We're off to what may be a wet and wild #HooptieCon today at @racesonoma and maybe we'll see one of these (or you!) there. The #Alfa164 might not be a "hooptie" but it slots exactly into the #Radwood demographic. - The 164 arrived in Europe in late 1987 but didn’t come over to the U.S. until the 1991 model year. At the time, it was the first truly new Alfa to arrive here since 1975, as all of the stateside Alfas since that time had either been Spiders or Alfetta based; with the ‘Sud, 33, and 6/90 left out. The 164 was highly anticipated, and one Alfa hoped would help its U.S. sales recover from a low of just 2,900 cars in 1989. It didn’t quite work out that way, but the 164 was still a very good car. - It was the last car developed by Alfa before Fiat's takeover, but like the other "Type Four" cars (the Saab 9000, Fiat Croma, & Lancia Thema), it had been in development for a long time - at first as a solo Alfa project and then as one of the Type 4s after 1982 thanks to Alfa's stretched resources. The other type fours began their gestation around the same time in 1978, and all four cars had their own flavors that accurately reflected their brands, though the 9000 and the Croma had some cosmetic similarities. - Being the last to join the groups and the last to market, the 164 was probably the most well-differentiated of the quartet, and it didn't hurt that it wore a sharp #Pininfarina suit by Enrico Fumia and that the 183-hp 3.0 "Busso" V6 was at the heart of the car - at least in the U.S. European versions had a 2L V6, a pair of 2L fours and a 2.5L turbodiesel four. - The 1991 recession and lingering fears about Alfa reliability meant the 164 didn't really reverse Alfa’s fortunes, but those who bought were rewarded with handsome, fun-to-drive car, either in regular form or with a body-kitted “S” model. You still needed money to run one, but aside from complex electronics and a need to be careful about timing belt replacements, they proved surprisingly durable, and there are plenty still around. 1994 brought styling revisions and 210 hp, but with the Spider gone, sales sank to just a few hundred units and Alfa bid the U.S. arrivederci in the fall of 1995. https://www.instagram.com/oldmotors/p/BuyniLaFGBX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3xyr83r2jo3j
