1995 Alfa Romeo 164 QV Review: The Car BMW Should Have Feared

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Today on the channel, I drive the Alfa Romeo 164 QV. The hot version of Alfa's 164 Saloon, introduced back in 1987 and discontinued only in 1998. It was conceived from the ground up as a car that could challenge the superiority of the Germans, and came very close - but what went wrong?
#AlfaRomeo #busso #V6
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[@JayEmmOnCars]

CarVertical: The History Checking Service Use this link or code "JAYEMM" for a discount! www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?b=1e4c9523&a=JayEmm&voucher=jayemm&chan=jayemm

[@F4Insight-uq6nt]

The reason that ALFA could never compete will BMW in the Uk is mainly due to the fact that there was a lot of BMW Dealers and Service Centres for BMWs. Think company cars and fleet hire etc. Alfa's are just too Niche of a vehicle to compete with BMWs range.

[@serz1885]

12:27 what's the door closing to do with mileage? do you usually open and close doors while you driving?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

@@serz1885 it's the sound of quality

[@misterdog7]

11:30 60MPH? White corresponding to MPH and yellow KMH or am I seeing this wrong? :P

[@Indigenous51]

@@misterdog7 No ,you’re not . Probably needs reading glasses.

[@hexgraphica]

One of the lead engineers of the Montezemolo Ferraris (Ugolini) had worked on the 164 since short after its inception. He was tasked with perfecting the chassis by finite elements analysis at a facility in Paris, and when the study was done the stiffness was almost double that of the closest competition, more than double that of an hatchback Then in 1983 the styling concept was overthrown on favour of Pininfarina's proposal, and the monocoque had to be adapted to the new looks. So he stepped in and with just 4 kilos of reinforcements he made his calculations real and gifted the 164 with 120'000 kgm ad. Soon after that Fiat Auto Group bought Alfa, at a project briefing this torsional stiffness value was revealed to Fiat engineers, who accused Alfa of having made this result up because the Fiat the Lancia and the Saab only scored 70'000. At the end the Fiat Group saloons were mandated to be at least 100'000 rigid

[@ThunderChunky101]

A truly brilliant man.

[@anastassiosperakis2869]

who cares. All Alfas are utterly unreliable piles of junk.

[@shand1967]

As an ex Fiat Croma owner I can attest how poor the torsional rigidity was for that car. The tailgate was so floppy I literally thought it would disintegrate in my hands.

[@ofmanynicknames]

As an ex Saab 9000 owner I can confirm the floppiness of that car too. Jack up one corner to change a wheel and the corresponding door barely opens, and definitely doesn't close again.

[@gersonc.2737]

You can not find these cars easily, a regular 164 is hard to find but a v6 or the qv are rare

[@kuseetha.]

164 is the first Alfa Romeo model I saw as a schoolboy in 1996, it looked like something else. I still own a 24V 164 since 2012 here in Sri Lanka. Maintenance and upkeep are getting expensive by the day, but it is a fantastic car to have. Thank you for the video, James.

[@ArmySigs]

Dude, you run a 164 in Sri Lanka? That's true love right there

[@kuseetha.]

@@ArmySigs thank you, there are actually 2 more V6 ones.

[@ridhwanramzi4773]

Hey machan I'm from Sri Lanka too! Saw a 164 flyby in marine drive recently. You a brave man for maintaining one in lanka. There was an autolanka forum member by the name of VVT-i who had a V6 164. Wonder if its you! I myself drive a Peugeot 406.

[@kuseetha.]

​@@ridhwanramzi4773I bought it from VVT-I back in 2012. I have moved to Kandy. I have a 33 as well. 406 is a nice car, D9 I guess?

[@narvul]

That 164 must be a rare sight over there.

[@katzicael]

A friend of mine at Primary School when I was 12 - his Dad had one of these, he was an optometrist. Really cool guy.

[@DDLNX]

I would have to have been that persons friend or acquaintance. Molto bellow 🤌

[@lqr824]

I misread that as "optimist," and said to myself, well, quite, it's an Alfa after all.

[@brianiswrong]

​@@lqr824 That's exactly what I read on a quick pass😅😅

[@neilturner6749]

Seamore Clearly?

