Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf | Spotted
If you like your Alfas weird and wonderful, look no further
While a small electric sort-of SUV might not seem like it, the Alfa Junior Veloce feels like a return to the small Alfa of old. It’s fast, it’s fun to drive, it looks like nothing else and it’s probably too expensive to make sense to most people. Just like the good old days. While £90k Quadrifoglios are lovely, it’s those at less than half money which often appear a bit more relevant for the average enthusiast. And despite shared architecture, the 280hp Junior does feel very… Alfa-y.
It also continues a long and illustrious tradition of slightly strange-looking small Alfas that are more interesting than the average hatch. People are quick to rush to the RZ/SZ as the peak of weird and wonderful Alfas, though they certainly aren’t the only ones. The 33 was certainly a bit strange. And who can forget the 145 and 146 siblings?
The idea was entirely conventional: replace that ageing 33 with a new pair of C-segment hatches, just the kind of thing that the premium makers were showing an interest in for the mid-'90s (think Audi A3 and 3 Series Compact). They would be based on existing architecture, too, in this case the Fiat Tipo. The execution was anything but normal, though, with separate designers for both the three- and five-door (Chris Bangle did the 145, the 146 was done in-house under Walter de Silva) and resulting hatchbacks unlike anything that had been seen before. They sort of looked related, while also very different as well. You might remember the Fiat Bravo and Brava doing similar. When most five-door hatches just added doors to the three-door version, the Italians embraced the opportunity for distinct models wholeheartedly.
Nearly half a million 145s and 146s were sold until 2001, until the 147 replaced them both with a more conventionally pretty take on the small Alfa hatch. (And with the only five-door flourish being the hidden door handles.) Neither sold amazingly in the UK, and what was once a rare sight is now basically extinct. You can blame the usual suspects for that: corrosion, scrappage schemes, maintenance costs and so on. Imagine having a 145 or 146 back when a cambelt change might have cost nearly the value of the car; it would be a very hard thing to justify.
Fortunately, though, a few people really loved Alfa’s quirky take on the hatch, and some survive to this day. As a usable modern classic that’s still relatively cheap to buy, super rare and boasts a great Alfa engine under the bonnet, there's plenty in the 145’s favour. This Twin Spark Cloverleaf comes from an Alfa Owners Club member, who kept it garaged, and there’s said to be a healthy stack of paperwork for its modest 76,000 miles. A pre-facelift in red with the pepperpot wheels, this 145 looks an absolute gem.
There’s a new MOT promised, which is handy, though it’s worth pointing out that the last test mentioned corroded suspension as an advisory. And that’s unlikely to have gone away. The ideal opportunity for an upgrade, at least - fresh springs and dampers should work wonders for bringing an old car back to life. And anything that’s almost 30 years old, even with low mileage, is going to need some TLC for regular use in 2026. Certainly scooting around in a 145 Cloverleaf sounds a fun enough prospect to spend some money on one - especially as it’s just £6,499 to start with…
SPECIFICATION | ALFA ROMEO 145 CLOVERLEAF
Engine: 1,970cc, four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 155@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 138@4,000rpm
MPG: 30
CO2: 210g/km
First registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 76,000
Price new: £14,884 (1996)
Yours for: £6,499
My classic buying is restricted by what fits in a new build garage (with shelving) and one of these just might just squeeze in.
I'll now move over for the "How much?", "What a piece of s**t brigade", to take over
I write about mine for Classic Cars magazine sporadically, it's in the latest issue.
I've spent £7k on a £750 car, which is ultimately stupid. Especially as it still looks terrible thanks to the peeling Italian Racing Pink paintwork. This year it'll get done, unless anything else falls off. Or the 147 GTA catches fire again (that's on the latest Autosportivo video). Or the Ghibli Cup does 90s Maserati things.
But the 145 is the embodiment of teenage exuberance; pumped up aggressive and shouty, very silly. A Peugeot 306 GTI-6 is a much better handling car and more traditionally pretty, it's also far better built, and comfortably. A similarly priced Clio 1*2 or EP3 Type R is a far more accomplished hot hatch.
That's not the point of this car. It's an experience, rather than 'a car' – the rev-happy engine, the surprising amount of thump from the four-pot mid-range, which means it is nippy and zesty at useable speeds. The sound from the induction and the exhaust.
