagine this would be a quirky and unmanageable ride. The seller calms these qualms by stating that everything on the car works as it should, right down to the rear defroster. It even comes with A/C that the seller describes as "Gelato-grade." It's all pretty stock, too; however, the single DIN head unit in the dash and the back-up camera screen in the rear view mirror are nods to modernity.
The car looks great in the pictures, both inside and out. A couple of issues are noted in the ad, particularly some problems with the car's clear coat in places, and some fading in the paint on the roof. On the plus side, this is the later edition of the 155, so it has the flared fenders and more aggressive overall stance than the earlier cars. Being a European market car, the instruments are, of course, all in metric units, with the speedo marking kilometers, the temp gauges in Celsius, and the pressure in Bar, not PSI. The odometer reads 119,000 kilometers, or about 74,000 miles.
Regardless of its metric machinations, the interior is in good shape despite the reputation of Italian plastics and its-always-a-Monday build quality. The import paperwork is claimed to be complete, and the car carries a clean title.
Dare To Drive Italian
Privately imported cars are always a bit of a hard sell as there's a fear about getting stuck with something that has no serviceability should parts or knowledge be needed. That's not the case for the major elements on this 155 as its drivetrain is close enough to the earlier 164 that Alfa-leaning shops should be able to source an oil filter or the odd minor replacement part.
Despite that, the seller warns that this is 'not just a car; it's a statement. One that says, "I know what a timing belt is, and I welcome a little passion under the hood."' They challenge buyers to "Dare to drive something different. Dare to drive Italian."
If that statement speaks to you, we now need to consider this Alfa's $13,000 asking price. What's your take on this privately imported sports saloon and that $13K cost of entry? Does that feel like a deal to get behind some sweet Busso bass notes? Or is that too much for something this quirky?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Facebook Marketplace out of Seattle, Washington, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
Help me out with NPOND. Contact me at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.
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