[@SenszR]

@@lqr824same 😂

[@jumpferjoy1st]

One of my all time favourite cars ever owned. The Busso V6 is one of the greatest engines ever made. Mine was serviced by an ex Alfa touring car team mechanic and he was able to change the rev limiter from somewhere in the 7,000s up to 8,500rpm. Driving through Dartford tunnel with 8,000 revs, that was tingling moments, really was. Mine was all black on the outside and black interior. So when discussing the room in the boot, it is gauged on the number of bodies you can get in there, it was that sinister. As to parts, yep. Even when relatively new, the gearbox went while within warranty. It took six weeks for a gearbox to be sent over from Italy and cost them over five grand. Apart from that it was very reliable. The gearstick did come out in my hand once, while on the M25. But it just slotted back in and never caused issue again. Comedy moment, I had a warning light on the dash. The warning lights are in a long bar under the gauges. I checked the owners manual and couldn't tell what it was. I took it to the main Alfa dealer. They couldn't work out what it was either and offered to just take the bulb out of the warning light.

[@ArmySigs]

Nice. Did it require any other modifications to run at that rpm without blowing up?

[@jumpferjoy1st]

@@ArmySigs Thr mechanic had been recommended to me by one of the people at the Alfa Owners club of GB. Seeing that he was far more capable than the main dealer, apart from knowing his stamps on the service book were higher valued than a dealer stamp, I left everything to him he was that good. Alas it was back in the 90s and some stupid person crashed their Ford Ka into it wrecking both. And that ended my 164 ownership.

[@tastypymp1287]

'It was very reliable, apart from the gear stick becoming detached from the car while driving....'

[@martinboulden4388]

The coolest car you have driven this year ! This car should only be parked in a freezer ! Awesome. ❤

[@wings9925]

I saw a Rosso example in Tunbridge Wells a week or so ago. It took be back to my teens, when the QV was the stuff of dreams. I remember the rave reviews in Autocar and other print media too. That beautiful 24-valve engine, the spaceship interior that has aged fantastically well. What a car.

[@rebeldrummeruk]

My dad had a 1996 2.0 TwinSpark Super Lusso in black as a company car back in the day. It was an incredibly special car, full of soul, passion and flair! It was reliable, well built and looked like something 4 times it's cost. As a teenager at the time I would drool over the Cloverleaf version which to this day I think still looks like a four door Ferrari. Chuffed that you found one to review James!

[@timhancock6626]

The Twin Spark is often overlooked, but was a remarkably capable car and so much lighter than the V6 that it was more fun to throw about the lanes. I had both and I viewed them as different cars. The V6 was a high speed cruiser that was still quick on the steering. It's the only car my kids ever told me off for selling.

[@harryspeakup8452]

I will never forget 1989 when the original 3.0 V6 manual car came out. The torque steer was ridiculous but the whole car was intensely happy-making and the engine divine. My first was only a short term loan but a friend later had one of her own which she and I both adored

[@benzinapaul7416]

Yes, the first cars with the higher located engine were very prone to torque steer, my old man had one and used to say when he wanted to overtake he didn't have to steer he just booted it and the car moved to the right on it's own!

[@aHumanCookiee]

@@benzinapaul7416 Mine does that 😆. Mind you, they corner well and it is only near full throttle that they do this.

[@wrapdump]

My dad bought one in '89. Proceeded to put 300k miles on it. We all still miss it.

[@aHumanCookiee]

@@wrapdump I hope mine makes it that far!

[@wrapdump]

@@aHumanCookiee I hope it's with you for a long time to come. My mum still reminisces about watching the rear squat slightly under acceleration as he'd set off for work. Such a fantastic shape.

[@Chipchap-xu6pk]

Quick note on Sod's law regarding sunroofs and windows. It never invokes on opening. You find out on closing.

[@lqr824]

Only if it is raining 😀

[@glennmckenzie1096]

That shape! The perfectly proportioned saloon wrapped around a sensational V6 engine and very competent chassis. I loved mine and was very VERY sad when I had to move on from it.

[@benzinapaul7416]

The 164 QV 24V must be up there with the best cars I've ever owned, I've had 3 of them and they are just amazing, even the 24V Super gives you the same feeling. Awesome cars, great review James

[@memo3872]

I don't think if the 164 had been RWD would have made any difference to sales. Why? Well take a look at the current Giulia which is of course RWD and didn't just equal the Germans when it arrived in 2016 but thoroughly thrashed them in every way important to a driver and they've hardly sold any. Such a shame. I guess there must a lot more armchair petrolheads than real ones.

