Beautiful... on the inside! The Alfa Romeo 75 (Milano) is probably one of the maddest sports saloons you have never heard of.
A chassis robbed from the iconic Alfetta, and innovative engine design really helped to sell the 75 alongside Alfa Romeo's wonderful racing pedigree, which can easily be felt in the way the 75 drives.
The crazy Tetris styling of the 75 really divides opinion. One could argue that to look at as a whole, it's totally out of proportion, with no part of the body matching the next. Still, if you look at these parts individually, the 75 is a charming '80s car that deserves a moment of your time.
Let's take a closer look at the Alfa Romeo 75.
Rev It Up
Perfection is the only way to describe the upper-tier engine choices of this car, to start with, mid-way through the 75's lifecycle, the dependable "Nord" Twin Cam engine was replaced by a revolutionary "Twin Spark" 4-cylinder unit, featuring (as you have probably guessed by now) two spark plugs per cylinder allowing for more efficient and smoother ignition whilst also increasing power.
The Twin Spark unit also had another ace up its sleeve, one of the first incarnations of VVT (Variable Valve Timing) ever, yes, long before Honda made VTEC a true household name. This allowed the chain-driven jewel of an engine to rev both high and free whilst making a terrific bark at the same time. With nearly 150bhp on tap and a stupendous reputation for reliability, this is the one to have if you want a classic daily driver.
Advancements were also made to the Legendary Busso engine during this model's production moving from a 160 bhp 2.5 unit up to a 192 bhp 3.0 unit similar to the one fitted in the understated 164. This engine gave the 75 a potency and soundtrack, which few could hope to match. How do 0-60 in 7.5 seconds and a top speed of nearly 140mph sound? Not too shabby even by today's standards eh?
Sheer Grip Of The Alfa Romeo 75
When looking at the 75 underneath, it can be seen that this is essentially just a re-shelled Alfetta GTV meaning the transaxle design and De Dion suspension system are retained, once again giving the 75 race car capabilities for the road. This was somewhat expected by the Alfetta GTV as it was a coupe/sports car, but the 75 was a family saloon, meaning it completely obliterated the contemporary competition from the likes of the 3-series BMW.
The De-Dion "Dead Axle" setup was chosen for these cars as it reduces the unsprung weight in comparison to a live rear axle. It also beats out a fully independent rear suspension in terms of stability as there are no changes in camber as the axle's load is changed, allowing for better traction and reduced wheel hop. Pairing this with a Watts linkage above the De Dion tube allowed Alfa to utilize coil springs over dated leaf springs. This removes lateral axle movement leading to greatly increased stability and handling capabilities.
As if all this was not enough, Alfa installed a Limited Slip Differential in the transaxle on the higher-end models, ensuring unnecessary wheel slip is a thing of the past when hurtling through the bends at ridiculous speeds.
More "Classic Alfa" Charm Than You Can Wave A Stick At
The 75 wasn’t just a mad-looking car on the outside, but on the inside as well. The designers really went to town on this one. The handbrake, for example, is shaped like a U...and that’s just the start of it.
For the window switches, Alfa thought you wouldn’t want them all in the same place, so the front window switches are where they should be.. on the roof! To complement this oddity, Alfa decided to put the rear switches for the driver exactly where you would want them, on the armrest, so when you want to rest your arm, you open the rear windows... nice!
The placement of the radio put politely is "inaccessible" behind the gear lever. The hilarious Alfa Romeo Control Unit (an 80s electronic warning system) monitors all the car's sensors and decides there is something wrong with them all the time, flashing warning lights at you like a Christmas tree. Oh, and the door handles require thinking time to learn how to operate.
All of this on paper sounds like an awful way to spend your time and money, however, the thing that makes an Alfa enthusiast is the love of unique quirks like this, citing it as character rather than an oversight.
Is The Alfa Romeo 75 Right For You?
The 75 has many pitfalls, including but not limited to; rust, reliability issues, shoddy build quality, and emotional electrics, but at this point, the worst examples will be long dead by now, and those left will be long-standing projects or well cared for classics.
At the end of the day, the question you have to ask yourself is, "Do I want to spend around £20,000 ($27,500) on an oddly shaped, unreliable, and inconvenient '80s saloon?" if you are a petrolhead, the answer is probably yes.
Before the Giulia, this was the last proper rear-wheel-drive Alfa, and it was a worthy swan song! To call this car balanced would be a terrific understatement, with the DNA of a race car and the sound of the heavens under the bonnet. Just be prepared to do a bit of welding.