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One of the rarest VW's around lives just down the road from Petrolicious HQ.
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Films:
This 1968 Alfa Romeo 1300 Junior Is An Ochre Superstar
Maybe it’s me but I find focusing on speed and extreme reliability when discussing 40+ year olds is downright silly and a bit anal.
Beauty, sound and evocation of an era is what does it for me. Maybe it’s because I am of similar vintage myself and such cars mean something more than a passing fad, which they seem to have become.
As an “Alfa guy” I can identify with the themes of this story, it’s wonderfully shared, thank you. I wonder if reliability problems and reputation came with the 116 and forward cars? Experienced Alfa owners I know simply don’t have reliability problems with 105/115 cars. Rust yes, that’s a real, but fixable problem. The cars I hear or read about having issues are often a result of improper work done or lack of regular maintenance.
Nice story, beautiful color, but that’s the further I will go – not an Alfa fan at all.
But, love the front licence plate sticked to the body with duct tape! Priceless and clearly a sign that this car is owned by someone who likes to drive the car more than keep it as a garage queen! Thumbs up!
Whenever the discussion turns to the subject of unreliability I can’t help but wonder if there really is such a thing as a well known and coveted car that truly is unreliable — as in breaks more often than not. Or is it always more a subjective perception of unreliability based on individual experience.
I have owned 4 alfas and with the exception of a wretched Milano that did me the great favor of burning to a crisp, I would not call alfas unreliable at all. My current GTV is the car I’ve owned the longest of many cars present and past, and I drive it more often and harder than anything I’ve ever owned. I’ve yet to be stranded by it, likely a consequence of proper and regular maintenance. As for the said wretched Milano, I had the misfortune of meeting a particularly bad mechanic which caused life with my beloved Verde to go south very quickly. I don’t blame the car.
As for running cost, the alfas come off looking like a poor man’s vintage car compared with the cost of running an equally reliable Ferrari and Maserati of comparable vintage. It’s all a matter of perspective. And Alfa parts are plentiful as the cars are quite popular.
Totally agree. My first Alfa 105 had been neglected but once maintained it was fine. My current 1972 105 GTV (I’ve had now for 6 years), has been very reliable. I drive it regularly which the old cars need otherwise they seize up. And it is inexpensive to maintain. The 105 cars are just a joy to drive.
I agree that many marque reputations of unreliability are overstated. In terms of 60’s and 70’s vintage cars the “known unknowns” of past maintenance and care can curse many basically solid autos. The most trouble free and reliable car I ever owned over 100,000 miles was a ’78 Renault 5, a car that most Yanks considered a hand grenade.
Dear Guitar Slinger,
I really do understand your point. The closest I came to an Alfa was in the early seventies. I bought a 2002 BMW instead for most of the reasons you mention. Many BMW automobiles later I found that I’m really a Mustang V8 guy.
It ALWAYS runs, NEVER breaks. parts are cheap and available everywhere, it’s really fast and fun, at 6000 rpm it sounds like Thor’s hammer times 8……..but I still dream of the beautiful Italian.
Ummm … errr .. well .. having owned an Alfa or two in the past … ahh … if I can be the spoiler in the soup … maybe its because some part of you knows just how unreliable Alfa’s are .. the fact that they rust faster than you can ever hope to drive them .. the reality that parts even when available are god awful approaching Ferrari price tags expensive [ trust me .. I’ve owned both ] .. etc … et al .. ad nauseam . Which is to say … perhaps be it subliminal or conscious .. some part of you is capable of seeing beyond the romance and avoiding it all . Err .. kinda like not engaging in that torrid affair with that Italian mistress thats caught your eye . e.g. .. a serious bout of discernment .. and I say good for you … enjoy the Mustang … and appreciate the Alfa’s from afar . Let someone else deal with the multiple migraines .. excessive bills and constant inconvenience . Eco ! Va bene . Basta . Ciao !
( now if only IT could get the sunglasses happy face a working )
Guitar Slinger: Older Alfas are generally well engineered and very robust. The perception of unreliability is usually due to poor/deferred maintenance or ham fisted “mechanics” or owners. I could say the same thing about the reliability of my vintage ES335. Is the fact that the pickups are sometimes intermittent on this guitar due to bad design, or some ignorant previous owner who installed an incorrect selector switch and soldered it in with all the skill of a 5 year old?