[@exgtt2061]

The sound of this engine is how Subarus sound on TV show Road Wars lol From previous Busso ownership I can confirm to avoid straight through exhausts and to focus more on the intake. Carbon air boxes sound incredibly good and Ferrari throttle body’s can be made to fit. Check KZbin for the best V6 noises on any road car with this set up 👍 Jay, you need to try a 2.5 in a 156 - it’s the sweetest 24v Busso imo

[@shanedusautoy5258]

I have a 1996 TS Super I bought as a neglected non runner and am slowly bringing back to life. Surprisingly rust free car in a good spec with ABS, Aircon etc. I chose the twin spark as no belts to worry about and the last iteration of the classic Alfa twin cam.

[@zloychechen5150]

can you still get any parts?

[@ps36081]

You bought a dream project car!!! Rust free and can get it running!! Good luck and hope to hear its driving at some point!

[@shanedusautoy5258]

Yes, it needed a fuel pump to get it running which I managed to buy without issue. Once it ran the alternator showed up as not good and I found a replacement along with all the belts. Next is suspension etc but all seems to be available. Amazingly for a car that has stood all the electronics work other than the sunroof.

[@fabriziovenditti9246]

Le auto non italiane non hanno difetti ?🤔🤷‍♂️😤🤮

[@studiocalder818]

NOT surprisingly rust free, in fact 75, 164 have never suffered from it, at least not more than the competition. That period was already over, but the Vulgate remained

[@richardsmith5249]

Back in '94/'95, I worked for Hewlett Packard in Bristol. There was some sort of company car tax swindle whereby the management made their cars available as "pool cars". One day, I got lucky, and got handed the keys of a shiny red Twin Spark. Two additional points: the 164 was the absolute dream car of my sister's husband, and the day I got the car was, coincidentally, his birthday... So after I'd done my business, I drove round to his house, parked in front, and banged on his door. "Happy birthday!" I said, dangling the keys. I didn't let him drive it, despite him begging quite pathetically, but I did take him for an extended sortie down the back roads.

[@olafvanes]

Thanks for this my first Alfa was a 164 V6 from 1989 (bought in 1993 with on 150.000 km on the clock but probably more, shady dealer) Would have liked a LSD and airco. On the motorway it was pretty fast did 230 km/h but could maintain speeds of 150/160 km/h (~ 100 mph) easily. Only thing that rusted were the wing mirrors holders (aluminium extrusion) It had a cloth interior, still nice and the backseat didn't fold down that was a bit of nuisance at Ikea.

[@davidbewick9208]

Owned 3 of these over the years. Always red as the QV colours were limited. That car has the optional Recaro interior unless it was retrofitted which some were. The servicing needs an independent specialist and they can be ruinously expensive to put right if you get a bad one. They are an absolute joy to drive and surprisingly nimble. My last one maxed out by pulling 7000 rpm in 5th and showing 160mph on the speedo. They were booked at 152mph top end. The adaptive damping is a common fail and is expensive to fix as is the digital readout for the climate control. There was a 4WD version with more power and a Getrag 6sp box but they were quite fragile and not many built (all LHD). It was badged the Q4 and is completely different to the standard QV. (Please note James)

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

I just agree about all the details that you mentioned. A wonderful machine. I never had the 164, but would love to. Still my favorite Alfas are: the 75, Spider (the 4th gen) and 33 from the 90s. :) There are also others, but these are my favorites. In regards to the 164, I would go for the 3.0 V6 and in black. :) Drop by mate, you may like my content. :)

[@davidbewick9208]

@RRRRefuelRideRace the QV was only available in red white or black. Recto interior super rare and in tan leather is like hens teeth

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

@@davidbewick9208 I know. The QV is a wonderful Alfa, but also others were very nice. :)

[@matrik03]

​@@RRRRefuelRideRaceor a 2 liter V6 Turbo

Q4 had the same power as QV, I had one, Torsen diff has its troubles, but car went like a train on fast roads...

[@truant2000]

My late Father had 2 of these cars, the first was bought as a donor car for the 3.0 24v V6 to go into a Lancia Stratos kit car he was building, but while using it until the engine was required he fell in love with the car and went out and bought another that had better specs such as the leather seats and sunroof. The part at 6:47 brings back memories of when we opened the roof one morning only to find it wouldn’t close just moments later, as great as 80s/90s Alfa’s were, their electrics seemed to have a mind of their own.

