The Alfa Romeo 164 is a four-door executive saloon that was manufactured by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998. The 164 was based on the Type Four (Tipo Quattro) platform shared by Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Saab. Enrico Fumia of Pininfarina was responsible for the 164 design. The first 1:1 scale model produced in 1982 had a wedge shape that afforded it a leading drag coefficient of Cd=0.30. The design would later influence the rest of the Alfa Romeo range.
It became the first Alfa to benefit from extensive use of computer aided design, used to calculate structural stresses that resulted in a very rigid but still relatively lightweight chassis. Overall, the 164 also benefitted from improved build quality relative to previous Alfas, thanks to the extensive use of galvanised steel for the frame and various body panels for the first time in the brand's history. Moreover, the car featured advanced electronics thanks to the most complex wiring harness fitted to any Alfa Romeo. Depending on the model, the 164 could feature automatic climate control and electronically controlled damping suspension.
The interior of the 164 was spacious and modern, available with standard velour seating or leather trim depending on the model. Its dashboard continued the avantgarde design of the exterior with a centre dashboard that was dominated by a large number of seemingly identical buttons arranged in rows.
In its home market of Italy, the original 164 range launched in 1987 offered the options of a 2.0i Twin Spark, a 3.0i V6 12-valve and a 2.5 Turbodiesel. By 1990, the top-line engine was the 3.0 L "Arese" V6 designed by Giuseppe Busso. Its 12-valve design was later upgraded to 24-valves for the new V6 models and, specifically the Super models: the QV and Q4. In 1995, the 164 was the last Alfa sedan to be sold in the US market, where only the 3.0 L V6 was offered (12V 1991-93, 24V 1994-95). (wikipedia & woiweb.com)
Alfa Romeo 164 QV (1990-92)
The 164 QV or Quadrifoglio Verde (badged "QV" or "S") was available from 1990 to 1992 as the top of the range model. It was fitted with a bodykit that comprised an extended front spoiler, deeper side-skirts and a deeper rear apron. Inside, the QV featured sculpted sports seats whereas, mechanically, it was fitted with an up-rated version of the 3-Litre V6 12-valve engine (147 kW vs 132 kW (179 PS; 177 hp) for the standard car) and adjustable damper settings. It produced 200 hp (149 kW) and 189 ft-lbs. This was the only export 164 available with a manual transmission. From 1992, this model was the powered by the new 24-valve V6 engine. (wikipedia)
(Photos from classicblog.cz, jutarnji.hr & modernclassicautos.com)
Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 (1993-97)
In 1993, Alfa introduced a four-wheel-drive variant called the Q4 (short for Quadrifoglio 4), which was equipped with the most powerful 3-Litre V6 engine fitted to the 164, featuring 24-valves. The Q4's four-wheel-drive system ("Viscomatic") was co-developed with the Austrian company Steyr-Puch and was more advanced than others compared at the time. The turbocharged engine was slightly modified lowering the power output to 201 bhp. This model was equipped with a Getrag 6-speed manual gearbox and had permanent all-wheel drive. The Q4 was never sold in the U.S. (wikipedia & classic2.alfisti.net)
(Photos from classicdriver.com, stelvio.dk, car-from-uk.com & flickr.com)
