Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf | Spotted
Rare, cool, slightly odd old Alfa for £10,000? Sign us up...
As seems to be a point of discussion all too often, it doesn’t feel like a great time for hot hatch fans. There are fewer new ones than ever - as well as fewer manufacturers seemingly showing an interest. And the classics show no signs of becoming any less valuable, even the ones that weren’t very good. What’s the point of a hot hatch worth so much money you can’t even drive it fast?
Help is still at hand, though, it just needs seeking out in unusual places. Now, nobody is going to suggest that the Alfa 145 Cloverleaf was a Clio 172 beater, but it's widely accepted to be the best 145 made by some margin. The combination of not very much weight, an effervescent 2.0-litre Twin Spark under the bonnet and a sharp shifting manual gearbox made it a fun little car to drive when earlier 145s hadn’t really delivered on the promise.
It's always looked a bit strange, though, the 146’s three-door sibling, and that point was rammed home when the svelte 147 arrived to replace both models. Then Alfa found a way to squeeze the Busso V6 in, resurrected the GTA badge and ensured two intriguing hot(ish) hatches were almost completely forgotten about. Nobody cared about the Cloverleafs once there was a 147 GTA, and especially while so many other pocket rockets remained affordable, if anybody did in the first instance. Which is a pity, and means that the small number sold went neglected.
This one must be one of the very best left in Britain, showing just 26,000 miles despite being registered as long ago as 2000 and with a single owner for the first 20 years of its life. The condition is testament to that; this era wasn’t a brilliant one for Alfa build quality, yet the little Cloverleaf’s interior presents remarkably well. There are no signs of excessive wear, the Momo leather chairs are plump, and the steering wheel only looks as odd as it would have when new. The 145 isn’t known for its durability, but here we are. If anything points to careful and considerate ownership, a Cloverleaf still looking this good must be it.
The condition is backed up with plenty of paperwork, from old MOT certificates to service stamps and receipts. The last service was in October and the cambelt was done with the water pump at the end of 2020. Obviously, a new owner can’t hope to treat a 23-year-old Alfa Romeo like a box-fresh car, but there seems little reason why similarly diligent upkeep couldn’t keep the 145 fighting fit for many years yet.
And it’s £10k. In a world where old Golf GTIs with five times the mileage can be more than twice the money - as well as way more common - the Cloverleaf’s case feels quite persuasive. It may not be an icon of the genre like some others, but as a cool classic curio that looks nice enough to show - yet isn’t valuable enough that it must be parked forever - there are many things to like here. Even if the styling may still not necessarily be one of them...
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: 2000
Recorded mileage: 26,245
Price new: £14,884 (1996)
Yours for: £10,495
You'd think that I made the right decision, but the Evo in question was not a good example and broke down on the road 4 times in 12 months, despite the large folder of invoices for previous work from a reputable specialist in Reading.
I had a 146Ti - which is the same car but with more doors, bigger boot and even more challenging looks - back in the late 90s and loved it so much that I bought an identical one a few months ago.
Funnily enough mine had 27,000 miles on it and was owned by the same person for the first 25 years of it's life. The interior is excellent as well and even the bodywork is in great condition bar a couple of small parking dings.
I love it and would recommend one to anyone who has fond memories of the 90s, likes challenging looking cars and doesn't mind sitting upright with your feet too high on the pedals, a proper 90s Alfa experience.
Here's mine:
These do look way better in red of course.
I'd actually like a Billy basic version with the wee boxer engine which I think you briefly got?
I test drove one at the time, but thought the 2 litre TwinSpark was a big improvement.
Indeed, my ex bashed the rear quarter and while the paint cracked cleanly away, it didn't rust. The interior was also as good as any Fiesta so I would assume an Alfa would be at least on par.
This does seem pricey, though, for a car that was never popular and I always baulk at the idea of trying to get parts for a very rare car of that age.
I kind of felt sorry for the little Alfa for a while, especially as it was in a nice shade of green, but there was always something going wrong with it. I remember once when it was fairly new the wipers completely giving up the ghost when at full tilt in a horrible downpour, and after that it didn’t really grab my affections
Its time was finally up when something catastrophic went wrong again with it at 10 years old and having completed 45k uncomfortable miles, and off it went to the lovely farm in the sky to play with the other Italian hatchbacks. If it had been an SZ I’d probably have been more forgiving, but can’t say I ever missed it and wouldn’t be tempted to spend a fraction of that £10k even on a Cloverleaf. Maybe I’m just not Alfatitsi enough, or whatever it’s called
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