The wonderful thing about modern, well made cars, is that they are all so darn good. So, when the great moment of truth, that extraordinary moment when the bank balance is sufficient for a down payment, or a friendly bank manager agrees to a loan arrives, it's up to the personal preference of the buyer to wander off and buy his or her own favourite.
I was personally lucky when I learnt to drive, way back in 1954, that I actually took the test in dad's car, a fine 1934 Riley 9 Monaco. He had picked it up in 1944 for the princely sum of £60 in pretty ropey condition as it had spent most of the war years as a chicken hutch.
However, the body was all aluminium, and it had the prototype pre-selector gearbox still in brilliant order. Of course it had that glorious engine with its twin SU carbs, that went on in 1.5-litre supercharged form to power the famous ERA racing cars. All of which are still in regular use.
The point of this tale is that in 1944 and 1945, when second-hand cars were fetching more than the Riley, if they apparently worked, the war years had usually not treated them well, and they were often rust buckets. All had very strange little quirks and idiosyncrasies.
A buyer really had to be most knowledgeable to obtain a car that was safe and even reasonably trouble free. Things have most certainly changed and there are few manufacturers who cannot iron out the little problems that were of yore disregarded as being absolutely 'par for the course'.
From the time I first drove in 1954 to this day, I have lusted after, longed for, desired with a fervour the fantastic 1933 Alfa Tipo 8C-2300, but without Lm750,000 to hand it remains but a dream of passion.
Sporting Alfas are still wonderful cars to own and drive, and in the Maltese context the 2.2 JTS in the Spider, which I test-drove probably makes more sense than the 3.2 JTS V6. If on the other hand there is a pressing desire to plant your wheels on Continental Europe, reach 100 km/h in 7 seconds, compared to the 8.8 seconds that the smaller-engined car takes, go for the larger engine and its permanent four-wheel-drive.
This new Spider was a most successful collaboration between the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre and two of the greatest names in auto styling, Giugiaro and Pininfarina.
Everything about, and inside, the car exuded class and refinement, while keeping the essential ingredients that the male macho demands from a two-seat Alfa. This without snubbing the sensibilities that would otherwise stop enthusiastic ladies from purchasing, and thereby missing a glorious opportunity to enjoy, a car from one of the most respected 'stables' in the business.
The interior design and comfort levels are brilliant. The rack and pinion steering with power assistance is balanced to perfection.
Fast cars need fast responses, and the double wishbones and stabiliser bar linked to ball joints up front do the job to perfection while the independent set-up at the rear with its refined multi links helps keep the car pointing in exactly the desired direction.
Stopping from speed is always a concern, but using the large ventilated discs at the front, combined with the solid discs at the rear, as hard as the ABS permitted the car was brought to a standstill from something over the local limit, hands off the steering wheel, in an absolutely straight line.
The Spider is based on the Brera, the iconic new Alfa that turns heads faster than most super cars costing four times the price, and I suggest the Spider has the same effect on all lovers of 'poetry in motion'.
The 2.2 is not exactly thrustful, although it produces a very reasonable 185 bhp. This is basically because, although an open car, it's pretty meaty and, consequently, the gear stick needs to be stirred to keep the engine revving beyond 3,000 rpm. At which point the engine positively and most acoustically pleasingly revs up to its 7,000 rpm limit in one broad sweep.
This 2.2-litre is ideal for Malta. It carries two very large occupants in style and comfort, handles beautifully, doesn't get phased by uneven surfaces, even when tackled at speed, and, like earlier Alfas bearing the same tantalising 'Spider' sobriquet, it should prove absolutely 'ageless', marking it as a future 'classic' that will be enjoyed until petrol engines are consigned to a museum for future generations to enjoy.
At a glance Engine: 2,198cc, four cylinders in-line. Engine mounted transversely at the front. Compression ratio: 11.3:1. Maximum power: 185 bhp developed at 6,500 rpm. Maximum torque (pulling power): 230 Nm developed at 4,500 rpm. Performance: maximum speed, 222 km/h. 0-100 km/h, 1 occupant with 30 kg, 8.8 seconds. Average fuel consumption: 9.4 litres/100 km. Transmission: drive to the front wheels; six forward gears plus reverse. Safety on board: ABS with EBD; VDC for stability control; ASR to prevent wheel skidding; MSR that switches in during quick downshifting in poor grip conditions; and Hill Holder that helps with uphill starts; five airbags with two-stage activation. Seat belts. Model strength is built into the chassis frame with great torsional rigidity of the body shell, constructed from high-strength steel, dual-phase steel and multi-layer laser welded plate. In a roll-over the head protectors will do their job at speeds unheard of in the Malta context. Is the garage big enough?Length, 4,390 mm; width, 1,830 mm; height 1,320 mm.