Then there's the looks – I've a soft spot for brutalist designs, but there's nothing that really looks like it. It was originally supposed to be a Lancia design, which explains why the headlamps look a bit like the Nuovo Delta, and the Alfa badge looks incongurous, and the squared off back looks like the evolution of the Y10.
But I love it. It's not for everyone. But those who get it, get it.
I write about mine for Classic Cars magazine sporadically, it's in the latest issue.
I've spent £7k on a £750 car, which is ultimately stupid. Especially as it still looks terrible thanks to the peeling Italian Racing Pink paintwork. This year it'll get done, unless anything else falls off. Or the 147 GTA catches fire again (that's on the latest Autosportivo video). Or the Ghibli Cup does 90s Maserati things.
But the 145 is the embodiment of teenage exuberance; pumped up aggressive and shouty, very silly. A Peugeot 306 GTI-6 is a much better handling car and more traditionally pretty, it's also far better built, and comfortably. A similarly priced Clio 1*2 or EP3 Type R is a far more accomplished hot hatch.
That's not the point of this car. It's an experience, rather than 'a car' the rev-happy engine, the surprising amount of thump from the four-pot mid-range, which means it is nippy and zesty at useable speeds. The sound from the induction and the exhaust.
Then there's the looks I've a soft spot for brutalist designs, but there's nothing that really looks like it. It was originally supposed to be a Lancia design, which explains why the headlamps look a bit like the Nuovo Delta, and the Alfa badge looks incongurous, and the squared off back looks like the evolution of the Y10.
But I love it. It's not for everyone. But those who get it, get it.
My classic buying is restricted by what fits in a new build garage (with shelving) and one of these just might just squeeze in.
I'll now move over for the "How much?", "What a piece of s**t brigade", to take over
Both Alfas were the TS versions with around 120 hp, both went like stink, frugal, reasonable ergonomics inside, great seats and quite good fun to drive. I agree, they aren't lookers, but they made up for it at almost three years of faultless motoring, no issues whatsoever (and please PH, Alfa have been galvanised from the late 80s on, so rust was never an issue back then, at least body wise. Underneath it might be a different story, but not worse than any other manufacturer). The TS engines were great, I thought a good modernisation for Alfa at the time.
The Tipo base was a good one actually, and I liked the Fiat even more, this thing could withstand the worst abuse and never put a foot wrong.
Today I wouldn t care for any of them, but in their day all of them were a pretty good thing to have, definitely more fun in it compared to the crop of Astras or Golfs (exception is the first focus, of course, sublime suspension and all that).
And then came the 156 and put Alfa on the map again like in the 60s and 70s, and the old range turned from left field to positively frumpy.
Almost 7k for that old hump though, idk.
Would go for a nice 147 or 159 instead.
I write about mine for Classic Cars magazine sporadically, it's in the latest issue.
I've spent £7k on a £750 car, which is ultimately stupid. Especially as it still looks terrible thanks to the peeling Italian Racing Pink paintwork. This year it'll get done, unless anything else falls off. Or the 147 GTA catches fire again (that's on the latest Autosportivo video). Or the Ghibli Cup does 90s Maserati things.
But the 145 is the embodiment of teenage exuberance; pumped up aggressive and shouty, very silly. A Peugeot 306 GTI-6 is a much better handling car and more traditionally pretty, it's also far better built, and comfortably. A similarly priced Clio 1*2 or EP3 Type R is a far more accomplished hot hatch.
That's not the point of this car. It's an experience, rather than 'a car' the rev-happy engine, the surprising amount of thump from the four-pot mid-range, which means it is nippy and zesty at useable speeds. The sound from the induction and the exhaust.
Then there's the looks I've a soft spot for brutalist designs, but there's nothing that really looks like it. It was originally supposed to be a Lancia design, which explains why the headlamps look a bit like the Nuovo Delta, and the Alfa badge looks incongurous, and the squared off back looks like the evolution of the Y10.
But I love it. It's not for everyone. But those who get it, get it.
There’s something quite charming about the 145, and I’m obviously weird in thinking it’s handsome in an unconventional way.
I love how Alfa did things totally differently, and I think you appreciate them a lot more today for their quirkiness.
A cousin of mine had a black 146 in the mid-noughties, and that was a zingy little thing to throw around.
I still peruse the small ads and owners club looking to dip my toe again, maybe one day but not this particular example. Nice to see they're still around though......
The price isn't eye watering if it were a solid example.
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