Preservation Spec: 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano
Up until a few months ago, I had an Alfa Romeo Milano Verde project taking up space at a local shop. The car absolutely deserved to be revived owing to its largely rust-free condition, clean Recaro interior, and unmodified state, but I learned that non-running Italian cars really are a different kettle of fish than even a non-running German car. The Alfa Milano shown here isn’t the high-octane Verde version, but it’s a runner in seemingly spotless condition. Find it here on craigslist near Denver for $6,900.
It’s no surprise to me as to why I found the Milano appealing; after all, it was the Italian competitor to cars like the BMW E30 3-Series and the Mercedes-Benz W201 chassis 190E. It was sold in far smaller quantities, however, and finding one today usually involves having some patience as you wait for a car like this to appear for sale. While no car likes to sit, the Milano’s delicate timing belt and sensitive fuel system don’t respond well to neglect, and when you find one for sale after being parked for a few years, the price is usually pretty low reflecting the long road ahead.
The seller’s car is by no means in that state, and even so, the asking price seems quite fair for such an honest specimen. The non-Verdes have a 2.5 liter version of the glorious Busso V6 (the Verdes got upgraded to a 3.0L mill and sound absolutely incredible at full song), and while it hasn’t been sold in the U.S. since 1989, the model still enjoys strong support among enthusiasts and you can find parts without too much of a headache. The seller reports it has typical Alfa woes, such as non-working door locks and tachometer, and a wonky fuel gauge.
Most importantly, the seller has access to a local shop specializing in Alfa Romeos. This is critical for anyone not keen to work on these cars themselves, as I came to find out. I couldn’t find a shop specializing in vintage Italian motors in my neck of the woods, at least not without involving a hefty tow bill to get to a shop a few states away that could handle the revival. The seller has clearly looked after this bone-stock Milano for the last two years after purchasing it from another local Alfa fanatic. The paint is a re-do in the factory colors, and its had the must-do timing belt job done just 1,500 miles ago, making it about as turnkey as you can expect for a unrestored Alfa Romeo.
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Comments
It’s a bummer to hear about your Verde Jeff. I would have loved to get it back on the road for you and it’s too bad it didn’t wind up in the BarnFind classifieds because I would be chomping to own another. I also agree that recommissioning a Alfa is more in depth than your typical classic car and yes it helps to know someone who knows about the car to guide you along the way. Again sorry for your loss driving a Verde is truly a pleasure to one’s ear.
The car listed in Denver looks like a good one to own. I think the price is reasonable. This appears to be a Gold model based on the Velour upholstery, but it has Platinum wheels and no sunroof which was a base Silver model trait. Maybe a special sunroof delete order. You still have the Busso V6 noises and a lot of the Alfa character that goes along with the last true Alfa Romeo until the new Gulia was introduced. Also a plus is standard brakes so no ABS issues that plague these nowadays.
My buddy is a big Alfa Romeo fan , owns a couple. These are very cool cars
Sure be fun to wind out this Milano on a country road. Sweet V6 belting out a tune 🎵 , no need for radio. They come equipped w really aggressive rear gears, the Milano is very liteweight, plus RWD and stik shift = 👍
A motoring journalist writing for a popular UK classic magazine many years ago, wrote of his mid 70s Alfa’s frequent visits to the local garage for yet more repairs.
His comment was “If money talks; all it’s ever said to me is Good Bye”.
That is one of the best statements from a car guy I’ve ever heard. I am making it into a sign and hanging it in my office. Do you remember who said it?
I had at one point 4 Milano’s. 1 runner that was a blast to drive and 3 dead ones. Try as I might, I could not get them running! I am no newbe to oddball cars, owning Citroens, Peugeots, Fiats, Renaults, Jaguars and more over the years but those damned Milanos, as Jeff pointed out, are just a different thing entirely! I have resurrected Alfa Spiders, Alfettas of all flavor in the past with the Spica fuel injection but I will never ever venture down the dead Milano road as long as I live!!! If its a dead Milano, expect hours, days, weeks and months of head scratching frustration or shelling out some big bucks to Mario to fix the damned thing!!! Having said all that (and good to get it off my chest) a running Milano is truly a drivers car!! The 50/50 weight distribution is a religious experience and even in the 2.5 liter version, plenty of umpf to get excited about!!
I’m scratching my head reading all these horror stories of Milano mayhem when I experienced the exact opposite at the dealer. In the 5 years of ownership I never had a breakdown and that was my daily not some pleasure weekender. I had one Alfa that threw me for a loop and that was an ignition problem where water had gotten into the ignition module on the passenger kick panel. Seen many issues with oil leaks, water pump failure but those were just Italian quirks.
This blued-steel color is my favorite for Milanos, has just a touch of purple and grey to it (hard to appreciate in photos) that contrasts nicely with the stock bronze window tint and the metallic-grey beltline and bumper trim.
Can also confirm these are superb and lively driver’s cars with an engine that sings an aria like nothing else; tho’ it doesn’t have quite the power of the 3.0L Verde edition, the 2.5L is a bit more rev-happy thanks to the shorter stroke.
One of these was on my shopping list when looking for a unique used car around 89 – 90. I ended up with a Merkur XR4Ti, figuring it would be more reliable with the Ford 2.3 Turbo.
I was wrong – I had more problems with that car than any other I’ve owned to date.
I owned a 2.5 Milano–nearly identical to this one. I put the hot cams in it, and changed the failure prone ABS system to the Bolt-On Alfetta brake master. When my kids were in High School- I later heard that they got it well over 100mph on back roads. Then, it got a broken piston ring, and turned into a smoke screen generator. At the time, I just could not see rebuilding the engine, and sold it for peanuts, only to haunt me later- as the new owner never registered it in his name, and parking tickets and tow bills amassed. What a fiasco! I loved it for several years. A bargain for the attributes.
That 100mph story reminded me of one driving my dad’s black ’87 Milano Verde down the freeway to catch a flight a couple hours’ drive away, with Dad riding shotgun to drive back. At some point, we got caught behind a pack of cars barely even going the speed limit, if that, across all lanes, for an interminable stretch of miles.
After more than enough of that, with the Verde chomping at the bit the whole way, finally an opening appeared in the passing lane, so I downshifted and punched it. And held it down. Up to somewhere past 100 on the dial. Eased off and cruised there for an exhilarating moment or two, then backed off further to more rational and para-legal speeds far ahead of the pack. Having got that out of my and the car’s respective systems, Dad just tipped his head towards me from the passenger seat and remarked…
“Yeah, I’da done the same.”
As the Alpha dealer service rep in OKC in ’84 and also a Porsche owner, the business owner I was working for took on a 2.5 car as his daily driver but also put it on the track at the Porsche Club track days. Blew away a lot of cars that didn’t think a sedan could go that fast on a road course. If it had been prepped as a race car it probably would have been something to see on the track. My Porsche was fast but I had work hard to keep up with the boss.
These look like they were designed by a far sighted first year art student. Sorry, pass.