Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024
Occasional Digest - a story for you

A CLASSY saloon car that’s incredibly rare in 2024 can be found for a bargain price – if you’re lucky enough to come across one.

Just 190 examples can be found on UK roads today – 17 years after they were last available to buy in showrooms.

The Alfa Romeo 166 was first released in 1999

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The Alfa Romeo 166 was first released in 1999Credit: EPA
We found a facelifted version from 2005 for a bargain price

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We found a facelifted version from 2005 for a bargain priceCredit: EBay

The car in question is the stylish Alfa Romeo 166, a luxury saloon that boasts the Italian brand’s typical good looks.

Produced from 1999 until 2007, the 166 came in a variety of engine sizes – ranging from a 3.0-litre V6 down to a 2.0-litre Twin Spark, as well as a 2.4-litre diesel – although this was discontinued in the UK in 2003.

Considered to be Alfa’s answer to the BMW 5 Series, the 166 didn’t quite reach the heights that the Italian marque had hoped for and it was quietly discontinued in 2007.

In 2009, it was infamously named by Autocar as “Britain’s Worst Depreciating Used Car” as its price plummeted, although in recent years it has enjoyed quite a rise in value.

Indeed, we found an example on eBay from 2005 for £5,295, finished in silver with 89,937 miles on the clock.

According to How Rare Is My Car, this 166 is just one of 190 that can be found on UK roads today with a valid MOT – making it surprisingly rare.

Back in March, Sun Motors’ Rob Gill drove the new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and he claims you’re getting “three-quarters of a Ferrari for a third of the price”.

Meanwhile, another luxurious saloon from a popular brand was found on the market for a dirt cheap price.

The little-known Citroen C6 was a high-class set of wheels that were produced by the French car brand from 2005 to 2012 – and fewer than 1,000 Brits bought them new in that time.

The C6 has become a cult favourite among petrolheads today thanks to its sleek beauty, sophisticated hydropneumatic suspension and gorgeous leather interior.

Alfa Romeo from legendary episode of BBC comedy up for sale at just £30k

The motor is also known for being spacious inside, with huge front seats designed to give occupants plenty of comfort.

It was even featured in an episode of the BBC’s motoring show Top Gear, where James May and Richard Hammond both waxed lyrical about the car.

The presenters remark on its “beautiful design” and “amazing technological features” which are said to be the “top tier of luxury”.

This comes as another rare car produced by Ford in the 1990s and 2000s as a replacement for the Capri can be yours for under £4,000.

Elsewhere, Fiat are set to release a hybrid version of a stylish hybrid that’s £9,000 cheaper than its EV version.

Meanwhile, Alfa’s newest model – the Junior – was forced to change its name back in April having originally been called something completely different.

The stylish saloon is now rather rare with less than 200 left on UK roads

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The stylish saloon is now rather rare with less than 200 left on UK roadsCredit: EBay
The 166 was built to take on the BMW 5 Series

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The 166 was built to take on the BMW 5 SeriesCredit: EBay

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