MotorWeek | Retro Review: '88 Alfa Romeo Milano

[@INUMIMI28]

My dad used to drive 75 when I was a little boy, I could remember one time I was playing with the door latch and without looking my dad slammed the door shut, realized he must've crushed his son's finger, he freaked out and rushed over for help, but to his surprise, my finger was completely unscathed, in fact the panel gap was so large it manages to fit a child's finger even when the door is completely shut

[@kenlee-97]

@Tommy Salami so maybe you could start to complain about panel gaps for several reasons....

[@INUMIMI28]

@@mrlucabinci I’d say the amount of panel gaps on 75 are vastly different per each vehicle because it’s 80’s Alfa Romeo quality standards

[@garagebizio]

Your dad must have had an accident with his 75, because my 1992 75 couldn’t fit the finger between panel gaps…..

[@studiocalder818]

Fantastic car: surfing on the road but glued on it, with powerful and ready engines. Unique example of mechanics. I still remember a great piece of British journalism, the article dedicated by CAR to the 2nd serie. Two journalists reached Milano by plane and returned back to England on the road driving 2 75s, a 2.o TS and 3.o GC, describing their sensations: like a novel. I read it over and over again

[@tiko5876]

studio calderini weirdo

[@studiocalder818]

@@tiko5876 ..Maybe, but stylish weirdo, emotional, aggressive; in a word, timeless

[@tiko5876]

Okay... Not weirdo. I understand now good sir

[@jimspackman8527]

I remember that article. I was so impressed with the write up that I went out and bought a 75! In my case, a used 1st series 1.8. It did not disappoint. 30 years later I still have a 75 having owned several over the years. Watching this reminds me of how soft the US Milanos were set up compared to the European ones.

[@mikeyveloster7615]

The Milano is the American branded version of the Alfa Romeo 75 (named for the 75th anniversary of Alfa Romeo) which was built between 1985 to 1992

[@StyleinCali]

omg i grew up in this car. my dad would drive me everywhere I was always embarrassed because it wasn't considered cool in america but now that i am older i appreciate his alfas more! :D

[@arx3516]

same for me, we did a trip from Rome to Croatia in this car hen i wa 7!

[@AfricaGeo]

Your dad was living in the future..Smart guy

[@wittyexquisite]

Not popular in America where'd you grow up? Can't be New York they been popular since the 80's

[@kenlee-97]

@@AfricaGeo de-lorean ?

[@studiocalder818]

@@wittyexquisite Really? They sold about 2000 a year in all States, I believe mainly in LA and SF; I believed very few in NY.

[@whoohaaXL]

4:37 LOL! That's great! Dude just picks up the suitcase and throws it in the woods like; "Oh, this doesn't fit? Fuck this!" lol. Always laughed at that part.

[@GeeEm1313]

I laughed too.

[@drmnishikawa]

You can't get more italian than that.

[@my4cars528]

savagegeese definitely found inspiration in old MW videos!

[@TheRedgtv2000]

I own 87 Verde and the engine note is my music with Ansa exhaust.

[@studiocalder818]

Right! Still own that car?!

[@TheRedgtv2000]

studio calderini Yes!

[@studiocalder818]

@@TheRedgtv2000 Ottimo. Keep the car, their collectible value is increasing

[@TheRedgtv2000]

@@studiocalder818 I also own other classic Alfa's!!

[@studiocalder818]

@@TheRedgtv2000 Bravo: what other models?! Joy to see, joy to show, joy to drive. In a word: unique. Alfa is the unique democratic collectible marque, from the 147 of the penniless young man to the 8c 2900 of the passionate rich petrolhead

[@reyrob]

Funny, in Europe it was the 75 3.0 V6 America

[@TheChill001]

indeed, I actually own one currently as my daily driver

[@spavatch]

Finally, a car that suits John Davis' instrumentation needs ;))

[@ArmySigs]

lol, the man must own shares in every company that makes oil pressure gauges ;)

[@danmccarthy4700]

I always loved the look of these cars. I dunno why.

[@fernandorocha-dx1wv]

I love classic Alfa Romeo, my italian cars favorites

[@jorgemazariegos4921]

I have one. It's a wonderful car.

