6 Italian future classics worth a look — from the Alfa 156 GTA to the Maserati Quattroporte

This post is an overview of six Italian models from 1995–2012 that are worth knowing if you are looking for a youngtimer with character: three Alfa Romeos, a Lancia, a Fiat and a Maserati. I have covered the Lancia Kappa and the Alfa Romeo MiTo QV separately — in the guides to Kappa history and to the MiTo QV as a future classic.

How did I choose these models?

There are three criteria: an Italian car from 1995–2012, a version that stands out from regular production (engine, body, production run), and enough available data to judge the risk of buying one. All six models have also been in the MB Classics offer or are in its archive, so for each I link to a specific car.

This overview is not a price forecast. For each model I describe what it is and what to check — and where I quote prices, I give the source and date.

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA (2002–2005) — what makes it special?

The 156 GTA is the most powerful and one of the rarest versions of the Alfa 156: a 3.2-litre Busso V6 with 250 PS, built in a few thousand units. It was unveiled at Frankfurt in September 2001, and production ended in October 2005.

The 3,179 cc engine produces 250 PS at 6,200 rpm and 300 Nm, good for 6.3 s to 100 km/h and 250 km/h. The GTA had quicker steering (1.7 turns lock to lock versus 2.1 in the regular 156), Brembo brakes and lightweight interior parts. It was offered as a saloon and as a Sportwagon estate, with a six-speed manual or the Selespeed automated manual. 1,678 Sportwagons were built and — depending on the source — 1,973 or 2,973 saloons, out of more than 673,000 Alfa 156s in total.

What to watch out for on a 156 GTA?

According to the Classic & Sports Car buyer's guide (2020), the standard differential can fail when the car is driven hard and damage the gearbox; a Quaife limited-slip diff is a common upgrade. The early 305 mm front discs are prone to warping — 330 mm discs were fitted from November 2003. The magazine recommends changing the cambelt every 48,000 miles instead of the factory 72,000, together with the tensioner, idlers and water pump. Front suspension bushes wear quickly, and the Selespeed is less desirable because parts are hard to find. The same guide gave an average value of £7,500 and £15,500 for the best cars in 2020.

The MB Classics archive includes a 2002 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA — a manual saloon originally sold in Switzerland.

Alfa Romeo GT (2003–2010) — a Bertone coupé for every day

The Alfa GT is a coupé designed by Bertone (Giuliano Biasio) on Alfa 156 and 147 components, built from November 2003 to June 2010 at Pomigliano d'Arco. 80,832 were made.

The engine range comprised the 1.8 Twin Spark (140 PS), 2.0 JTS (165 PS), 3.2 Busso V6 (240 PS) and 1.9 JTD diesels (150 or 170 PS). The most powerful is the 3.2 V6, which reaches 100 km/h in 6.7 s.

What to watch out for on an Alfa GT?

According to a used-car test of the GT by the Polish site AutoCentrum (updated 2017), the most common owner complaint is the front suspension, including the wishbones. The 2.0 JTS suffers from ignition faults and carbon build-up on the valves caused by direct injection, the variable valve timing unit is the weak point of the 1.8 TS, and rust attacks the floor first. The British specialist Italicar adds that the sills are easily damaged by incorrect jacking. The workshop Alfaworkshop gives a cambelt interval of 36,000 miles or 3 years for the 2.0 JTS and Twin Spark.

The archive includes a 2005 Alfa Romeo GT with the 2.0 JTS engine and a manual gearbox.

Alfa Romeo 166 (1998–2007) — a saloon on the Kappa floorpan

The Alfa 166 is a large saloon built on the Lancia Kappa floorpan, produced at Rivalta and, from 2002, at Mirafiori. Fewer than 100,000 were made, and in September 2003 it received an update to the chassis, interior and engine range.

The choices included the 2.0 Twin Spark (155 PS), 2.0 V6 Turbo (205 PS), the 2.5 (190 PS) and 3.0 (226 PS) Busso V6s, after the facelift a 3.2 V6 (240 PS), and the 2.4 JTD diesels. The 2.5 and 3.0 V6 were offered with the Sportronic automatic.

