Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf: You Know You Want To
The forgotten Alfa hot hatch has made it this far, so how about continuing its story?
As well as those - and a whole host more, in fact - there was the Alfa 145 Cloverleaf. A bit gawky to look at perhaps, but blessed with that lovely twin-spark engine, a snappy five-speed manual and an eager little chassis too. When PH drove a pristine one six years ago the verdict was very positive, a view backed up by Autocar when they purchased a far less pristine one. Well, everything was going OK until the fuel started spilling out.
Point being that the flagship 145 will still be good fun, and not simply through the fondness of nostalgia. That famed 2.0-litre engine should feel even better in an age of downsized turbos, as will a kerbweight comfortably under 1,200kg. Perhaps there will be better handling hot hatches - we'll get to those in a sec - though there remains plenty to like about the 145. Probably more than there is to like about a Mito Cloverleaf.
Given the 145 was never the most popular car, that the Cloverleaf was the most expensive version and that we are now more than 20 years from its introduction, you will largely have to take what's available when buying one. Fortunately the one that's residing in the PH classifieds looks like an absolute beaut: a black Cloverleaf with tan leather, it has covered just 65,000 miles since 2000 and comes with every MoT certificate.
Ah yes, you're thinking, but what about all the maintenance that an Alfa from that era will require. Taken care of too, with a full service history, regular rust prevention treatment and a cambelt service in February. The detail and the quality of the ad, a '145' private numberplate plus a couple of subtle modifications are encouraging signs as well.
That all this well-presented quirky Alfa cool is available for £2,695 looks like something of a bargain. Well, mostly. You can't ignore the fact that this is more than they used to be - the 38,000-mile car used back in 2011 cost £1,200 - but then try and find an interesting old car that hasn't increased a fair bit in value over the past half a dozen years.
Moreover, a budget of around about £3K opens up some very interesting hot hatch options. Of course there's the predictable stuff, various Clios, Cupras and Civics available for the money, but one or two less obvious options too. An MG ZS 180 is in budget, and is far better than you probably think. And while there aren't any currently on PH in budget, a BMW 325ti Compact offers a similar combination to the Alfa of sweet engine, decent handling and, er, distinctive looks.
The 145 - and whoever buys it, for that matter - deserves credit though, for thinking a little differently. There's probably even less of them than the BMW and MG, with the added Alfa kudos too. And who doesn't fancy the idea of an old Alfa at some point in their car buying lives?
ALFA ROMEO 145 CLOVERLEAF
Price: £2,695
Why you should: You can say you have cheap classic Alfa Romeo
Why you shouldn't: Others will say you have weird 17 year-old hatch
See the original advert here
[Source: Autocar]
I loved this car, as an 18 year old it was much more interesting than what my mates were driving, and pretty nippy too. I'm sure its gone to the scrapheap in the sky, a real shame as now I have the space in the garage it would be a great little run around that you don't see everyday.
Im not sure id trust one as a daily driver after 20 years but as an occasional toy it was a lot of fun, not sure its looks will ever be considered beautiful so i doubt it will appreciate much further!
It had been sitting for 6 months. New battery and a rear bulb and it sailed through its MOT
Full black MOMO leather interior. Machine polish and it came up like this! (Definitely prefer the phase 1 to the later phase 2 with the full body coloured coding and odd looking front grille.
How it looked when I got it home
Got me thinking will Alfa make more Hot Hatches, i know they have the Mito and Giulietta in Cloverleaf guise but what about a hard GTA version ?
I don't understand people who think they can charge prices like this for such a car. As other have said, they can be had for much cheaper. Yes, they could be deemed as something of a rare car but people aren't exactly hoarding them, are they?
If that's the case, something like an Ignis Sport should be worth a fortune right now. Maybe one day they will, but right now, they can be had for peanuts and i'd much rather one of those than this Alfa. I'd still have a Clio over both but, then again, i do love fast Renault's
My second one was mint and cost me just under a grand, kept it for well over a year with very little cost ot ownership, Sold it to buy a BMW 328i estate. Nice to see this one, a much underated little car. Saw a stunning 147GTA the other day, that was tugging at the heartstrings.
I had a 1.8 for a while but got fed up with having to drive with my bonce banging on the sunroof surround .
I loved this car, as an 18 year old it was much more interesting than what my mates were driving, and pretty nippy too. I'm sure its gone to the scrapheap in the sky, a real shame as now I have the space in the garage it would be a great little run around that you don't see everyday.
Have had a 156 2.4 jtd veloce then got the bug and bought a 156 GTA - Lovely car M3 perf at MG3 pricing
However anyone brave enough should look at this for sale on PH
https://themarket.co.uk/listings/alfa-romeo/164/b8...
This is an ever growing rare alfa for sale - a shape I always loved (facelift 166 even better) but this puppy will surely appreciate
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