[@alexjaybrady]

Mine locked all its doors with the engine running in a rainstorm when I was about to take a friend to the airport 😅.. I had to bust in one of the small triangular windows to get in.

[@pistonburner6448]

How could he be late with such fast cars?

[@quackman]

I've been watching for around a year how and I finally have to ask..... how does this guy make so many awesome videos on this many cool cars....? I see JayEmm's videos pop up in my regular youtube feed and assume "oh this must be from a couple years ago, how did I miss this cool car?" then realize it just came out a few hours ago.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Constant work

[@markcarlton]

​@JayEmmOnCars A shame you're not in Australia. If you ever visit, I have 4 classic Alfa's you should try. I had 2 more over the years but mistakenly moved them on😢.

[@koosuys3101]

What a great channel. The new cars just don't have poke anymore. All looks the same. All boring. I love the lot of old cars reviewed here, and the fact that Jay can just give his honest opinion. O. And so refreshing to have an oak who does not fake that typical plastic presenter laugh all the time.

[@wings9925]

Oh god! When the 164 is considered a classic car you know you're nudging 50. Send help!

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

A wonderful machine. Still, would rather pick the 75, but OK, this one would go in black and with the 3.0 V6 engine for me. I just agree about the purpose of this car... it is all about the feel, drive and experience. Something you remember forever if you had ever tried one. The last real Alfa was the 75 for me. It was really something very Italian (in the 80s and 90s). Just remember the handbrake, the electric windows position and the RWD. :) Got my like here. :) Keep going bro.

[@micujus1]

Agree, 164 was already under fiat

[@donhappel9566]

I'll agree, with the introduction of fwd (ok, the Sud was fwd but in the states we didn't get that) things started to change. The 164 was also the last Alfa to come stateside until the reintroduction of the current models. However calling this a "classic" Alfa seems a stretch. It's a great car, but I'd say the last of the "classic" Alfas was the GTV of '74 which gave way to the Alfetta which became the GTV6 and Milano/75. I've had several of them in 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 flavor and raced them as well. But I don't consider them "classic" Alfas.

[@seashackf1]

Completely agree, made the same comment when he said that. Fwd platform shared with the Saab 9000 is not the last true Alfa. I had a Milano/75 verde 3L also. The sound and handling were amazing. Rwd, Busso V6, transaxle with on board brakes had such a good weight distribution. Loved that car.

[@rodrigosoriano4780]

5 speed is the best

[@davidhills3100]

Oh my god! I so nearly bought a 164 Cloverleaf back in the mid-90s. It wouldn't have been at all sensible, but I just really really wanted it. The one that got away...

[@SSVHD]

I still have my ‘92 164S from new. Red/tan, V6 Busso engine is going strong at 99K miles. My ‘17 Giulia Ti Lusso 2.0L 4 engine has no soul in comparison.

[@pd1596]

I owned one of these recently. It was great!!! But everything was slightly broken. A good short term experience 😂

[@yuidfbse]

.. and if you had kept it for much longer, you'd end up with a bunch of loose screws, bolts and pieces worth a trashcan.

[@costafilh0]

I was obsessed with the design of this car as a kid! It looked so cool and mean in black!

[@aviobrain]

I loved mine,a 3.0 Super Lusso that had a 4 valve Cloverleaf engine in it. your review is a realistic one. Even though front drive, I managed to spin mine once, caught the slide but was pointing at a lampost so ended up letting it go all the way round!

[@stevefield3377]

The 164 is a special one. Missing so much my dad's late '98 2.0 Twin Spark. That engine also has a glorious sound, you can hear the intake inside so well.

[@marcelromijn2227]

Loved this! I own a 164 for nearly 15 years now. Its a TwinSpark which is a bit lighter, nimble and has less torque steer. Suspension and exhaust are all new but original parts and it is such a fantastic car to drive and hear. Also have a AlfaSud and it resembles how great it handles. Dont miss rearwheeldrive on it but get why purists are put off by it.. untill they drive it. Despite slow sales the 164 was actually delivering a good profit for Alfa, just when FIAT took charge. Only the 156 has since been such a success.

[@Hipas_Account]

I own a Peugeot 605 which has somewhat similar design apart from the front and rear treatment, which i have to say atleast for the rear, the Alfa did it better. I especially love the side streak that both the 605 and the 164 have. I once had the chance to park my 605 next to a 164 and i found out they're about the same size too.

