Alfa Romeo 168 Super 3.0 24 valve. Purchased secondhand, this 1995 registered car had approximately 84,000km when purchased. Initially, it was planed to be a project car but repairs and maintenance costs proved to be expensive coupled with increased difficulty in obtaining spare parts for the car.
I was informed that the local franchise dealer, Milan Auto, sold approximately 100 units of the 168 Super 3.0 24 valve from 1994 till 1997 and there were less than 30 units of the 168 Super 2.0 Twin Spark during that period. The bulk of 164's sold in Malaysia were the non-Super 12 valve from 1989 till 1993 numbering in the hundreds. Due to scarcity of the Super model, some spare parts are difficult to obtain especially body parts. Other parts, like gearbox replacement parts, electronics and interior trim which were different than the non-Super 12 valve versions are also difficult to get hold of. Enquiries to neighbouring Singapore's franchise dealer, Massa Motors proved futile and the only option was to obtain them from Italy and that would have taken time.
Nevertheless, I managed to replace almost everything that needed replacement and enjoyed ownership during that brief period. The car was almost sorted out but I was worried that future maintenance and availability of spare parts could be a problem. Then, in early 2000, a financial windfall made it possible for me to own a 156. The rest, they say, is history. Since sometime in March, 2000, some junkyards have started specialising in Alfas and Fiats, so secondhand parts from the UK and HongKong have become available. Sadly, it has come to late for my 168 but then a new chapter has begun for my 156...
Accessories installed were Koni adjustable shocks matched with Intrax coil springs, a Supersprint rear exhaust and Zender Milano 7.5x17 wheels shod with Bridgestone S-02 215/45/17 tyres all round. I didn't manage to take a photo of the car during the period of ownership (misplaced my camera) but the picture below of David Rossi's Super is indicative of how my car looked like, same colour, dark blue, wheels (Zender Milano 7.5x17"), lowered and all.
Source: http://www.digest.net/alfa/FAQ/164
Some of you may be wondering about a 168. It basically has to do with Chinese numerolgy in this part of the world. Two fine articles sourced from www.digest.net provide good explanations. Here in Malaysia, the 164 series is differentiated by the 164 as being pre-1994 non-Super models and the 168 Super as post-1994 for both the 2 litre and 3 litre versions. Read further the following articles through the links below.
Links to Alfa Romeo 168
1) article by Chris Robyn
2) article by Jochen "Ty" Tydecks
