Shall I sell it my 164 Cloverleaf?

[scobbo]

I have had this car six years and it has been wonderful. However since I bought a Maserati the Alfa is no longer used for fun anymore. It has become the school-run, shopping and dump-run car. It rarely gets out of second gear in this role and gives me less than 13mpg. (Even less than the Maser!) I am thinking I should get rid and replace it with a car that is cheaper to run. However I reckon it probably worth more to me as a big old reliable car that its market value. I did see someone advertise one for £5K last year but I think they were dreaming. I have been assured by an AROC guy that mine is the nicest left in the UK. It is 75K, a very extensive history and is a fully loaded with a beautiful Momo interior. Maybe it's time to let someone else enjoy it? What am I really likely to get for it?

http://community.webshots.com/album/435378835mPyJEV

>> Edited by scobbo on Friday 14th October 13:44

[pdV6]

scobbo said:

I did see someone advertise one for £5K last year but I think they were dreaming.

Probably. You can get a leggy 166 for that kind of money.

[rustybin]

scobbo said:

I have had this car six years and it has been wonderful. However since I bought a Maserati the Alfa is no longer used for fun anymore. It has become the school-run, shopping and dump-run car. It rarely gets out of second gear in this role and gives me less than 13mpg. (Even less than the Maser!) I am thinking I should get rid and replace it with a car that is cheaper to run. However I reckon it probably worth more to me as a big old reliable car that its market value. I did see someone advertise one for £5K last year but I think they were dreaming. I have been assured by an AROC guy that mine is the nicest left in the UK. It is 75K, a very extensive history and is a fully loaded with a beautiful Momo interior. Maybe it's time to let someone else enjoy it? What am I really likely to get for it?

I would seriously consider keeping it. The market value is shockingly low. £5k is incredibly optimistic even if it is absolutley mint and a late example. I have seen some very nice ones going recently that strugled to make £3k. Only problem with keeping it is you may find the bills starting to mount and parts availability is in decline. I had a run of bad luck; suspension bushes, brakes, clutch, diff that lead to service costs of around £2k a year for three years.

I have just sold my 24V with rather higher miles (134k) and off the road due to an oil leak, but otherwise average condition for £750.

It is a shame as the cloverleaf is a great car.

[Avocet]

I love my 164 to bits (not a Cloverleaf) but probably the best-built car Alfa have ever done. I can understand your dilema. Do you have space to mothball it? I agree at present, they are worth very little but I'm sure they will soon start to appreciate as the numbers dwindle!

[rustybin]

Avocet said:

I'm sure they will soon start to appreciate as the numbers dwindle!

You'd think so wouldn't you. But with only 191 Cloverleafs sold in the UK and as I know at least six have been scrapped this year there can't be more than 100 left surely and there still dirt cheap. Hope you're right though.

[fasterpussycat]

A couple of grand? Maybe more if someone is particularly looking for a mint example of a Cloverleaf. These things depreciate shockingly - there's a bloke on the 164 register selling a working TS for £200!

You can get a 166 now for £3k...

James

[scobbo]

Thanks for the interest. I have been deliberating over the issue since I posted. I think I've just about come to the conclusion that I will keep it. I don't think I would have let it go for less than £3K, which is probably at least £500 more than it's market value. It is worth that much to me for both practical and sentimental reasons. I have just had some work done on it by Alfaman Services and Eddy Mann's comment yesterday was "What a wonderful car. I would hang onto it!" I have been stopped and complimented when driving it in London 4 times in the last year. This has yet to happen in my Maserati 3200GT!!
If something changes and I really feel the need to replace it with a Peugeot Diesel Estate or similar...

[scobbo]

Bouncing this back up to the top to let anyone who's interested know that it went in the classifieds yesterday. It looks like my long affair with Italian cars is about to end as I have just ordered a Suburu Legacy R Spec B Tourer. I can take heart that it was designed by Andreas Zapatinas from Alfa Romeo!
I considered a 159 Sportwagon but to Spec one up like the Scooby you are talking 7K more! I expect it would lose half its value in two years aswell..

See y'all over on Jap Chat!

[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/107657.htm[/url]

Edited by scobbo on Sunday 1st October 06:49

Edited by scobbo on Sunday 1st October 06:50

Edited by scobbo on Tuesday 17th October 22:47

[mustard]

Thats one beautiful car for £3k!

[nickyd100]

I love these cars! If there is any way you can not sell yours I would do that - you will be lucky to get £3K for it in my opinion.

There is one on fleabay at the monent, it has no MOT and 140K - but say it goes for £500 and costs the same to put through an MOT its a lot of car for £1K!

Anyways, best of luck with the sale!

[scobbo]

Someone drew my attention to this article by James May in yesterday's Telegraph:

[url]www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2006/10/21/mrmay21.xml[/url]

Perhaps I should e-mail him....

Edited by scobbo on Sunday 22 October 16:06

[alfaman]

scobbo said:

Bouncing this back up to the top to let anyone who's interested know that it went in the classifieds yesterday. It looks like my long affair with Italian cars is about to end as I have just ordered a Suburu Legacy R Spec B Tourer. I can take heart that it was designed by Andreas Zapatinas from Alfa Romeo!
I considered a 159 Sportwagon but to Spec one up like the Scooby you are talking 7K more! I expect it would lose half its value in two years aswell..

See y'all over on Jap Chat!

interesting Scobbo ..... I drive a 164 I'm looking to get rid of ... and am considering a Legacy Estate.

Are you importing the car or buying a pre-imported one ?

[scobbo]

Just bought it from a dealer...

[scobbo]

I got the asking price. An American software engineer was getting posted to the UK. He was an AROC member stateside. Made the offer and wired me the money without even seeing the car. I hope it gives him as much pleasure as it has me. Good luck Mark!

[fasterpussycat]

Wow, maybe these cars are appreciating after all. They have quite a following in the States as I think they were the last Alfa that was sold over there where they all came in V6 flavour. Mind you, the lucky Yanks also got the Q4 4x4 version.