[@studiocalder818]

I agree. I had got 3 75's from 1990 to 2007. In 2000 I sold the 3.0 gc for an SZ that I still own. The right maintenance and they run endlessly

[@epistte]

I'd love to find a Milano Quad. I loved the Italian performance and the crazy stying as a teen.

[@studiocalder818]

@@epistte 👍🏽👍🏽I think you'd have to buy it in a few time as they are rising up their value. You are sure you won't lose your money

[@epistte]

@@studiocalder818 Unless unreliable Italian cars have an investment value it was expected that you would lose money buying a mid-80s Alfa sedan. I also like Citroens, Lancia, and Lotus, so don't ask me for investment advice. 95% of people wouldn't be able to pick these cars out of a line-up, even if you paid them but I love them because they are funky. I wanted to buy a Lancia beta coupe that I saw on the backlot of a Dodge dealer in college but a friend talked me out of it because he said that I couldn't get parts for it, even I bought it for $400.00. I bought an Audi Fox GTi instead because of they were so much more reliable.

[@studiocalder818]

@@epistte Sir, that's a legend. The old Alfa cars were more powerful than the models in the same category as the other brands, and also very reliable cars, if well maintained by the right mechanics, of course! Today they are good cars just like the others... About Beta, my girlfriend of the time had a metallic grey Lancia Beta HPE. We have made many trips around Europe with that fantastic fast car; I like id very much. The only problem was rusty, the mechanical parts were actually very resistant. Do you still own the coupé?

[@N2GLOCK1]

I went to High School with a guy that drive an Alfa Ricambi prepped Milano. That was a very cool car.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

I love watching these Motor Week Retro videos. It shows me what episodes I missed, since I wasn't able to watch the original segment. :)

[@Otto90s]

i'm italian from milan, i'm proud of Alfa Romeo. Now it's time for the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Great italian sport sedan tradition

[@alfazedz1791]

As we say in America, Alfa hit it out of the park with the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

[@josemontano9210]

What a fun car rear wheel drive and 5 speed nice......

[@BrendanMacWade]

One of the most unique cars sold in the US during the 1980s. This and the Peugeot 405 mi16 are two near-perfect sports sedans.

[@kirbyswarp]

Brendan A. MacWade Add Saab 9000 to the mix and I'm in heaven.

[@BrendanMacWade]

Yes. Interestingly, the 9000 is a cousin of the Alfa 164.

[@kirbyswarp]

Brendan A. MacWade Quite a far cousin, but I'll them both.

[@nutsackmania]

kirbyswarp Not really.

[@kirbyswarp]

nutsackmania they share part of a floorpan, nothing else.

[@mattg8369]

Love these cars...and that last bag totally would've fit LOL.

[@bicyclist2]

I always loved the look of this car. Thanks.

[@djsworld_Tv]

That part was funny when that boy throw that bag in the bushes!! Lmfao back then people were doing some crazy stuff

[@thegreatcarraway]

"Honey I could just hold that in my la- okay in the bushes is good too."

[@ahmed197467]

Lol,that's just what I'm going to say.

[@RoadCone411]

I grew up in the 1980s...can't tell you how many times we couldn't get our bags to fit into mom's Civic. Into the bushes they went! Groceries, hardware, lumber, bicycles, it didn't matter...if it didn't fit, into the woods it went! It did make the over cost of car ownership a little more expensive and probably was the impetus behind the SUV craze that came later, but they were fun times!

[@wastelandking]

Wow, what a quirky, but stylish looking car. I would love to own one of these Italian sport saloons.

[@Kingsoupturbo]

Very cool! exact same qualities the Top Gear guys always raved about!

[@423tech]

4:07 song is Whisper to a Scream by Icicle Works

[@DavidAndre657]

Nothing is better than '80s Recaros!

[@E34Benzin]

I didn't know the Alfa 75 was sold in the US. Cool! It's a nice example of an old school Alfa Romeo, wich means crazy and unreliable but pretty damn cool!

[@studiocalder818]

that is not true at all. Very reliable if well maintained by a good mechanic. (And much more stable than a Bmw of the same period, of course)

[@reidboggs4344]

If only Alfa could enter into an agreement with Honda or Toyota. Alfa styles it and decodes on the engine, and then someone that knows about quality control actually makes it work lol.