What to watch out for on an Alfa 166?

A used-car review of the 166 published by the British RAC (2009) points to the suspension bushes on V6 models and to the V6 engines' thirst for oil. As with any car with the Busso V6, a documented cambelt change is key — the details are in my post on Lancia Kappa engines, which uses the same type of engine. The MB Classics archive includes a 2003 Alfa Romeo 166 with the 2.5 V6, bought new from a Polish dealer.

Lancia Delta HPE (1995–1999) — the three-door second-generation Delta

The Delta HPE is the three-door version of the second-generation Lancia Delta, unveiled at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show. The name stands for "High Performance Executive" — Lancia had used it before on the Beta HPE. The Delta II (1993–1999) was built on the Fiat Tipo platform, styled by I.DE.A (Ercole Spada) and produced at Pomigliano d'Arco.

Engines included the 1.6 16V (103 PS), the 1.8 16V with variable valve timing (130 PS), the 2.0 16V (139 PS) and the 2.0 turbo in the HF: 186 PS, and 193 PS in 1997–1999. Just under 139,000 Delta IIs were built — more than three times fewer than the first generation (478,645).

What to watch out for on a Delta HPE?

Detailed buyer's guides are much harder to find for the Delta II than for the first-generation Delta Integrale, and the smaller production run also means a smaller market for used parts. Before buying, establish which engine the car has (naturally aspirated 2.0 16V or HF turbo) and check the cambelt service history and the underside of the body. The MB Classics offer includes a 1996 Lancia Delta HPE with the naturally aspirated 2.0 16V in Verde York, and the archive has two first-generation Delta Integrales: 1988 and 1989.

Fiat Barchetta (1995–2005) — a small roadster from Chivasso

The Barchetta is a two-seat roadster on a shortened first-generation Fiat Punto floorpan, with a 1.8 16V engine (1,747 cc, 131 PS) with variable valve timing. Production ran from January 1995 to June 2005, with a break after the 2002 bankruptcy of Maggiora, which assembled the car in Chivasso; afterwards the Barchetta was built at Mirafiori. About 57,800 were made, all left-hand drive.

History, versions and weak points are in a separate guide: Fiat Barchetta — a future classic. The MB Classics archive includes three Barchettas: 1997, 2003 and 2005.

Maserati Quattroporte V (2003–2012) — a Ferrari-Maserati V8 in a saloon

The fifth-generation Quattroporte is a saloon designed by Pininfarina (Ken Okuyama) with a naturally aspirated 4.2 V8 producing 400 PS. It was built from July 2003 to December 2012, and 25,256 were made.

At first the car had the DuoSelect automated manual and a 47/53 front/rear weight distribution. From 2007 a six-speed ZF automatic was available (the Automatica), which according to evo was chosen by more than 70% of buyers. The facelift was shown at Geneva in 2008, and in 2009 the Sport GT S arrived with a 4.7 engine producing 440 PS.

What to watch out for on a Quattroporte V?

The evo buying guide (January 2025) says the DuoSelect clutch usually lasts 20,000–30,000 miles and that replacing it with the flywheel costs about £3,000, while the ZF automatic is "almost entirely trouble-free". The 4.2 and 4.7 engines are durable with annual servicing, but the camshaft variators are a known weak point (noise on cold starts, replacement about £5,000). Brakes and the central screen are also expensive. According to evo, in 2025 UK prices started at about £6,000, with the best Sport GTS cars reaching up to £30,000.

The MB Classics offer includes a 2008 Maserati Quattroporte 4.2 V8 Automatica — the pre-facelift body with the ZF automatic.

How do these models compare?

Data: Wikipedia (model pages), Classic & Sports Car, evo.

The common denominator of the three Alfas with the Busso V6 is the timing belt: on the 156 GTA, GT 3.2 and 166 V6, the invoice for a belt change with tensioners and water pump is one of the first documents to check. A similar overview of another era is in my history of the classic Fiat 500, and all guides are in the Models and buyer's guides category. The cars I currently have for sale are in the MB Classics offer.