Kansas is often derisively referred to as one of the ‘fly-over states.’ Considering today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Alfa 164 lives there, and it’s a Quaddrifoglio, you might consider flying there instead. That is, if its price doesn’t have you flying off the handle.
Yesterday’s custom 2001 Dodge Dakota was like a Viper given a new, and rather lackluster, identity in the witness protection program. That wasn’t fooling any of you, and a jaw-dropping 95% of you also weren’t interested in fooling around with that custom’s thirty-five grand price.
What is it they say: fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me? Alfa Romeo is presently attempting its second attack on the U.S. market, and while they’re not trying to snooker anybody, their cars do come with a reputation for being both lust-worthy and—on occasion—frustratingly loathsome.
Part of that rep was built by the 164 sedan, the last model Alfa sold here before pulling out of the U.S. market back in 1995. This Alfa 164 hails from that last model year and is one of the rare Q (Quaddrifoglio) models.
That means there’s a 230-bhp 24-valve V6 underwood, a work of art worthy of the Uffizi with its chrome-plated intake runners and sexy Alfa Romeo script cast into the cam covers. Of course you’ll note that it’s sitting sideways in there, which means that this Alfa is FWD.
Not to worry though because the Q also received an improved suspension over the standard 164, and this one comes with a five-speed stick to make all that understeer fun. Also, no guibos!
The Q saw bodywork upgrades too, if you consider rocker extensions an upgrade. This one has all that intact, and eschews the stock slicer wheels for black OZs. The original wheels apparently come with it too. The body—in arrest-me red over dark gray—looks to be in excellent condition, with no major marring or flapping of trim work to be seen.
Pop any of the four doors and you’ll note that the four-place interior also seems to have held up in an atypically un-Alfa like fashion. The leather-wrapped seats, dash, and controls all loo fabulous in the pics which is an amazing feat seeing as back in the Nineties Alfa was seemingly building cars out of paper mache and imagination.
The ad claims that this 164 has done only 37,000 miles over the course of its two-owner life. Now, generally low-milage Alfas are the result of spending a lot of time on the mechanic’s lift because he “just can’t seem to find the problem” but this one doesn’t come across in that way.
Regardless, there’s little stock to put in the seller’s claim that the car cost more than 40K NEW. So what? A 1995 BMW 740i cost over seventy thousand new and today most of us wouldn’t even piss on one for more than a couple grand.
A couple grand is generally what Alfa 164s go for these days too, maybe a little more. Few of them however are the upgraded Q, of which the ad claims only 50 made their way stateside in ’95. That makes this one worth more no doubt, but you’ll need to decide if it’s worth it’s $18,500 asking.
What do you think, is this low-milage seemingly exceptionally maintained 164Q worth $18,500? Or, does that price have you saying, won’t get fooled again?
You decide!
Wichita Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to greatrace53 for the hookup!
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