ALFA ROMEO 166

Italian style and lusty, sonorous engines – it’s a familiar Alfa Romeo story. But what if you want to bring your family along? Step forward the 166…

For years the most notable thing about the 166 was its depreciation. Now, 20 years on from its launch, it’s growing in value as the handful that remain are being cherished by a discerning few.

There’s a lot to love – from the low-powered but sweet handling 2.0-litre Twin Spark, to the thunderous 3.2-litre V6, there’s plenty of variety.

The fixtures and fittings might not be as solid as a BMW 5 Series, but the Alfa’s effortless style makes the Munich machine look like a taxi. The first-generation car’s nose doesn’t appeal to everyone but the facelifted 166 is more conventionally pretty and as such carries a premium. The 166’s interior is beautifully sculpted and sumptuously fitted out in stitched Italian leather. It’s soothing, exotic and enthralling. It might not handle with quite the same the aplomb as its rear-wheeldrive rivals, but a sophisticated rear suspension setup means that it handles far better than you’d expect a frontdriver in this class to. No lurid telly hack powerslides here, but in all other ways the 166 makes for an excellent mile-muncher.

It’s whisper-quiet on the inside and if you choose a Twin Spark four-cylinder it rides superbly. V6 models are a little more crashy, but you’re rewarded with one of the most beautiful-sounding engines ever made – the Busso. And its pull past 4000rpm is truly eyepopping…

The 166 is one of the finest hidden gems in the modern classics landscape, and right now represents an absolute bargain – but it pays to buy carefully. Here’s how to make your Alfa experience more 166, less 666.

‘It handles far better than you’d expect a front-driver in this class to’