>Saw a copy of "Practical Classic Car" or some such in WHSmugs yesterday
>& they were listing cars made in the last five years most likely to
>become classics in x years time.
>
>156 was top of the list, with a prediction that it would be the earlier
>pre-facelift cars with original nose, interesting metallics and wood
>steering wheels which would be most sought after. As owner of a 2000 in
>Nuvola this underlined why I have kept this car for four years and have
>decided (for the first time in thirty years of car buying) that I shall
>keep a car until it is at least five years old.
>
>Which brings me to Giugiario's nose job. Most of the coverage has been
>favourable, probably because the full depth 147-u-like grill is, in
>isolation an object of drama: indeed it is easily the best thing
>(aesthetically) about a 147. But, while the restyle still leaves the 156
>a lovely car, I can't help but feel that the innate "rightness" and
>intense beauty of the da Silva original has been compromised.
>
>This even applies to the mild tweaking of the rear: the light units now
>turn down instead of up. In so doing they subtly (&, OK, very slightly)
>alter the previous relationship to the curves in the rest of the body.
>This is change for change's sake. But the nose??? This is I fear a
>significant dilution of the car's beauty.
>
>One of the most extraordinary characteristics of my 156 has been its
>ability to elicit praise from non-car people, especially women, who find
>the car (and of course the colour) beautiful. Massively entertaining to
>see the 4 year old 156 get far more attention from the girls than the
>nearly new £25K+ Audi TT bought by a male colleague for the express
>purpose of attracting the girls... I have shown two of these women
>photographs of the facelift. "Not as good" was the shared response. I
>have to say - after looking at the result in the metal at Brooklands 2
>weeks back- that I agree. And I'm unsure about the whole "corporate
>nose" thing anyway - on the 166 I think it is aesthetic vandalism to
>stick on the 147 grill. The 166 is a large car with a subtle and mature
>appeal. The original grill suited it well - the drama of the 147 nose
>(which is great on the small Alfa & pretty damn good on the GT) is ill
>at ease on such a car.
>
>Every car needs a nose suiting its proportions, style and intended
>audience. "Corporate nosing" f***ks this up. With the 156, I'm not
>knocking Giugiario - as corporate nose restyles go, its really very
>good. But with a car this beautiful, not as good as leaving well alone.
>
>So my proposition on the 156 is: the most beautiful production saloon of
>recent years is no longer in production. It has been replaced by a
>significantly less beautiful car and history will bear this out...
>
>

I think the article is right. I reckon the 156 with original nose is one of the
prettiest cars on the road. I've been driving mine for 2 years and I still love
to just stand at stare at it. The other area that Alfa should stop messing with
is the wheels. The early alloys were gorgeous, but I was looking at the latest
ones in the Alfa dealer on the new 156's and they have really lost the plot. If
you are reading this Alfa, please put the original nose back on, sort out the
niggles in the dashboard and suspension and put the 2.5 V6 back on sale. Thanks
:-)

Phil 156 1998 2.5 V6