Rally Experience : 1972 Alfa Romeo Berlina 2.0
If you have never driven an Alfa Romeo, you owe it to yourself to find the nearest available example and beg for five minutes behind the wheel. Alfa is an example of 2+2=5. The slightly notchy gearchange and balky synchros, the chattery engine music, and – even if you pick one that’s underpowered like the Alfetta 1.8 liter – the creeping joy when you realize it’s fun as heck tossing it around… you are not so much a driver as a co-conspirator, enjoying the car’s talents while forgiving her faults. But that’s why Italian cars exist – to be engaging at every level. Here on eBay is a rare 1972 Alfa Romeo Berlina 2.0, with an asking price of $21,500. This car’s swanky address is Beverley Hills, California. The Berlina was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone on a lengthened Giulia chassis, with an upright greenhouse and seating for five. The Giulia was originally conceived as a “sporty executive car” – whatever that means – and the Berlina took that one step further with its larger dimensions and more staid appearance. The seller says this car has been entered in many rallies and could go cross country now.
The Berlina was first anointed with a 1750 cc twin-cam four-cylinder engine in 1968, but customers accustomed to Alfa’s peppy performance and the expanding consortium of other makes with better zero to sixty times demanded more. In 1971, the engine was bored to 1962 cc’s, gaining 22 bhp to 130. US-destined cars were fitted with Spica fuel injection, which plenty of folks ditch in favor of carburetors. They shouldn’t. Spica injection is great once it’s correctly set, and the market has begun to favor original Spica systems. The gearbox is a five-speed manual, and yes it’s synchro’d but if you’ve ever lived with Alfas you will despair of second gear and possibly third. Think of it not as a problem but as an opportunity – to learn to double-clutch. Notably, the seller does not call out how well this car shifts.
The interior is gently patina’d, with seat stains and steering wheel wear. I suspect dash cracks since the dash is wearing a toupee. Yes, the wood is real, and I’ve always appreciated the gauge sets in every Alfa I’ve ever seen – big, visible, but stylish. Two photos show a peek at the headliner, which looks decent.
Alfas are well known for consuming themselves via rust. The seller notes that this car has no rust. In my opinion, every car has rust except the one that was made yesterday. The rust is either apparent, which is sometimes preferable, or it is about to become apparent. An in-person examination is called for, but will not always be revealing enough. Meanwhile, there’s the matter of price. The Berlina is an attractive car, but it is not as sporty as other Alfa offerings. Still, rising prices for GTVs and other models are pushing all Alfa prices up. Here is a nice Berlina that sold for $30,000; and another Italian-market car with Solex carbs for $24,750. Both these results make our subject car look like a value; what do you think?
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Comments
Yes, I have driven an Alfa, and yes, I consider it one of the great automotive pluses in my life. Alfas, however, are not like Subarus, and good luck finding one in “Lunchpail, USA”. The author is spot on with the gearbox, I forgot about that part, but to say the motor is underpowered is really true. My brother had a Giulietta Spider(?), 1600, I think, and was plenty fast. It was above 5,000 that it really began to “sing”. And yes, it did grind on fast shifts. While I dn’t care for Italian cars much, not just because of the old man, but the Alfa is the exception. On that road rally thing, Colorado 500, several Alfas usually show up. Their sound is clearly unmistakable. Very cool find.
Correction, underpowered ISN’T really true. I thought for a 1600, it had way more than any other 1600.
Try driving a 1977 Alfetta. Underpowered is putting it politely. Remains, however, one of my favorite cars to drive. I like cars I can flog through the curves going to work without worrying about pitching off the cliff into the valley or river below (depending on where I am on the road to work, that is).
I’d put an LS in this for more power and dependability. Looks kind of like a Chevy 2 from the side anyway.
right, plenty ‘power’ when driven (raced) correctly: 4 – 6k RPM.
Berlinas used to be sold two at a time like VW bugs. You had to take both. Prices averaged $500 the pair. Spica injection is durable and dependable if you know how to set it up, but it denies any hope of performance improvement unless you are a mechanical engineer and machinist. It’s reason for existing is emissions regulation where it granted Alfa Romeo a decade long exemption. I think I can qualify as an expert after owning 11 Alfas from 1963 to 1988 models, including a 77 Alfetta with Spica and all the modified zing it could muster with it. I still own my favorite 64 Giulia Spider Veloce. It’s a growling little beast. Also a 84 GTV-6 with a 3L. Berlinas are rather hopeless. Much rather have a Giulia Super. Webers, porting, radical cams, and all. ALFA Always Looking For Another. They are contagious.
You are killing me at BarnFinds publishing all this delicious Alfa fodder. Someone hand me a winning Powerball ticket. Please!
I wanted a Berlina for a long time.When I lived in Eureka,
I’d see one drive by every once-in-awhile.Finally stopped &
talked to the owner,& was disappointed to see that a Previous-
Owner (DPO) had redone the rear fenders.
