SOTW: Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf
Not the most beautiful Italian, but it's got a fine heart, reckons Shed
In the case of the Alfa Romeo 145, the flaws come in the form of a design that puts you irresistibly in mind of a delivery van that's been turned into a passenger hatchback in rather a hurry and as a wee bit of an afterthought. And the traditionally slightly awkward driving position.
On the other hand, there are plenty of positives to the good ol' 145, not least of which is the fact that it's most un-hot hatch looks render it a bit of a hidden gem, waiting for those in the know. In cloverleaf form it's also pleasantly rapid (in 1990s hot hatch terms at least), its 150hp engine giving a 0-60mph sprint of 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 129mph.
Your humble scribbler was lucky enough to grab a quick spin in one last autumn, when we gathered together a few unusual hot hatches for a feature. Here's what I thought of the little Alfa back then:
"Of all the cars here, it feels most like a traditional hot hatch - lightweight, eager and with a rasping, revvy 2.0-litre motor. It's not super-fast, but it wants to be hustled along, and the Alcantara-covered wheel really suits the hyperactively responsive steering.
"So far, so Alfa. It doesn't feel creaky or rattly, though, as conventional wisdom might have it. Perhaps that's a function of a lightweight 38k mileage, or the fact that it has obviously been well looked-after. Whatever, this is a surprisingly solid little cube of fun."
This particular cube of fun appears a fairly safe bet in Alfa shed terms, too, being a known quantity to the garage selling it (presumably meaning plenty of history) and having a full year of MOT on it. For 750 quid's worth of Italian brio, what more could you ask for?
Advert is reproduced below
ALFA ROMEO 145 2.0 CLOVERLEAF 3DR (1996/P)
112,000 miles £750
BLACK Hatchback.
1970cc Manual.
Black. ..1 YEARS MOT.....PREVIOUSLY SUPPLIED & MAINTAINED BY OURSELVES..ELECTRIC WINDOWS..POWER STEERING..16" ALLOYS..THATCHAM APPROVED IMMOBILISER..ALL USUAL CLOVERLEAF REFINMENTS..CLEAN TIDY CAR..FUTURE CLASSIC..BARGAIN..150 BHP OF FUN... Insurance Group:14A,
Thats a lot of van for £750, yet somehow a bit too "meh" too look at to get the juices flowing.
Still could make a good daily shuttle.
Fine and sympathetic write up.
Such a good car, even though I'm in something faster now I still miss it. Supersprint exhaust, fantastic Alfa sound and and a cracking engine that just asked to be revved. I have never seen a better standard cloth interior on any car.
Brings back fond memories of trying to force down the ,malfunctioning electric window at 75 odd on the motorway. Terrible MPG, not great handling really but so much fun. In the end sold for £350 to a genuine Italian from Slough (needed some brake fixes)
Handles like a rusty sackfull of spanners.
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