20070617-motoring--alfa2.jpgAgressive masterpiece
Chalk and cheese, you may well say, but how wrong can you get. Although the 159 is what I would call a 'fixed-head coupé' the handling and strengths of the car are not so far different from the lovely Spider.
This is not entirely surprising since Giorgietto Giugiaro, in collaboration with the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, created this aggressive looking masterpiece.
I totally appreciated the frontal, almost brutal aspect, and the large pillars around the rear window are entirely right, as are the twin exhausts and the small spoiler that gives a comforting feeling that this vehicle will be totally stable at very, very high speeds.
This is a large car that provides ample space for five people to be driven hard, and fast, for great distances, without tiring, and in a break from tradition let's look at the dimensions now.
She takes up 4,660 mm of space, is 1,828mm wide and 1,417 mm high. The wheelbase is 2,700 mm, which partly accounts for the comfortable ride. But there is an impressive amount of 'unsprung weight' front and rear, as expected in this class of vehicle. Yet the balance is so good and the styling so perfect that, from the rear, the impression given is that you've just been overtaken by a really sporty 'chariot'
Yes, I liked what I saw, and when I made ready to drive the sheer comfort levels inside make the model hard to beat. All the instruments are easy to read, with a dashboard shaped around the driver.
The five seats are all comfortable, with plenty of legroom in the spacious, refined interior. As the book says: "The Alfa 159 is the ideal saloon for anyone looking for the right balance between the rational and the emotional, but always with quality and comfort."
I had the smallest engine on test, the 1.9 JTS developing 160 bhp, but as the 159 has a delightful six-speed box much fun and impressive acceleration times can be had by using the gearbox to its full potential.
As the engine is in entire compliance with Euro 4 emissions, any passing thoughts about high revs and nasty gasses can be safely disregarded.
This was another car to enjoy and the drive was made perfect by little traffic being encountered on the new Italian roads. Great efforts were put in on the superb Polidano-constructed Mosta-Zebbiegh road to keep this tempting vehicle more or less on some sort of leash.
High 'G' turns were done at Ta' Qali along with the compulsory 'hands-off' brake test. As the handbook says that the car will brake in 36 m from 100 km/h, a mark was made on the ground and the brakes hit, hard as we crossed the line. The Highway Code states that it will take 55 m to brake plus a further 18 m of road in thinking time.
The Alfa, which did indeed brake to a stop in very nearly the stated 36 m on the old runway surface of Ta' Qali would normally therefore take a total of 54 m to come to a stop on good, dry road surfaces, like the Italian roads.
This would beat the stated figures by a comfortable 19 m on selected roads. However, don't read much into these figures as our own much loved, highly slippery limestone road surfaces might even make the Highway Code seem optimistic.
Obviously, this car comes with the entire range of safety features: airbags, seat belts, Isofix child seat connections, ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and the most sophisticated electronic stability control systems, some of which can be turned off to allow the driver to be freely in control of the car, as the book says "in track tests".
These three words sum up the range of enjoyment that is expected for 159 owners. You can enjoy blasting round our road system at a monumental 80 km/h, probably with electronic help switched off if a full range of slow speed excitement is to be had, or you can join the Island Car Club and get the 159 up one of the hill climb events, with the electronic controls also off, to get a bit of real-time enjoyment. Or, if in pensive mood, leave the whole lot switched on and let the car do most of the work for you.
The torsional stiffness of the Spider has also been translated to the 159 using the same chassis technology. This high level of chassis stiffness means that the steering (fully adjustable) and suspension are always working to their optimum.
To make the whole lot gel even further the 'premium' floor pan combines with the body shell to produce a very strong, compact structure.
Both the Spider and the 159 combine practicality with emotional enjoyment, and these tests were carried out with real pleasure as either car would fit into this scribe's garage with ease and provide a positive 'show stopper' when ever they are seen parked in populated areas.
At a glance Engine: 1.9 JTS, 1,858 cc, developing 160 bhp at 6,500 rpm with 190 Nm of torque, developed at 4,500 rpm. Maximum speed: 212 km/h. 0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds. Transmission through a six-speed gearbox via the front wheels. Suspension: upper wishbones at the front, multi-link set up at the rear. Brakes: discs all round.