[@MrWhite-pn7ui]

4:33 definitely the wife's bag.

[@carwhiz90]

I LOL'D at 4:39 when he tossed the bag in the woods

[@catjudo1]

More like her mother's.

[@JJVernig]

We've all been there, the eternal question "Don't you forget these" while the boot is already full.

[@jwatwater]

Whoever had the idea to upload these old videos, I hope you got a raise.

[@kenlee-97]

He got a rise instead!!

[@Nesboy85]

Such a great and unique car ! Surely collectible these days ....

[@jolynedrover1768]

"Alpha builds a car to be as good as a car can be, briefly" Jeremy Clarkson

[@MrMenefrego1]

Jeremy Clarkson IS AN ASSHOLE!

[@gavinmatthews5903]

He's also not wrong.

[@studiocalder818]

The old Alfa cars were more powerful than the models in the same category as the other brands, and also very reliable cars if well maintained by the right mechanic. Today they are good cars, just like other car top brands. The soul has changed a little.

[@andrewmiller6663]

@@gavinmatthews5903 yes, but he is still...

[@peggygeren4169]

Jezzer has a GTV6 and he says it's his favorite car, so I guess he was wrong.

[@Trades46]

An Italian sports sedan in the purest sense of the word. I genuinely hope the 2016 Giulia can recreate this car's spirit.

[@monk3yboy69]

It's got a hell of a spirit to live up to and it will be up against stiff competition. It is a beautiful machine though

[@asleepnomore4111]

It will recreate its unreliability.

[@djbrianc]

Just. It does and more. Hardly any lean. 280 hp/306ft. Lbs Standard. 0-60 in 5.1 sec.

[@studiocalder818]

@@asleepnomore4111 The old Alfa cars were more powerful than the models in the same category as the other brands, and also very reliable cars if well maintained by the right mechanic. Today they are good and reliable cars, just like other car top brands, but not so special as before.

[@Rimeau]

About two years ago I bought a '17 Giulia Veloce with around 60k miles on it. Has around 68k now. Wherever I go, it's the best looking car around and if you take it to a curvy country road, it basically begs for more throttle and follows those curves like on tracks. So I'd say they did a good job on recreating that spirit, the only thing missing is the sound of a nice V6.

[@jayburris6252]

How many people need the armrest when the peaking break is engaged?

[@weallfollowmanutd]

The brakes were fantastic.

[@peggygeren4169]

The first test MW did on a Milano was a 2.5 without ABS. It recorded the shortest 55mph brake distance they ever did. They handle great, too.

[@LoveMyZJ]

I cannot wait until Alfa Romeo returns to the US market!

[@frankdenardo8684]

LoveMyZJ they are back now.

[@Porsche996driver]

Motor sounds great like a straight 6! There were a lot of Alfas in SoCal back in the day.

[@roarpal6314]

best car ever had in my hands!

[@studiocalder818]

Fantastic. A joy to drive

[@richard8342]

Had two Milanos, dealer support was very bad. They both were fun to drive !

[@stuartbear922]

I've also heard the dealers had very POOR support from Alfa of North America!

[@ronaldderooij1774]

In my opinion the most beautiful sedan ever. And it drove very well. And, with maintenance, the engine was indestructible. And it was the first Italian car that did not rust easily. As for the rest of the car's quality.... crap. As usual with Italian cars, unfortunately.

[@LoveBandit1000]

+Ronald de Rooij : I like Italian cars and doodle cars every spare minute I get and I think it is kinda ugly. I guess a car's looks are a very subjective thing. The "track" is way too narrow for the body for one thing, the wheels are inset from the fender well way too much, IMO...

[@ronaldderooij1774]

+LoveBandit1000 Yes indeed it is subjective. My son likes curved lines, I like straight lines. There only begins the argument, haha.

[@a_wise_young_man752]

It's uglier than afterbirth.

[@GayRobotSex2024]

It has some very good angles, but also some quite ugly angles - a very unique car overall. Furthermore, I absolutely love the interior, and of course the feel of the car.