[@Salman-sc8gr]

Amazingly I have both too, the 605 suspension and steering are very superior, zero torque steer and super suspension.

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Love the styling and interior of this car. The bussy engine is fantastic. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

[@ilmelangolo]

Busso! 😉👍

[@possibly8180]

"Bussy" has a vastly different connotation lmao

[@davidraezer5937]

I have owned both the Alfa 75 Verde and a 94 174LS that I installed the intake runners and exhaust from the Q model. I liked both cars but I would have to disagree on the 164 being the last true Alfa. That nod goes to the 75 or Milano as we called it in the states. Besides being front wheel drive the 164 was very conventional and mainstream. In comparison the 75 was still quirky and delicious to drive as a true rear wheel drive model with less unsprung weight from its DeDion rear axle and inboard rear brakes.

[@seashackf1]

Funny, I just made nearly the same comment right after he said it in the video. Then scrolling down and saw yours. The 164 was also on a shared fwd platform with the Saab 9000. I also had a Milano Verde 3L. Loved that car. The sound was amazing, but not as good as the handling. The perfect weight distribution made it so predictable and tossable, especially in the rain and snow.

[@andresguerin7162]

The 164 to get, just like the 155 is the Q4 version. The rest, due to fwd 👎

[@Cynical_Ninja]

I friend of mine had a V6 164 the same time I had my e38 740i. The Alfa could actually keep up with the Bimmer and both cars looked great next to each other. The plus for the Bimmer was that I almost never had to top off the oil and never had to stop to pick up my brake pads 🤣🤣🤣

[@samlancaster1277]

I had a 3litre V6 Lusso in deep green . Ran for 3 years from 30,000 to 90,000 miles and wholly reliable . My son’s still remember and comment on just what a great car it was.

[@ndsd04]

I had two 164TS and my third was a beautiful QV. I bought it in 2001 and ran it for two years. It was the best car I’ve ever owned. I just didn’t realise how good it was at the time. I loved the shape, it’s tan leather seats, the Busso engine and that dash. Oh the joy of that car, god I wish I still had it. One day, if you could find a good one, they’ll be worth decent money. After that I had three 166’s. A better car in some ways but not as raw. Great video.

[@longtailgt]

This to me is one of the most perfect looking saloons ever! It looks odd yet so amazing at the same time, in a way very, very few cars do.

[@cliffm6566]

The 164 is still one of my all time favourites. I seriously considered one at the time early 90s, but was concerned about the Italian reliability thing lol. They are super scarce today, and very unique.

[@PenryMMJ]

Definitely a cool car, when it comes to ranking the 4 versions of the platform though, I come up with this order: 4th place. Fiat Croma. Because whichever way you slice it, it's always going to be a Croma. 3rd place. Alfa 164. Though it could sneak into 2nd if it's a Busso. 2nd place. Saab 9000. would get relegated by a Busso Alfa, but would move ahead of it again if it's the Carlsson. The base platform is very good, but wasn't good enough for Saab. They changed so much on their version that it was barely the same car. 1st place. Lancia Thema. As long as it's the 8.32. The Busso is a great engine, but the same car with a 3 litre V8, based on a Ferrari, assembled by Ducati? That's a whole different level of engine. Lancia are properly batshit crazy.

[@lqr824]

There was an 8.32 at my previoust apartment here in Tokyo. Tokyo car enthusiasts like the odd cars, Hong Kong only the expensive ones.

[@Markycarandbikestuff]

You know your stuff, most say the 8.32 is Ferrari engined when as you rightly say it's Ferrari designed, has different internals and a different firing order, wouldn't turn down a Thema Turbo i.e, Lancia Delta engine, about 190 odd bhp, had a shot of one in the early 90's, gorgeous alcantara interior, very unassuming looking, felt properly rapid back then, very rare now here in the UK, might even be extinct ?