I was personally lucky when I learnt to drive, way back in 1954, that I actually took the test in dad's car, a fine 1934 Riley 9 Monaco. He had picked it up in 1944 for the princely sum of £60 in pretty ropey condition as it had spent most of the war years as a chicken hutch.
However, the body was all aluminium, and it had the prototype pre-selector gearbox still in brilliant order. Of course it had that glorious engine with its twin SU carbs, that went on in 1.5-litre supercharged form to power the famous ERA racing cars. All of which are still in regular use.
The point of this tale is that in 1944 and 1945, when second-hand cars were fetching more than the Riley, if they apparently worked, the war years had usually not treated them well, and they were often rust buckets. All had very strange little quirks and idiosyncrasies.
A buyer really had to be most knowledgeable to obtain a car that was safe and even reasonably trouble free. Things have most certainly changed and there are few manufacturers who cannot iron out the little problems that were of yore disregarded as being absolutely 'par for the course'.
From the time I first drove in 1954 to this day, I have lusted after, longed for, desired with a fervour the fantastic 1933 Alfa Tipo 8C-2300, but without Lm750,000 to hand it remains but a dream of passion.
Sporting Alfas are still wonderful cars to own and drive, and in the Maltese context the 2.2 JTS in the Spider, which I test-drove probably makes more sense than the 3.2 JTS V6. If on the other hand there is a pressing desire to plant your wheels on Continental Europe, reach 100 km/h in 7 seconds, compared to the 8.8 seconds that the smaller-engined car takes, go for the larger engine and its permanent four-wheel-drive.
This new Spider was a most successful collaboration between the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre and two of the greatest names in auto styling, Giugiaro and Pininfarina.
Everything about, and inside, the car exuded class and refinement, while keeping the essential ingredients that the male macho demands from a two-seat Alfa. This without snubbing the sensibilities that would otherwise stop enthusiastic ladies from purchasing, and thereby missing a glorious opportunity to enjoy, a car from one of the most respected 'stables' in the business.
The interior design and comfort levels are brilliant. The rack and pinion steering with power assistance is balanced to perfection.
Fast cars need fast responses, and the double wishbones and stabiliser bar linked to ball joints up front do the job to perfection while the independent set-up at the rear with its refined multi links helps keep the car pointing in exactly the desired direction.
Stopping from speed is always a concern, but using the large ventilated discs at the front, combined with the solid discs at the rear, as hard as the ABS permitted the car was brought to a standstill from something over the local limit, hands off the steering wheel, in an absolutely straight line.
The Spider is based on the Brera, the iconic new Alfa that turns heads faster than most super cars costing four times the price, and I suggest the Spider has the same effect on all lovers of 'poetry in motion'.
The 2.2 is not exactly thrustful, although it produces a very reasonable 185 bhp. This is basically because, although an open car, it's pretty meaty and, consequently, the gear stick needs to be stirred to keep the engine revving beyond 3,000 rpm. At which point the engine positively and most acoustically pleasingly revs up to its 7,000 rpm limit in one broad sweep.
This 2.2-litre is ideal for Malta. It carries two very large occupants in style and comfort, handles beautifully, doesn't get phased by uneven surfaces, even when tackled at speed, and, like earlier Alfas bearing the same tantalising 'Spider' sobriquet, it should prove absolutely 'ageless', marking it as a future 'classic' that will be enjoyed until petrol engines are consigned to a museum for future generations to enjoy.
At a glance Engine: 2,198cc, four cylinders in-line. Engine mounted transversely at the front. Compression ratio: 11.3:1. Maximum power: 185 bhp developed at 6,500 rpm. Maximum torque (pulling power): 230 Nm developed at 4,500 rpm. Performance: maximum speed, 222 km/h. 0-100 km/h, 1 occupant with 30 kg, 8.8 seconds. Average fuel consumption: 9.4 litres/100 km. Transmission: drive to the front wheels; six forward gears plus reverse. Safety on board: ABS with EBD; VDC for stability control; ASR to prevent wheel skidding; MSR that switches in during quick downshifting in poor grip conditions; and Hill Holder that helps with uphill starts; five airbags with two-stage activation. Seat belts. Model strength is built into the chassis frame with great torsional rigidity of the body shell, constructed from high-strength steel, dual-phase steel and multi-layer laser welded plate. In a roll-over the head protectors will do their job at speeds unheard of in the Malta context. Is the garage big enough?Length, 4,390 mm; width, 1,830 mm; height 1,320 mm.
