The Alfa Romeo 164 (Type 164) is a four-door executive saloon built and sold by Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998, styled by Pininfarina and developed together with, and sharing platforms and many elements with, the Fiat Croma, Saab 9000 and Lancia Thema. It succeeded the Alfa Romeo 90 and the Alfa 6.
Alfa Romeo 164 at a glance
| Production | 1987–1998 |
|---|---|
| Units built | 273,857 |
| Styling | Pininfarina |
| Shared with | Fiat Croma, Saab 9000, Lancia Thema |
| Predecessors | Alfa Romeo 90 and Alfa 6 |
| Successor | Alfa Romeo 166 (1998) |
| Origin | Project 156 (1980), a rear-wheel-drive plan with the Busso V6, redone as front-wheel drive |
| US market | last Alfa Romeo officially sold there until the 2015 Giulia; withdrawn after the 1995 model year |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only, so the figures could not be cross-checked against a second source.
History of the Alfa Romeo 164
The 164 started life as Project 156 (not to be confused with the later 156) in 1980, a proposal by the Alfa Romeo engineer Filippo Surace for a modular platform to replace the Alfasud and the Alfetta. It was meant to be rear-wheel drive and powered by the Busso V6, with a saloon body by Ermanno Cressoni of the Centro Stile. The project later moved to the front-wheel-drive platform shared with other Fiat group cars, with Surace reusing the existing tooling and Cressoni’s team refining the design.
The 164 was followed by the 166 in 1998. Alfa Romeo withdrew the car from the United States after the 1995 model year because of reliability concerns and slow sales, which made it the last Alfa Romeo officially sold there until the 2015 launch of the Giulia.
Design and features
- Platform: shared with the Fiat Croma, Saab 9000 and Lancia Thema.
- Design: a saloon styled by Pininfarina, descended from Cressoni’s Project 156 proposal.
Alfa Romeo 164 versions
- 164 (1987): the saloon, later in 164L, Super and Cloverleaf trims.
More Alfa Romeo cars are in our Alfa Romeo collection, for example the Alfa Romeo 90, the Alfa Romeo 166 and the Alfa Romeo 75.
Alfa Romeo 164 questions and answers
Who styled the Alfa Romeo 164?
Pininfarina.
Which cars share the 164 platform?
The Fiat Croma, Saab 9000 and Lancia Thema.
When was it built?
From 1987 to 1998, when the 166 followed it.
Was it sold in the USA?
Yes, until the 1995 model year; it was the last Alfa Romeo officially sold there until the 2015 Giulia.
Sources
- Alfa Romeo 164, English Wikipedia: development, production, US market