[@charlietwotimes]

Had an Alfa and loved it. She didn't love me back and nor did my bank manager. When I sold it I wondered how long it would take me to forget how she hoovered up all my savings + nearly sent me to the poor house. Here I am, looking at Alfas again .. a decade later

[@silvestrostileitalia]

Actually, the 75 is considered the last true Alfa... But we don't agree. We consider true Alfas all those Alfas which have wonderful style, power and handling. So... 145 155 156 147 Giulia Stelvio are true Alfas 100%

[@alfavulcan4518]

I had a 91 164S. Difficult to work on, always a warning light on, and would have been wonderful as a rear drive car. That said, a lovely driving car, bank vault doors and first class HVAC

[@23Piccolina]

I owned a brand new one in 1995 in San Francisco. It was a very cool sedan, however, the turning radius was horrendous and being front wheel drive, I traded it for a 1997 BMW 528i (E39) which ironically turned out to be a lemon! Since 2017, I've owned 2 new Giulia's and a Stelvio. I prefer Alfa Romeo over BMW. I have owned 8 BMW's since 1992. I won't be buying another one.

[@angshoken]

Alfa 75 was the last alfa🥰

[@kaczik944]

The differential has been changed cause the standard ones fail. And regarding parts there’s already a problem with parts for the 166 not only the 164. Got the 166 2.0 Busso Turbo myself and I already spent I’d say Ferrari money on bringing it back to all its glory cause not only there’s lack of spare parts but also very few technicians wanting to fix them.

[@vladadesigns9903]

It is not only "considered by many" as you said... It is literally the last true Alfa Romeo, built by Alfa Romeo and designed by Enrico Fumia exclusively for Alfa Romeo. Before fukin Fiat took over them in 90s and shared their interior materials with shit Punto, made out of recycled Kinder Surprise plastics. Sad story, one of the oldest and most respected car companies, which actually directly motivated Enzo Ferrari to start his own company....

[@ca9968]

I do love an old Alfa...my first car in the mid 90`s in South Africa was a 1983 1.5L Alfa Sud "Superhatch", such a fun, quirky and temperamental little car...drove it for 3 years and loved every minute of my time with her...

[@azmedz]

I realized im a Petro head. Traded my 2013 Cadillac CTS with 75000 miles for a Alfa Romeo giulia. Now instead of making my coffee at home like I used to I f****** getting the car every morning just for the thrill. :) I am forever going to be a Alfa guy

[@rossbethell4187]

Let’s be fair, the saab 9000, especially in late Aero form, was the best of the four, by far! The 164 is arguably cooler and certainly in Busso guise more characterful. But in general, the 9000 was the best version.

[@JernejSmalc]

This was a trully wonderful car, yes. Stil, admired by me. But hardly called the last true Alfa Romeo by the purists. Rather the opposite. This was the first "Fiat-Alfa"

[@paulcoulson2584]

Had a 75 twinspark when I was 19,totally unreliable and I absolutely loved it.

[@simonh870]

The 164 was the best car that Alfa made up until the recent Giulia. Even that doesn't have a Soulful V6 unless you spend a fortune on the QV model.

[@yuidfbse]

I personally love Alfa Romeos, their history, legacy, and value in the industry. And the brand is among my top choices for some of the most innovative and most beautiful designed cars ever made. The 164 is no exception and platonically, I adore it. But now let's get real please. Alfa Romeos are not simply just "bad" cars, they're absolutely and horrendously horrible, bumper to bumper. Regard them as a side hobby or as a trivial 2nd/weekend play around toy if you can afford one and you will be fine. Or just drive someone else's for fun. Because if you actually take them seriously and jump into personal ownership as a daily driver means of real dependable transportation, you'll invariably be on your way to major unforeseen surprises, absolute horror stories and reality bitting disappointments that at the end of all your accrued bills and ordeals, is worth zero on the used market.

[@joeseeking3572]

Have wanted on eof these for years, and this model too; with the Recaros (dream on) Never found one in good condition that I could (or woud choose to) afford. My loss, I suspect! I've done the high output Sabb 9000 Turbo, but this I suspect is in another league.

[@daphnemulder6771]

Nice! My father used to have this car and later the Alfa SZ. It was very cool (to have a father like that!) Thanks for your nice video's.

[@Barbarapape]

As Jeremy Clarkson once said, everyone should own at least one Alfa in their life if you buy a bad one like i did, you will never buy another. They remind me of Aston Martins, there are a few good ones, but also a lot on money pits. If only Car Vertical had been around i would never have bought mine. So takes James advice before you buy one!

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Having had a few Alfas myself, you're right...

[@Barbarapape]

@@JayEmmOnCars This tends to be true of most desirable cars, you are on edge waithing for something expensive to break

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Nice of you to use my Saab 9000 Aero in your video. You could have asked first, but its ok.

