javier romagosa
TEXT AND PHOTOS ALFA ROMEO 164 Q4: BRING A TRAILER
I remember my late grandfather's last car. Was a Alfa Romeo 164 2.0 Twin Spark. It came to replace the Alpha 90 that had preceded it. Grandpa was always a alfisti, or at least I do not remember cars of another brand. During the 80's and 90's this was a true testament to his love for the Biscione house, which was in its lowest hours.
After the turbodiesel, the 2-liter was the entry-level model in the range Alfa Romeo 164. And the truth is that, electronics aside, and considering that I was only 9 or 10 years old, it always seemed like a nice car, well built and with character. I remember my grandfather at prohibitive speeds today, with a machine that was sitting very firmly on the road.
And I will never forget the enormous amount of buttons, lights and indicators it had, a replacement for the futuristic cockpits of the shoulder pad decade. In short, between one thing and another, it looked like a high-end car, it smelled of what today would be called premium miles away, which was also what was expected.
Alfa Romeo 164: Shared Platform
And yet the Alfa Romeo type 164 It had been born 15 years before as a shared platform with the Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema and Saab 9000 of the time. The idea was to join forces to stand up to the Germans. At that time, Alfa Romeo was still an independent brand.
The new saloon, which was also the heir to the Alfa 6, dressed in Pininfarina. Perhaps it is the only one of its four sisters who deserves to be remembered for its design, like its predecessors. Regarding traction, he opted for the lead, which without given was considered a sacrilege.
As for the engines, removing the anodyne turbodiesel, they used atmospheric mechanics of 2 liters and double ignition, which in their more performance versions made use of the turbo. Of course, the propellant 6-liter Busso V3 It was king, first in its 12-valve version and then in its 24-valve version. The latter was the top of the food chain and, with its 230CV, it was embedded in the sporty QV and Q4 versions.
Let's remember that Alfa was a brand adrift then. And yet he had summoned the strength of weakness to do such interesting things as the Alfa Romeo SZ or Alfa Romeo 164 high-flying. It was desperately trying to shake off the disrepute of the cars it produced in the previous decade.
In my opinion, the Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 dont have much sense. As far as I know (and given the time it is and the tute I have, I may be wrong) the model did not have a sports application beyond the 164 Procar, which, in reality, did not have it either. We will say in passing that this latest beast with a central F10 V1, more than 600 hp and less than 800 kilos of weight was intended more as a promotional maneuver than anything else. Same as possibly versions top street model and that the SZ.
Advanced all-wheel drive
Apart from the aesthetic peculiarities that differentiated the Alfa Romeo 164 Q4, and the brand new updated Busso engine that powered it, the Q4 was characterized by its Viscomatic 4-wheel drive. An advanced transmission for the time that distributed torque to the rear axle as appropriate thanks to the Motronic management unit. That, its adjustable suspension and six-speed gearbox gave this sedan commendable grip and verve.
As I said, fewer than 200 were made. And, it seems, in civilized markets as Bring a Trailer, they are not willing to change hands for less than 15.000 euros. To understand the enormous price differential with respect to a normal V6, it is necessary to take into account not only its rarity: It is the last sedan, rare and in its most powerful version, of an independent Alfa Romeo. And we know of one that is for sale in Alicante, but we will tell you that story another day ... 😉