[@GayRobotSex2024]

Really don't get your opinion. The VW Jetta from that time, was not nicer-looking. The Volvos and Audis and Saabs also were not nicer-looking cars. For a European 4 door car from that era, the Alfa Romeo 75 was not particularly ugly as far as I can tell - the BMW was better-looking obviously, but the other European brands Volvo, Saab, VW, Audi, were all box-like designs.

[@黃正萬]

I have 2 alfa 75 still in road ,and run very quick!

[@studiocalder818]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Where are you from?

[@黃正萬]

@@studiocalder818 I am framed Taiwan. But new in Austria.

[@studiocalder818]

@@黃正萬 So did you buy the 75s in Austria or bring with you from Taiwan?

[@izzatfauzimustafa6535]

Enthusiasts who don't mind doing extra restoration efforts will love to drive and own any 1980s Alfa cars

[@mperez9745]

What-a-car!!

[@Hubjeep]

Very decent HP for the late 80's!

[@snakehandler87]

pretty impressive

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

The styling inspiration for the Honda Oddity minivan?

[@djbrianc]

Was my first Alfa.

[@studiocalder818]

👍🏽👍👍🏿👍🏻

[@doublevanoz]

4:27 lmao was that 12v VR6 engine in the trunk??

[@des9655]

Yeah, me being tall with long arms, I put the rear window down many times, as I tested it there. I wish I kept it, but I love the top down of my 86 Spider veloce!

[@theKevronHarris]

I cannot stop laughing & smiling at the funny U-shaped parking brake!

[@martinsedlacek1102]

Me too, at Ford s-max ;-) And the helicopter style switches are really good, no need to move eyes from road.

[@justinbig10]

This car always looked like Saab, Volvo and VW went to Italy, had a threesome, and the Milano was the love child!

[@MaestroTJS]

I was going to say a Mk. II Jetta and an 8 or 9 series Volvo, but yes, the Saab influence is there too!

[@calimero1569]

also like a calibra lol

[@StopMoColorado]

justinbig10 - Same platform as the older Saab 3000, I think. It was shared between 3 different badges, in the end.

[@j.collett2364]

I see the 9000 now also. If you squint it looks like an e36 that was designed ten years earlier.

[@studiocalder818]

Please: The 75 was an evolution of the Giuletta model, that was produced from 77 to 85. For budget reasons Alfa redesigned the front and the back of the model, maintaining the central body. Alfa has always been front ahead in terms of design, copied years later by the others.

[@JEMHull-gf9el]

Why would it matter that the hand brake is in the way of the arm rest? its not like you'll be using the arm rest if you're engaging the hand/parking brake!

[@patricksheehan8157]

The radio station was 99.1 WHFS, anyone in the DC area will remember that, they put on great festivals.

[@landyachtfan79]

I'd love to see the original '87 test.

[@brutalictesku]

Those recaros are indeed sexy!

[@jaykarolyi9237]

"Some drivers found the seats too narrow..." Admit it, John, it was you! 🤣

[@alfone1973]

Beautiful Car

[@q-bert6454]

Back to the future in only 1/4 mile

[@whoohaaXL]

2:01 That's a LONG first gear! Car doesn't squat again until 2:06

[@derekmolina9198]

John Davis looks like one of those minor role characters on the Sopranos that gets whacked.

[@dellorto33]

3l is called Americano. It was built for American market. The 2.5l has a better balanced engine and revs higher.

[@greygtv6]

My understanding of the 3.0l, it was built by Autodelta in Italy. Due to Italian tax laws it was never used there. Alfa South Africa dropped it into the GTV6 and produced the SA GTV6 3.0 with carbs. They kept the project secret and blew the BMWs at Kyalami in the Production Car Class. BMW protested and the race results were overturned the following week. The homologation requirement in SA was 200 cars sold through the dealerships. Eventually Alfa claimed to have sold the required numbers but I heard unofficially they fell a few short. A further rumour has it they ran short of 3.0 cranks and the final GTV6 3.0s had a displacement of 2.8. I have seen the SA GTV6 3.0s fetch in excess of £20.000. Not sure how they compete vs the Callaway GTV6, but they are much nicer looking cars.