You just might be able to convince your wife to let you buy this –
just tell her it’s a 4 door family car.
Shame to see those rub strips applied to the car why do people do that? Oh, and they often finish the ends of each. section. with. a. pop. rivet. GHAAA! I know it was a while ago, but Berlinas were nice cars for a couple grand, in todays market, and if this came with a good Kurta Calculator resting in the glove tray…I could still be tempted!
The rub strips were part of the new car dealer package here in SoCal, that’s how they got another $125.00 back in the day; properly installed and complete the trim enhance the Berlina. I refreshed four of them back in the 2000’s.
PS – USA Alfetta’s all had 2L. Euro 1.8 (aka 1750) should have as much or more as it was not smog restricted
Good lord…”the trim enhance the Berlina” ??!?
what fresh hell thinking is this? I guess you have to say that once they been pop-riveted on there
I want speed, speeeeed
Well 25’000 is a bit steep but the ‘limo’, what berlina means in
english, is a true fast family transporter. Leisure drivers love them.
In Italy i had seen them mostly with elder couples sitting
inside and she in a expensive fur going fast thru the city.
The 1750 is the best choice for them. The 2000 unit have
more stroke as you can see the oilcooler showing off a bit
below the front valance. The Italian police liked the smaller
Giulia TI Super whilst the berlina was from ALFA more
intended for the upper-middle class. And yes, it is upper
class of Italian engineering.
(TI Super top speed of 117 mph (189 km/h), a curb weight
of 2116 lbs (960 kgs) so you build a sports limo.
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/PA14/Paris/lots/r132-1966-alfa-romeo-giulia-super-polizia/180962
Those wheels don’t do much for it, IMO
Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the GTV, I am fairly certain that the Berlina was done in house.
Also the gearboxes have long throws but they are smooth not notchy, . 2nd gears syncros work fine as long as you don’t speed shift them. I built the gearbox in my spider over 20 years and 125k miles ago and it still does not crunch.
I like Alfas a lot and have been lucky to own a few and drive a few more. I have felt for a few years that the Berlina is the best and best value of the 105/115 series. It is better developed (but less attractive) than the Giulia Super and more practical than the Bertone.
I don´t think this car has ever seen a rally, though! No clocks, belts, cage, stock steering wheel…….
Problem here is $25000 (down to $21,500 when I just looked). That seems a lot for a Berlina, here in EU you still struggle to get $15000 for these (and this is a model which sold well in the USA, so you have a supply there).
I agree with Michelle that the transaxle cars are excellent value alternatives (Alfa 75 Milano V6 particularly ) if you have one which is well-sorted.
This one sold less than a year ago for $16,500 IIRC. An actual honest “forum” classifieds sale on ALFABB. It’s worts and shortcomings were noted and disclosed there. Was quickly advertised for way more as flawless with no evidence of anything done to it. The price came back down having no bites. Now here it is on eBAY. Would’ve been a player at that sale price if it didn’t have the Euro front end. One car where the federal version just looks better with the signals under the bumper.
Never buy an Alfa without looking very closely underneath. Preferably with an ice pick.
I agree with your comments on the SPICA injection. I took a 78 Spider (2.0 liter, SPICA injection) with me to Costa Rica in 2013. They have a very strict mandatory annual inspection there which includes meeting the mission standards for the year the car entered the country, not the year it was made. With a bit of fiddling and the use of a friendly local shop’s exhaust gas analyzer, I was able to meet the emissions requirements with room to spare. The car still ran great in daily ambient temperatures in the mid 30s (Celsius – 90+ Fahrenheit). Try that with Webers!
The rub strips dont fit here. And from the pics it looks as
the painter or bodyshop? applied too much body spat.
No good work.
I wonder its without darkened windows and pin striping….
Edges and contours present not original and this wheels
dont fit, something squared as the Cromodora make the deal!
The Alfetta uses the linkeage shifting this here not.
Back in ´74 I bought a Berlina off the showroom floor at Hollywood Fiat-Alfa. Within a week, it had left me stranded on the Harbor Freeway in streaming rain with that wonderful Spica injection system dying on me. The car NEVER started on a cold morning, a problem I solved because I lived on a hilly street. I will never forget the giant warning light on the dash informing me that Spica had, once again, died. No Alfa dealer was ever able to help. After 7 months of painful ownership, the chrome on the front bumpér began to peel off, various interior fittings fell of and broke and the once gorgeous Prussian Blue began to oxidize – AFTER 7 MONTHS! I got rid of this turkey as quickly as I could. My Alfa boattail Spider was only marginally better, dumped it as well.
People always knock the post Fiat purchase Alfas, but the 164 is the only Alfa I’ve ever owned (or even known about) that was reliable and well built. From WW2 to 1990s, they’re pretty awful cars, which is why Hermes invented BMW.