Alfa Romeo 164 Cloverleaf: Spotted

A front-wheel-drive Alfa from the early 1990s, for 13 grand. Sounds rather steep - but is it?

Go on. Look at that above picture and tell us you aren't at least a little bit excited by it. We dare you. No, actually we don't, because we know if you try and tell us that, you'll be lying.

Frankly, there are relatively few large executive cars from the 1990s you can really go weak at the knees for, but the Alfa Romeo 164 is one of them. And no more so in our book than the 24v Cloverleaf, of which just 191 were specially imported, to order, by Alfa Romeo between 1993 and 1997.

But is the 164 QV special enough to warrant the £12,990 price tag being asked for it here? Certainly, a few years ago you'd have picked up a shiny one for less than half that. Have prices really risen to the extent that this sort of figure is justified for not only an Alfa dating from the early 1990s - making it barely a classic, in other words - but also one with front-wheel drive?

To answer that, let's have a look at the specs. The 24v succeeded the 12v Cloverleaf, itself quite a special car, featuring electronic dampers and a 200hp version of the famous 'Busso' 3.0-litre V6. The 12v was, however, a flawed diamond, plagued with torque steer problems and short on grip, which meant it was rather a handful to drive.

However, Alfa Romeo worked on the problem, and this continual evolution meant that by the time of the 24v's introduction the issues had, for the most part, been ironed out, leaving a car that was remarkably agile for its size. The engine changes boosted power to a not-inconsiderable 232hp, enough to cover the 0-60 benchmark in around seven seconds.

Like all Cloverleafs, of course, this one looks fabulous - its two-tone red-over-grey paintwork suiting the 164's shape and Cloverleaf bodykit down to the ground. Inside it's glorious, too, all black leather, heavily bolstered seats and angular dashboard lines. And then there are those gorgeous split-rim telephone dial wheels - here, freshly renovated.

The rest of the car's had a bit of work done, too, and there's plenty of history to back all that work up. And from the sound of things, it's been lovingly maintained, the advert even detailing repairs to the loom - so you shouldn't even have the Italian cliche of dodgy electrics to worry about.

In short, this looks about as good a Cloverleaf as you'll find, which brings us back to the original question: is it worth £13k, or close to? With everything it has going for it, we're inclined to say so. What do you think?

SPECIFICATION - ALFA ROMEO 164 3.0 V6 24V QUADRIFOGLIO VERDE

Engine: 2,959cc, four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 232@6,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 207@5,000rpm
MPG: 27.4 (ECE touring)
CO2: n/a
First registered: 1995
Recorded mileage: 91,000
Price new: £31,486
Yours for: £12,990