In 2025, the Alfa Romeo 75 celebrates its fortieth birthday. A symbolic anniversary for a sedan long shunned, often misunderstood, sometimes mocked for its daring technical choices... but now fully rehabilitated. Time has taken its toll: the latest Alfa Romeo designed before the takeover by Fiat, and the last of the Transaxle architecture, has become one of the most sought-after Italian youngtimers of the moment. The perfect opportunity to pay tribute.
1985: a sedan born to celebrate an anniversary... and a turning of a page
On May 17, 1985, Alfa Romeo celebrated its 75th anniversary. Rather than blow out the candles with a symbolic model, the brand decided to unveil a new sedan. The name was obvious: the 75.
It replaced the Giulietta and shared much in common with the Alfa 90, but positioned itself radically differently. The 90 took on the role of comfortable grand tourer. The 75, the family sports car.
Domenico Chirico directed the project, and Ermanno Cressoni, head of the Centro Stile, dared a deeply angular, almost brutalist design, totally 80s. Aerodynamics were less important than personality, and this wedge-shaped silhouette became one of the most recognizable signatures in Alfa's history. Ranging in length from 4.33 to 4.42 meters, depending on version, it boasts an immense 500-liter trunk - astonishing for such a compact rear-wheel drive. But it's the 50/50 weight distribution and Transaxle configuration (rear-mounted gearbox and clutch) that give the car its character. A temperament that will appeal as much to private customers as to the Italian public services: carabinieri, firemen, ambulance drivers and special units will make it their official mount.
Engines, innovations and character
Right from its launch, the sedan offered a wide range of engine options: from the 110 hp 1.6L produced in almost 100,000 units, to the various 2.0 Twin Sparks that introduced dual ignition to Alfa Romeo, via the V6 Busso 2.5 and then 3.0, not forgetting a turbodiesel that was surprisingly powerful for its time.
The arrival of the 1.8 Turbo in 1986 marked a turning point. With its big Garrett turbo, careful cooling and the brutality typical of the supercharged engines of the '80s, it laid the foundations for a true sporting career. The 75 Turbo Evoluzione, homologated in 1987, takes this ambition even further.
The top of the range takes shape with the 3.0 America V6, increased to 185 hp, capable of reaching 220 km/h in an ambience that has suddenly become luxurious thanks to the introduction of ABS, air conditioning, cruise control and equipment that was remarkable for its time. In 1992, the model's commercial career came to an end, in favor of the 155. A total of 387,000 Alfa 75s were produced, including just over 21,000 V6 models. The last Transaxle rear-wheel drive will remain for many the "real" last Alfa Romeo.
An underestimated sportswoman... but never forgotten by enthusiasts
The 75 never dominated international championships, but it left its mark on those who drove it. In rallying, particularly in France, it offered many class victories, notably in the hands of Yves Loubet. In the 80s, it embodied a certain Alfa Romeo spirit: raw, committed, demanding, sometimes capricious, but terribly endearing.
Some continue to race... and sometimes to win. Like this turbocharged 75 with 410 hp spotted on a hill climb in Greece, the 75 Turbo Evoluzione n°239, l'Alfa Romeo 75 with Busso engine over 500 hp, or even the 350 hp Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo Prototech.
A booming market: back in grace
In 2025, prices are skyrocketing. A clean 75 Twin Spark now happily tops €12,000, a Turbo can exceed €25,000, and an Evoluzione... over €80,000, as examples are rare. The trend is growing stronger thanks to European tuners who are breathing new life into the myth. For a long time, the Alfa Romeo 75 had the image of a hastily cobbled-together sedan, the symbol of a complicated era for the brand. Today, it seems more like a swan song, one of the last 100 % Alfa Romeo creations, fiery, imperfect, but deeply sincere in its philosophy.
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When I was a kid, my father had IE version 1.8 in bottle green.
I've been an Alfist ever since! That inimitable sound (you could hear it coming home from work from far away), the "slightly askew" central exhaust, the slides with the rear-wheel drive...
The last true Alfa with the technical characteristics and engines specific to this brand, if the 164 kept the engines, alas not the rear-wheel drive, which is heresy for an Alfa E-segment tourer!
Io avevo l alfa 75 1.6 del 1986 l ho comprata nel 1997 era di colore azzurro metallizzato, mi ha dato tante soddisfazioni, un motore con catena a doppia maglia di distribuzione non mi ha mai dato grossi problemi, se qualcuno me la ridasse o la venderebbe io la ricomprerei, prima di questa avevo la Giulietta 1.6 comunque era una bellissima macchina e aveva una linea invidiabile bellissima
Salve a tutti mi chiamo Filippo D'orazio e sono di Roma
Avevo l alfa 75 ma la 164 era più bella
L'Alfa Romeo è stata la realtà storica delle vetture sportive degli anni passati. Ho avuto un 2,0 TD col quale ho viaggiato per 1 milione di km. Una meraviglia.
Ho detto tutto!.