When it comes to performance car manufacturers, Alfa Romeo gets a bit of a rough ride. They've got plenty of avid fans, but they're also the butt of many car enthusiasts' jokes. Mainly those jokes are centered around the perceived reliability of the brand, and well, to be fair Alfa haven't helped themselves with that one. Yes, there are a few models that are notoriously unreliable or might have questionable build quality. But, that shouldn't detract from the brand's appeal.
In fact, among the duds, Alfa has made some absolutely incredible cars that often don't get the recognition they deserve. They've made highly successful racing vehicles, stunning supercars, and zippy hot hatches. Not to mention that, compared to its German rivals, there are some real bargains out there on the used market. With that in mind, let's take a look at ten models that prove Alfa Romeos deserve more respect than they get.
10 8C Competizione
Starting with an obvious entry, the 8C needs no further introduction. Any car fan that wasn't hiding under a rock for the late '00s will be well aware of the car, with its neck-snapping looks and silky exhaust note.
The car housed a 4.7L V8 built by Ferrari, capable of making 444 hp at peak RPM. That was mated to an automated six-speed manual, for an optimal driving experience. Anyone wanting to get their hands on one today better have deep pockets, as examples sell for well over their original list price of $299,000.
9 Montreal
It's arguably one of the best-looking cars of its era, managing to encapsulate everything collectors love about old Italian cars. It was originally built as a concept car but its reception was so great that Alfa ended up making a production run of 4,000 units.
It's easy to see why it's so popular: as well as looking great, it's fast for its time as well. In case anyone was wondering about its unusual name, it's copied from the name of the original concept car that was built to celebrate the nation of Canada's 100th anniversary.
8 SZ
Italian design house Zagato has been responsible for many crazy-looking vehicles over the years, but the SZ is surely one of their most divisive. Some enthusiasts will love its angular lines and strange, squashed proportions, and others will think it looks hideous.
Still, it's a testament to the fact that Alfa has never been afraid to put unusual cars into production, even when the business case for them isn't that solid. It's a strategy that never did too well for the company's bottom line, but it's resulted in some of the coolest and weirdest-looking cars of recent times.
7 147 GTA
There are so many things to like about the hot hatch segment: they're small, fun, and still retain enough practicality to be daily driven. Everyone knows about hot hatch royalty like the Honda Civic Type R and Golf GTI, but less remember the Alfa 147 GTA.
That's a shame, as it was a genuinely good car that could compete with anything its rivals had to offer at the time. It wasn't the best handling car of the era, but it was among the most powerful. Collectors are recently starting to realize its value, meaning prices are steadily on the rise. As far as fun dailies go, this is an undoubtedly smart investment.
6 Giulia QV
A serious rival the M3, the Guilia QV is a fearsome car that's as capable at all-out homage as it is cruising the highway. It's received generally glowing reviews from the press and owners, with its 503 hp being a big selling point.
There were some early reports of quality control issues but statistically, the QV is no less reliable than an M3 or RS4. All in all, it's a wonder more buyers haven't opted for one, but it's likely due to the lingering stereotype that it's an Alfa so it might fall apart. The Giulia proves that's not the case anymore, and that it can genuinely take on the big boys of the performance sedan world.
5 Alfasud
The Alfasud was one of the brand's most successful models, selling around a million examples between 1971 and 1989. It proved Alfa could make a mass-market model that had widespread appeal, but it also spawned one of the first-ever hot hatches.
The hotter Alfasud was known as the Super, and later the Super Veloce. It wasn't the first hot hatch ever, nor was it the most famous, but it played a key part in demonstrating to the auto industry that the segment was worth investing in. Not to mention, it was great fun to drive too.
4 Stelvio
The Stelvio isn't the most exciting or rare car Alfa has ever made, but it's widely considered a very important model for the future of the brand. The SUV segment is hotter than ever, meaning the traditional hatchback and sedan segments that Alfa has focused on are losing market share.
The Stelvio has been generally very well received, and it's doing its job of being a volume seller for the brand. It's reassurance for enthusiasts that Alfa can adapt to current-day trends, even if the thought of a performance SUV disgusts some old-school purists.
3 155 Q4
One of Alfa Romeo's craziest vehicles ever, the 155 Q4 is related to the Lancia Delta Integrale. For those who don't know, the Delta is the most successful rally car ever. With that kind of bloodline, the Q4 was only ever going to be great.
It's essentially a road-going version of the 155 race car, and it feels like it to drive too. Its 2.0L engine makes 190 hp, which by today's standards isn't much, but back in the '90s was very impressive.
2 Brera S Prodrive
Enthusiasts tend to have very mixed views on the Brera. Some see it as a largely disappointing car with stiff handling and an uncomfortable ride. However, the few that have driven the later-model S Prodrive may have a different view.
Prodrive is a British rally specialist, who've spent decades fine-tuning suspensions and many other components. Unsurprisingly, they did a great job with the Brera, turning it into a car that can compete with its German rivals, but at a fraction of the price on the used market.
1 Guilia Sprint GTA
The first and main thing to note about the Giulia Sprint GTA is its looks. It's probably the most quintessentially Italian classic car this side of a Ferrari. But, the difference is that a GTA won't cost anywhere near Ferrari money.
It's also a great base for some tasteful enhancements, should the owner choose. Many old Guilia owners fit roll cages and period racing trim to really complete the classic race car look. It's a prime example of why Alfa deserves more respect, as if this same car had a Ferrari badge, it'd be worth $1 million easily.