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

When comparing the Alfa Milano and the Acura Legend, they should have mentioned that the Acura isn't constantly in the shop.

[@maples328]

He Yeeted that bag 💼 ! 🤣

[@stanojevicnatasa2514]

It's Alfa Romeo 75 here in Europe. Looks bad, but drives good.

[@Slimecrazy234]

Can you please upload the the Lexus IS300 review soon?

[@JakeFromLateFarm]

Slimecrazy234 ***** The SportCross and 5-speed manual episode por favor??

[@porsche180]

MotorWeek should do a retro review of the Volkswagen New Beetle! I don't know if an episode ever aired but if it did definitely post it!

[@stuartbear922]

When did Motorweek air its first model year episode? 1980 my guess. They tested the Delorean.

[@mx5hong]

Wow, the position of the stereo. I think if you tried to use it now, you'll be ticketed for distracted driving. :p

[@blisterbrain]

Who knew then that the lifted rear end would become the future?

[@jmorris023]

Bro, you coulda put my bag in the backseat!

[@BigXSmoke1]

neat car, i have never seen one b4

[@ChevyBM]

The Alfa 75 is soo cool!

[@jacobfleming565]

Im thinking of buying this as a first car should I?

[@taylormordoch9802]

Yes electrical can be a little issue with this car but the motor itself is pretty solid

[@JDuBz815]

Acura Legend went on to become what it's name predicted. Meanwhile, I just heard of this Alfa today lol

[@8584zender]

LOL "they body never leans over as far as you think it's going to" while they show the thing bouncing off the bump stops. Just how far do they think the driver is expecting it to roll? 180 degrees?

[@kenlee-97]

Lol -you made my day man!!!!

[@Disques13Swing]

I bought one of these new in 1988. It HAULED NAMES AND TOOK ASSES!!!!!!!

[@Disques13Swing]

The speedometer lied like a rug!!! It topped out at 152 MPH but the true speed was only 137 MPH. How did I know the true top speed? It was in the owner's manual.

[@davidsherrick898]

@Disques13Swing My Milano 2.5 gold's speedometer didn't work, depending on what model, I owned a 3.0 also, the top speed would be at redline. The 2.5 was around 130mph. Verde or 3.0 was supposed to do 135mph.

[@MURRYCHOOCK]

It had the performance of an actual vw golf tdi

[@htimsid]

Which metrics?

[@jamesmasciale6246]

***** Do you have a Retro Review of the Alfa GTV6 from the 80's? If so could you post that somewhere? Thanks! I "test" drove a 1989 Milano 3.0 back in 2004 and almost bought it. (Didn't because it wouldn't have suited my car needs at the time). These care are fairly robust if you keep up on maintenance with them. If you do that, they will last a long time. Sure, Japanese cars might have been more reliable and required less maintenance, but they weren't as exciting or unique. That's the trade off.

[@xnopyt13]

4:15 why is the speedo not at 0 lol

[@JoseMartinez-jw2dy]

Hahaha I John had problems comparing it to another sedan because my 92 audi Quattro turbo had not came out yet

[@paulhunter123]

id love to see an american car go round the bollards and see how it handels

[@blackthunder8602]

alfa romeo 75

[@mjgillespie91]

this is known as the Alfa Romeo 75 in the UK and continental Europe

[@andreaziz5499]

honda is a slob fwd econo box but the Milano handles superbly

[@johnnymason2460]

I would prefer the Milano Gold or Platinum with an automatic transmission and 2.5 liter V6. If I want the 3.0 liter V6, I'll look for a 164L with automatic.

[@hyperlogos]

Wow, that's a lot of squat on launch.

[@christianszilagyi2146]

The last Alfa 75 Qvadrofolgio Verde built 1992 cost new price 40.000 DEM Germany Mark or 40.000.000 Italy £ira 192 h/p.

[@erikhertzer8434]

Named after a Pepperidge Farms cookie...or a town in Italy

[@raserx63]

Me-Lano You-Lano We all-Lano..

[@milfordcivic6755]

I haven't seen one of these since I was a kid. It looks just like a Saab 9000 tho.