20070617-motoring--alfa2.jpgAgressive masterpiece
Chalk and cheese, you may well say, but how wrong can you get. Although the 159 is what I would call a 'fixed-head coupé' the handling and strengths of the car are not so far different from the lovely Spider.
This is not entirely surprising since Giorgietto Giugiaro, in collaboration with the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, created this aggressive looking masterpiece.
I totally appreciated the frontal, almost brutal aspect, and the large pillars around the rear window are entirely right, as are the twin exhausts and the small spoiler that gives a comforting feeling that this vehicle will be totally stable at very, very high speeds.
This is a large car that provides ample space for five people to be driven hard, and fast, for great distances, without tiring, and in a break from tradition let's look at the dimensions now.
She takes up 4,660 mm of space, is 1,828mm wide and 1,417 mm high. The wheelbase is 2,700 mm, which partly accounts for the comfortable ride. But there is an impressive amount of 'unsprung weight' front and rear, as expected in this class of vehicle. Yet the balance is so good and the styling so perfect that, from the rear, the impression given is that you've just been overtaken by a really sporty 'chariot'
Yes, I liked what I saw, and when I made ready to drive the sheer comfort levels inside make the model hard to beat. All the instruments are easy to read, with a dashboard shaped around the driver.
The five seats are all comfortable, with plenty of legroom in the spacious, refined interior. As the book says: "The Alfa 159 is the ideal saloon for anyone looking for the right balance between the rational and the emotional, but always with quality and comfort."
I had the smallest engine on test, the 1.9 JTS developing 160 bhp, but as the 159 has a delightful six-speed box much fun and impressive acceleration times can be had by using the gearbox to its full potential.
As the engine is in entire compliance with Euro 4 emissions, any passing thoughts about high revs and nasty gasses can be safely disregarded.
This was another car to enjoy and the drive was made perfect by little traffic being encountered on the new Italian roads. Great efforts were put in on the superb Polidano-constructed Mosta-Zebbiegh road to keep this tempting vehicle more or less on some sort of leash.
High 'G' turns were done at Ta' Qali along with the compulsory 'hands-off' brake test. As the handbook says that the car will brake in 36 m from 100 km/h, a mark was made on the ground and the brakes hit, hard as we crossed the line. The Highway Code states that it will take 55 m to brake plus a further 18 m of road in thinking time.
The Alfa, which did indeed brake to a stop in very nearly the stated 36 m on the old runway surface of Ta' Qali would normally therefore take a total of 54 m to come to a stop on good, dry road surfaces, like the Italian roads.
This would beat the stated figures by a comfortable 19 m on selected roads. However, don't read much into these figures as our own much loved, highly slippery limestone road surfaces might even make the Highway Code seem optimistic.
Obviously, this car comes with the entire range of safety features: airbags, seat belts, Isofix child seat connections, ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and the most sophisticated electronic stability control systems, some of which can be turned off to allow the driver to be freely in control of the car, as the book says "in track tests".
These three words sum up the range of enjoyment that is expected for 159 owners. You can enjoy blasting round our road system at a monumental 80 km/h, probably with electronic help switched off if a full range of slow speed excitement is to be had, or you can join the Island Car Club and get the 159 up one of the hill climb events, with the electronic controls also off, to get a bit of real-time enjoyment. Or, if in pensive mood, leave the whole lot switched on and let the car do most of the work for you.
The torsional stiffness of the Spider has also been translated to the 159 using the same chassis technology. This high level of chassis stiffness means that the steering (fully adjustable) and suspension are always working to their optimum.
To make the whole lot gel even further the 'premium' floor pan combines with the body shell to produce a very strong, compact structure.
Both the Spider and the 159 combine practicality with emotional enjoyment, and these tests were carried out with real pleasure as either car would fit into this scribe's garage with ease and provide a positive 'show stopper' when ever they are seen parked in populated areas.
At a glance Engine: 1.9 JTS, 1,858 cc, developing 160 bhp at 6,500 rpm with 190 Nm of torque, developed at 4,500 rpm. Maximum speed: 212 km/h. 0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds. Transmission through a six-speed gearbox via the front wheels. Suspension: upper wishbones at the front, multi-link set up at the rear. Brakes: discs all round.