Shed of the Week: Alfa Romeo 166

Smartly-dressed Italian exec and the concept of 'sprezzatura' on Shed's radar this week

Right, here's your reaction test for today. Ready?

Who do you think of when you see the phrase (wait for it...) 'Italian car executive'.

Who did you think of? Stephan Winkelmann or Luca di Montezemolo?

'Alfa Romeo', 'V6' and Shed money...

Whichever one it was - and we'd lay Dan's money on it being one of those two - the usual stereotype of the modern Italian industry exec is of a smooth-looking dude rocking a combination of rakish elegance and air of not giving a flying one, invariably at odds with the time and money spent achieving this look. Sprezzatura, they call it in Italy.

Here's another Italian executive that you might say is a metal embodiment of sprezzatura: Alfa Romeo's 166. Born in 1998, this four-door saloon was the replacement for the rather lovely Alfa 164, cheap examples of which, we fear, are long departed from this column and unlikely to return.

Centro Stile designer Walter de Silva had the demanding task of coming up with something that was at least as appealing as the 164, and hopefully more so, using the same floorpan. With the obvious exception of the front end, which looked a bit too much like a startled catfish, it's fair to say that the boy done well. It's one of the few cars that looks as good side-on as it does in the less demanding rear three-quarter pose.

The engine is the heart of any good Alfa. Under this 166's bonnet is not the 225hp 3.0-litre V6 (boosted in 2003 to 3.2-litres and 240hp), but nor is it the weedy 150hp 2.0-litre four either. What it is the sweet 2.5 six, a tasty compromise of power and fruitsome zing putting out 190hp at an emotional 6,200rpm. It's a manual too, which not only avoids the potentially expensive ECU difficulties associated with the Sportronic box, it also means you can play the part of a demented orchestra conductor with a well-wielded wand.

Talking of conductors, alternative funny man Alexei Sayle once described his 166 as having more electrical problems than North Korea, but his was an early model. The 166 generally is not deserving of your scorn. It's a perfectly practical option that needn't empty your wallet.

Sure, some 166 body panels are prone to distortion, and the paint can lose both lustre and lacquer, but from the pics it looks like our SOTW is a rolling testament to the efforts Alfa put in on corrosion resistance. We assume the car is black. Dark colours do suit the 166, contrasting nicely with the chromey bits. Whatever the hue may be, it looks rust free. You'll want to check the front suspension for clonks, creaks or bangs as these components take a bit of a pasting on the 166. It's worth keeping the springing fresh as the multi-link rear/double-wishbone front system is your guarantee of connected handling.

Most Alfa engines use oil, or as they say in Italy, olio. The V6s can guzzle a litre every thousand miles. That's not necessarily a bad thing. You could look at it as a way of having new oil, or olio, in your motor most of the time. If the level is below the slot on the stick, watch out, as this engine gets pretty grumpy if it's run low.

No leather but the cut of its cloth is sharp

We have very little technical info to go on with this sparsely-written ad, but an interested purchaser should certainly try to find out if the cambelt has been changed at 60K, the mark recommended by specialists. Ideally the water pump will have been changed at the same time as the original factory items used fragile plastic impellers. When these crack the engine will overheat, with predictably costly results.

Manual gearboxes and clutches wear well, but the air flow meter is known for failing. That will manifest itself as poor top-end performance and a generally choked feel when you're chasing some revs.

Despite its own specific flaws and any other issues you may have with its parent's reputation, the 166 confounded the market by having a decently long innings, running from 1998 to 2007 in the face of stiff competition from the established 5 Series and E-Class.

Since our last 166 Shed back at the end of 2012, the number registered in the UK has dropped by more than half, from around 1,300 to something below 600. Like all good designs, it still looks fresh and distinctive today. Getting your paws on a solid one now could be a smart move. On one level it's a pity this one doesn't have leather, but looked at another way that's only going to make it rarer. As any Italian exec will tell you, it's all about perception.

Here's the (not exactly fulsome) ad.

Mot'd 19th April 2016, good clean example, driving well, a future classic !!