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Just emailed you @JayEmmOnCars

[@lmservice5902]

The last true Alfa was the 75 last rear wheel drive Alfa, until the Gulia. Although the 3.0 v6 164 was awesome, I'm biased. I had 3

[@markferrero9288]

It's a beautiful 39 degree day here in Maine. I'm taking my 91' 164S out for a spin right meow.

[@1s1ldvr]

Please do the Alfa166, Jay. I had the 3.0V6 and regret selling it. I still think it was the best Alfa I have owned, although I am only on my third. First was a 156, then the 166 and now a Giulietta QV. Like you say about the 164, the 166 felt like a much better quality car compared to the 156.

[@tf-td8cs]

I am in canada.. there are still a few of these here and there. Enthusiasts love them, I think they are beautiful...sadly you have to be a collector.enthusizst to keep one alive in parts and maintenance. Some have Sexier than any bmw

[@seinsmeld13]

I've never had an Alfa. Would I own one? I now think I would based on this great video. Thanks Jay.🥶

[@gazface1]

I have an Alfa rosso Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde and yes, she’s front wheel drive, but by God do I love ❤ her anyway! Nobody’s perfect 😊….

[@uldislavrinovics]

My daily driver is Tonale MHEV and I have the GT with Busso for pleasure. Next in the collection would be 939 Spider with 1750 turbo, and then maybe 164 or 155 :)

[@nakoma5]

How is the Tonale as an Alfa? Proper or feel like badge engineering?

[@were562]

actually the last true Alfa was the 75 with RWD and a trans axle, and developed solely by Alfa romeo not fiat.

[@bobbymcgee6149]

My second Alfa was a 168 12V. Lovely drive, especially on the highway. 164 and the Zender Milano... thats the ultimate 164 combo...

[@towerdave4836]

I had a 1989 one. Loved it. Hot hatch performance and handling and a limo in one package. Driven sensibly the 3litre would return 34mpg ( by sensibly I mean cruising at 80 on the motorway) Comfortable, great engine and commodious , good looking, even Clarkson loved it.

[@mrdrains2088]

Everyone should own at least one Alfa in their lifetime as there's just something about driving a Alfa. I'm recommissioning what was a concours condition 1.7L Alfa Romeo Sprint QV.. well it was concours condition until the floods at the beginning of the year.

[@francescotenti193]

I had a 164 S which I kept for nearly 10 years and 150,000 miles Great car, great engine that loved to rev to and past the redline and even if a FWD, it was a true Alfa. I still regret selling it. Fortunately the "selling bug" did not bite my '88 Spider which I will drive until I can move.

[@abdulmuizz3203]

I've weighed my 164 24v QV and found out that the weight distribution is 54% front & 46% rear. I think it's a good figure for a front wheel drive car with a big engine. Cheers from Malaysia.

[@sergiogiacomosammartano7623]

164 > 166 by a countrymile

[@BP-xe7dw]

The most timeless and beautiful 4 door sedan.

[@sandervanrhee9231]

Nankang tyres on this Alfa, really…….. At least put some decent Pirelli’s on.

[@roverM30ds]

Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Saab jointly developed this car. Saab 9000 etc

[@joeleonard9965]

I wish I can find a QV in the US. They are nearly impossible to find here outside of importing.

[@thedrivebygg]

Love the interior, looks fantastic. The centre console with all the buttons looks like an organ, and those air vents and the digital display, how cool.

[@DioBrando-qr6ye]

The 75 is the last "true"Alfa, since it's the last RWD Alfa model.

[@gregorythomas4470]

I love mine!! Although it’s been off the road for 10 years. :-(

[@SorcherFepp]

My father had a 164 V6-24. It was black and grey and was just elegant. For me, it is one of the most beautiful sedans ever built. The QV, though, had this rather odd strip down below, which f**ks up the whole design. This is until today with all the QV versions, always turning Alfas from good-looking to something... ewww. The 159 was the last real beauty; I had one in black with a brown leather interior, still one of the most beautiful cars until today. Still looking like it was released just a couple of years ago.

