If you are fortunate enough to own one the 18 (yes one eight) that were built, I think you’ll be the envy of most ‘Alfesti’ as well as a miscellany of  other make ‘tragics’.  It appears that this model was built by Alfa Romeo primarily for motorsport competition and achieved immediate success, eventually winning a manufacrurers’ championship with it. The wheelbase of the road-going version was slightly longer and the body design by Franco Scaglione (ex Bertone), simply stunning! Other designers’ versions of the same model never quite hit the mark that Scalione’s did. Powered by a 230 bhp V8 unit through a six speed transmission, propelled this beauty to an estimated top speed of 259 k/h.

The hard top coupe in this series is definitely not as classy in looks as its soft top sibling, which is simply gorgeous. If you are fortunate enough to own one, drive it with pride as many would be envious. Not to mention that it is probably quite valuable as they were built in fairly limited numbers. There were two engine types used i.e. a four and a twin-cam six cylinder respectively, and fitted in the proportion of about half and half in the cars built. Naturally, from a performance point of view the six would be more desirable with impressive top speed performance of 200 km/h.     

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Probably not one of Alfa Romeos best efforts but hey – you have to give them heaps of credit for trying! Who would have thought of ‘stuffing’ a V8 into a small body like that to take on some of the marque sports cars at a price? Albeit that it was not a resounding success, they stuck with it for the best part of a decade during which relatively few were produced – approximately 3900. So if you do have one, your ‘ugly duckling’ is probably quite valuable and fun to drive.

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This model was produced in serious numbers by Alfa Romeo with nearly 260,000 being built and it is surprising therefore that more of these are not seen out and about. Unusually, this model was introduced to the market and consumers by Alfa Romeo with the coupe version rather than a sedan. Not only were Alfa romeo ‘out there’ styling wise, but it appears that they had the marketing ‘smarts’ as well. Who would not have been eager to want to see the sedan that was to follow? The Giulietta name has been an enduring one, having adorned the bodywork of some leading edge designs over the decades and probably is best known for it’s unique ‘wedge’ designed car of the late 1970′s that changed drag coefficient ratings for passenger vehicles forever. Well done Alfa Romeo!    

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The familiar slimline radiator design that has become synonymous with Alfa Romeo styling appears to have made its debut with this model that had quite a few variants over the years of its production. It also appears to be the first of the mass produced Alfa Romoe cars and set the trend for Alfa Romeo’s unique contemporary styling way into the future. Bravo Zagato!

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For those who thought that the 289 was ‘cool’, 427 must have left them breathless! It looked like the 289 had overdosed on steroids! In fact the chassis of the 427 was stronger with additional bracing and a completely new suspension system over which came the revised body p[rofile with the accentuated flare wheel arches to accommodate the wider track of the new model. With such a large power unit the 0-60mph performance was a stunning 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 165mph or 266 km/h. Originals of this model are even more scarce than the 289, with only 306 of these reported to have been built. An original car would be a privilege to own, however as we all know the allure of this car has resulted in many thousand replicas being built in many countries around the world.

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This is the model that started the legend of AC Cobra. It looks quite ‘tame’ compared to its muscled-up sibling the 427. As only 673 were originally built these are extremely valuable to those who are fortunate enough to have one of the originals. It’s incredible to think that 50 years ago this road car had recorded performance of 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds. Wow!   

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AC – the name that became synonymous with ‘Cobra’ added to the appeal of any model made by AC. The 428, a fast, luxurious, grand tourer was made in very limited numbers and a genuine car would be most valuable today. However, if I was fortunate enough to own one, I certainly would not be selling it!

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Not a very popular model by AC, with only 82 being built. It had futuristic styling and the right pedigree but had serious competition at the time from the likes of Lotus, Porsche and TVR, particularly in respect of performance and handling that took far too long to sort out. With so few being built, if you own one it will realy be quite unique and probably seriously valuable.

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This model is arguably the first iteration of what morphed into the 850/1000 and can be regarded as Italy’s version of the Mini Cooper ‘S’. Probaly not as valuable as the 850/1000 with radical body kit and modifications and if you do however own one, it’s probably very valuable!

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