[@thewiseowl3672]

The bag wouldn’t fit into the trunk, so f*ck it and toss it into the bushes. Lmao.

[@KingCast65]

Why would they not compare it to an E30 or E28 WTF??? SAAB 9KT as well.

[@NubungiO]

4:37 ＹＥＥＴ

[@paulfisker]

04:40 throws away the bag 😂

[@MrMenefrego1]

Italian style "Farfegnugen!"

[@joshriver75]

I dont think I've ever even seen one of these.

[@matejmatej3554]

this is Alfa 75

[@paologaviglio1856]

Ok le altre auto ma se dovete prendere un auto che si a la Giulia Alfa Romeo. Che macchina la Giulia uno spettacolo. Giulia sostanza e non fronzoli. Grande piacere di guida. E va benissimo in tutte le sue versioni. Solo Giulia!!!!!

[@3ducs]

Ah, the Milano, last Alfa I bought in a long series of Alfas. They knocked themselves out finding innovative places to put the switchgear. Does memory serve me correctly, were the window switches really on the ceiling? Great handling, lousy rust prevention. I think it had something to do with the sourcing of the steel, they got it from a Soviet plant if I remember correctly. I sold it and got a BMW 535, better car in every way.

[@studiocalder818]

Especially on wet.. laughing. Series 5 was an upper class than 75, anyway 75 was better in terms of road handling. (And dangerous bmw rear sospensione on wet, steadily changing the camber)

[@kenlee-97]

@@studiocalder818 yep ,bmws are known for being tail happy since forever(1600/1800/2002 ti etc),so are you saying bmws lean over and have a constant suspension geometry change?

[@studiocalder818]

@@kenlee-97 On wet I think so for sure (when cornering the external tire only partially touched the road), more they had unbalanced weight distribution, like many others. The Alfa with transaxle had the weights distributed f/r at 50% and the wheels always perpendicular to the ground. With 4 people on board it seemed that the bmw was s....ing on the street. Now they're different. The only Alfa's flaws were a slightly high driving position and lying in the corners, in addition to the slow gearbox. At those times my father drove Mercs, Opel, small Fiat, a very nice Renualt5, and I also drove those. The first time I tried an Alfa (Alfetta) I was amazed and bought an old Gt Bertone. Since then I have never changed.

[@studiocalder818]

The problems of rust afflicted Giulia, Giulietta and Sud (not 75), because when FIAT made the contract to build the Lada factory and the town of Togliattigrad, the Italian government (owner of Alfa) in support pledged to buy Russian steel, which was poor; in addition, Alfa did not have a good sheet metal treatment. Subsequently, to increase the reputation, on the 75 they applied special treatments to the sheets (all galvanized sheets). But the vulgate was done...

[@rabit818]

Milano will stop (braking) and never move again

[@gavinvalentino1313]

Alllll the interior features John liked to complain about from his high horse (or little jackass) were things the *vehicle owners got used to in about 2 days.* Yep, John, guess what? It's not an Accord or Taurus inside. It was a car with *CHARACTER & PERSONALITY* inside & out. GodDAMN the guy spent so much effort trying to be arrogant.

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

What idiot was in charge of putting the power window switches on the roof and not the door?

[@gearheadred]

GT6SuzukaTimeTrials The windows probably stop working in such short order that they just figured to keep the switches out of the way.

[@AdrianoCROST]

GT6SuzukaTimeTrials It's better then on door because you don't need to switch hands while you driving.

[@eaenlle]

GT6SuzukaTimeTrials Bosch switches by the way.

[@wernerbloemwagen6878]

It looked cool up there like operating switches in a Boeing 747!

[@q-bert6454]

Me

[@wjhandy]

It was as if Volvo and Saab collabed

[@richardwilliams5842]

Used to love this car but in stayed in the shop more vs you're driveway SMH

[@FrightfulAccountant]

They had a nasty reputation for rust. Guess the ones in the dry states probably lasted a lot longer.

[@stuartbear922]

Was the steel taken from recycled washer machines?

[@peggygeren4169]

In my experience with Alfettas, sometime around 1978-79 rust became much less of a problem. I had a few GTV6s with little to no rust and a Milano with one rust spot below the fuel filler caused by overflow when filling.