[@psircos]

Lovely example. Well preserved too!! Someone on the forum, many in agreement subsequently, called the 75 the last proper alfa. Reason was "Fiat Witchery" leading to FWD models 😂. Btw, I have the same car mats in my GTA 😊

[@marcelromijn2227]

The 75 and 164 were developed at the same time. But since the 75 reused much of previous cars it was released earlier. Alfa joined the shared platform party late (as they had no money to develop their own and 75 and earliers cars were consired too aged to rival BMW) and as such compromised on getting frontwheeldrive. They did put their own suspension in that for the front was simular to the AlfaSud/33. The 164 shares only a handfull of parts and a small section of floorpan with the others on the platform.

[@MENSA.lady2]

Surely the last true Alfa was the Model 75. The 164 was after the Fiat takeover.

[@simonphillips5208]

Spent the morning on our local Cornish lanes in a little 916 Spider. Not that powerful or expensive but, Alfa really knew how to deliver the sweetest engine note and a whole load of character. The Italians understood fun.

[@Zlin0035]

Coar what a lovely Alfa, im personally thinking of getting an Alpha romeo at one point, specifically the 145QV

[@tjroelsma]

And then to think that Saab stepped out of the development of that chassis because where the Italian engineers called it "Bellissima", the Saab engineers called it "not good at all" and spent several more months to improve the chassis' stiffness and handling.

[@marcelromijn2227]

It was not the handling.. it was the crash safety stiffness.

[@klasseact6663]

This car looks incredible and those rims really set it off😎

[@ip2networkz81]

Had a dark green 164L with tan leather ... loved that engine and the exhaust note on mine was really throaty. Dashboard had so many buttons lol

[@fixerbear7912]

Always wanted one back in the day, excellent motor 164, a beast

[@BojanBojovic]

Alfa 166 is brilliant just like this, but noticeably better in every respect.

[@scottcowan6798]

Loved this piece! I always remember my dad having the choice back in early 90s when deciding upon a company car.. Alfa 164 QV or MB 300E or BMW 525i.. he chose the Merc… I was gutted.. the 300E was brilliant though.. until I wrote it off..

[@NenadTrajkovic]

Last true Alfa iz Alfa 75 🇮🇹🐍🚗💨💨💨🇮🇹

[@marvin4827]

Great job as usual Jay.... Always enjoy your reviews. I quite like your approach to the subject, as opposed to guys who ONLY review new luxury cars & barely drive them at all in a real live situation. Keep up the good work mate. Quite informative as well...

[@tipring6956]

I've owned three 24v valve versions of the 164, all manual transmissions, and they truly are sporting executive sedans, surprisingly fun to drive. The FWD torque is best handled by inserting a later Q2 or Quaife LSD. Sure footed and well handling, you don't feel like you're in a big car, since the false firewall in the engine bay draws the passengers closer to the front windshield. There's no dash to really speak of. The Busso sits low, and so the cowl is also such, giving quite the expansive view forward. My only true complaint from ownership and trying to repair things is that it is a very tight engine bay, and everything is overly complicated. Nothing is straight forward to repair, in fact it can be down right frustrating. Such that a group of local Alfisti often refer to our 164s as 1-sh*tty-fours. They are lovely, have aged well, and when sorted, are damn dependable. I currently have a 1995 164Q - last year Alfa was in the states (before their recent return).

[@timmytom]

I had two, the 2 litre QV from new upgrading this to a 3 litre Cloverleaf . I wished I'd kept both . The electrics were a pain for both. You never knew which way the aircon would blow and on the first one the red paint was a slightly different shade on various panels. Both got under my skin. I was persuaded to get the 166 . It just wasn't the same. Thank you for the wonderful memories.

[@TheBadBunny87]

These really do get better with age. As a kid I always thought they were ugly. But every year that passes they get that little bit more beautiful.

[@155stw]

My dad still has a 1992 3.0 V6 Lusso with S-cams. Nowadays the 12V is the model to have as engine parts are much easier to get. I know this because my 75 has a 164 based engine with 3.2 crank and pistons and even a waterpump is no longer available. The timing belt tensioner is the same as the F355 and F360 , Tsubaki. But for the 12V parts are plentiful. The 156 series V6 which only slight different also has plenty of parts available .

[@janstaes2172]

alfa romeo even had a V 10 engine in the 164 prototype (it is still visible @ the alfa romeo museum. in the eu they had a 4wheel drive version and a V 6 turbo 2litre

[@3ducs]

1995 being a "classic' era. Harrumph!

[@valentinierik]

Nope... 75 is the last real Alfa, and now the Giulia.