Wanted: second-hand car

At the moment I'm using various Alpha-Romeos as cars for the surveillance team, specifically two 156s and a 164. They're saloons with powerful engines designed to be able to eat-up the miles when charging the length and breadth of Italy. They're not, however, the sort of thing a twenty-year old drives, and that draws attention.

Has anyone got any suggestions? It would need to be 2004 model year or older and Italian.


I'm leaning toward an Alpha-Romeo 147.

How about a FIAT?

Ok, quick pointer: you spell it "Alfa". It's actually an acronym for something I can't remember right now. The "Romeo" was added by a later company director.

That said:the 147 is probably on the right track. I would also investigate VW golfs, maybe an E30 BMW of some description. Anything from Renault's hatch selection of the time would be viable, or even a Pugeot 205/206, 306 or hot 406 (406 or 405... Watch the original "Taxi" movie).

At work right now, so can't go researching, but that's where I would start.

I was looking at FIATs to begin with, so if you've got a suggestion I'm happy to
investigate further. The one I looked at had sliding rear seats and rear windows that let you see into the boot, which, if it's full of rifles, is a no-go.

Thanks for the pointers chaps.

Actually, a twenty-year-old would be the right demographic for the 156, and a 164 is also perfectly reasonable since Alfas are notorious for depreciation. Considering how much of their value they lose annually, it would be reasonable for a twenty-something to be driving one of either provided they're willing to foot the parts bills for the inevitable breakdowns and the like. For a 164, the Q4 (Quadrifoglio 4) AWD variant wouldn't necessarily be a bad choice, methinks. The 156 has a limited-edition GTA trim, but who knows how many of those are still around...

MP5 has a point about the 156 there. If you were looking to avoid hatches, the equivalent FIAT seems to something called a Marea. To be honest though, hath at looks like even less of a young man's car than the Alfas.

For my money, and assuming the aforementioned adverse reaction to hatches, I would probably be looking at an E30/39/46 BMW 318i... Which tends to be the sort of thing young blokes seem to buy in order to get a car with a propellor badge on cheaply... I have fond memories of knocking these off on backroads in mother's Alfa 33 wagon

Of course, if you want to go the other way: Volvo 240... Chosen steed of the modern hipster.

Vett wrote:I was looking at FIATs to begin with, so if you've got a suggestion I'm happy to
investigate further.

James May would recommend a Panda.

I'm a fan of the second generation (2005-2011) Croma. It's a large estate/station wagon so you can pack it full of goodies. The new Bravo (introduced in 2007) is a compact hatchback so it offers plenty of space with smaller dimensions.

Have to say I'm also a really big fan of the Kia Cee'd, which is a European-only model and therefore is designed and built to a "higher standard". It's the former "Reasonably Priced Car" on Top Gear and Fifth Gear just reviewed - and raved - about the Pro_Cee'd sport model.

Hmm... apparently I missed the "and Italian" bit first time through, which kind of limits things.

Another option might be a first or second generation Lancia Delta... but after that, I think you've pretty much exhausted your options. If you're willing to go a bit older then a hot, late model, Alfa 75 might work or early model GTV (possibly with a scrape or two on it):


Or, one last thought from left field: Fiat Barchetta?

...though drop-top may not be ideal for observation work.

If your crew is looking for anonymity it looks like a Fiat Punto is your best bet. #1 best selling car in Italy from 1994 to 2011.

But hey, it's fiction, why not keep things interesting. I'm loving Alfisti's suggestions even if they would be a bit loud for surveillance work.

Not entirely relevant (substitute "Holden Barina" with "Opel Corsa", I guess), but I'll leave it here all the same: