There are vintage cars. And then there are those with a history. Sometimes glorious, sometimes chaotic. L'Alfa Romeo 75 V6 3.0 driven (and abused) by Jeremy Clarkson in one of Top Gear's most cult episodes clearly belongs in this second category. Almost six months after resurfacing at an auction this Italian sedan like no other is finally back on the road. Objective: a first real 100-mile road trip. The verdict? True to its reputation. For better... and for worse.
The Alfa Romeo that made TV history
Back to 2008. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take on a challenge that looks simple on paper: buy an Alfa Romeo for less than £1,000. Clarkson came across a 1989 Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 Veloce, which cost around £450. Painted a garish green, driven on the Rockingham circuit and subjected to a series of tough tests, the car instantly became a symbol: imperfect, temperamental, but terribly endearing. Already wrecked and declared a wreck by an insurance company a few years earlier, it nonetheless survives the Top Gear experience. Better still, it survived the years without being restored, retaining its dents, its tired interior and that patina that has become almost sacred to fans of the show.
Back on track after an eight-year hiatus
Recently bought at auction for around £12,000 (nearly £14,000 once restored), the Alfa Romeo had hardly been driven for eight years. Before even thinking about reliability, it had to be put back on the road legally: new tires, transmission overhauled, brakes checked, minor electrical problems corrected. Mechanically, the mythical V6 "Busso" is in great shape. Around 192 hp at the time, a sound as charismatic as ever and a reassuring oil pressure. On paper, everything seems ready for a real test.
100 miles to see if the legend still holds
Departure from Sandhurst, heading for a pub south of Cambridge. A deliberately symbolic journey. Because yes, the finish is not insignificant: the George Inn, the exact spot where Clarkson, Hammond and May met at the end of their Alfa Romeo challenge in 2008. From the very first kilometers, the tone is set. The optimistic fuel gauge, the water temperature oscillating without apparent logic, a concert of crackling noises behind the dashboard, windscreen wipers unable to return to their resting position... Welcome aboard an Alfa Romeo of the 80s. And yet, on the freeway, the 75 impresses. At 50-60 mph, it holds the pace without difficulty, consumes reasonable amounts of fuel and seems almost at ease. The engine sings, the car goes straight. You almost forget its chaotic past.
The art of breaking down... in style
But that would be to misunderstand this Alfa Romeo. Hood that opens by itself while driving, capricious handbrake, door handle that lets go again, electric rear-view mirror turned manual by pure Italian philosophy... every stop is a new surprise. The highlight of the trip: a flooded road, just a few hundred meters from the final destination. Is it possible to turn back? No. Decision made: we go through. Slowly. Very slowly. The V6 breathes, the electronics survive, and the Alfa Romeo emerges safely from the water. A well-deserved round of applause.
An imperfect car... so perfectly desirable
In the end, the gamble paid off. The 100 miles are covered. The car gets there on its own, despite a list of faults as long as a day without espresso. But that's precisely where its charm lies. As Clarkson himself reminded us, "The Alfa Romeo V6 is one of the finest engines ever conceived." It's hard to argue with him. Even in a sedan that was considered "ugly" at the time, even with an improbable paint job, the 75 exudes something that many more "perfect" youngtimers have lost: a soul. And as the question posed at the outset perfectly sums up, "What could possibly go wrong?"
With an Alfa Romeo... absolutely everything. And that's why we love it.
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