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The Sign Of Four - The Type Four Buyer's Guide

The Sign Of Four - The Type Four Buyer's Guide

Supergroups. For every Cream there has also been a Superheavy (if you’ve forgotten the awkward combining of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley, Dave Stewart and A. R. Rahman don’t remind yourself; this is one case where ignorance is definitely bliss). The same is true in the motoring world, building cars is rarely conducive to a collaborative process. Need we mention the Alfa Romeo Arna here? So, expectations probably weren’t all that high when in the late 1970s Fiat, Lancia and Saab (and, fashionably late to the party in 1982, Alfa Romeo) set about combining forces to jointly develop the Type Four platform.

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Alfa Romeo 159 Buyer's Guide

Alfa Romeo 159 Buyer's Guide

The air must have been thick with excitement and anticipation when Alfa Romeo launched the 159 in 2005, appearing at the crest of something of a golden-era for Alfisti. The well-received 147 was still selling well, the 916 GTV and Spider production lines had not yet fizzled out, the beautiful GT, like a supermodel, had made a stunning entrance to the party, Sr Busso’s masterpiece was still barking loudly and the sublime 156 (the car which had almost single-handedly rebuilt the marque’s standing in the mid-1990s) had gained a new lease of life thanks to its handsome facelift. That cornucopia of modern classics makes today’s current choice in the showrooms suddenly look a little anaemic doesn’t it?

Surely then, the 159, which was then being touted as the great 156’s direct replacement, was going to set the motoring world alight? The first signs were certainly promising; Giugiaro, in collaboration with Alfa’s in house design team, had penned yet another beautiful shape, inspired by his achingly gorgeous Brera concept of 2002. But, behind the scenes, the 159’s birth hadn’t been without trauma.

Alfa Romeo GT Buyer's Guide

Alfa Romeo GT Buyer's Guide

So, you’re in the market for an Alfa Romeo GT? Well, let us congratulate you on making the right start. The GT is a superb car, coupling supermodel looks with down-to-earth practicality and a range of engines providing everything from mile-munching frugality through to petrol-hedonism nirvana. The most noteworthy thing about the GT, however, is probably that it has no right to be any good whatsoever.

Conceived in a mad panic to bridge the gap between the 939-era’s launch and the ageing line-up in the showrooms, it was hastily unveiled in 2003. Built upon the 156/147 platform, it actually borrows many components from its older siblings. Put a blindfold on as you get inside and you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve accidentally sat in a 147 (the dash, switchgear and climate control system are identical).

The Lampredi Twin Cam - Powering Fiat's Successes For Over 30 Years

The Lampredi Twin Cam - Powering Fiat's Successes For Over 30 Years

The barely pent-up aggression of the Lancia Rally 037, dispersing a rooster tail of gravel and mud en route to winning the WRC title. A Morgan Plus-4, the sports-car as quintessentially British as a summer’s afternoon spent watching the cricket. Plus the FSO Polonez, dutifully serving Poland with its no-nonsense utilitarian hatchbacks, pick-ups and ambulances for nearly a quarter of a century. What common theme unites this most eclectic range of vehicles?

At one time or another, the same engine has turned each of their widely varied wheels; the legendary Fiat twin-cam. Now widely referred to as the “Lampredi” twin-cam after its pioneering creator, this forward-thinking, revolutionary design drove (quite literally) Fiat’s considerable fortunes for over 30 years.