1969 Alfa Romeo Berlina 1750

This Alfa Berlina 1750 was built in South Africa in 1969, as shown by its official Alfa Heritage Certificate. The joy of the South African cars is that you have a right-hand-drive car which should have survived better without the salt attack of the UK.

This example is described by the seller as extremely solid and very original, and a great base for the improvements which could definitely make it a stunning example.

The Alfa documents show that this car was originally a cream / off-white colour. Obviously this has been resprayed in the blue/green colour you see before you at sometime in the past. Clearly this was a major undertaking that included the engine bay, although there are places where the original colour can be found. The vendor states that this is an older respray whose paint quality is fair with a thoroughly reasonable shine evident.

The general panel fit is OK and, from looking specifically at corrosion, this car is very solid with only relatively minor issues to report. There is some bubbling here and there but the vendor states that the Gallery has a photo of every relevant bubble – not just a sample. This certainly puts it well ahead of the average UK example of a RHD 1960s/70s Alfa Romeo…

The Berlina has just passed an MOT test giving further evidence of its structural soundness, but the vendor does say that in the future there will need to be some work done on the sills. Most of their length is OK, but the front 20% will need welding repairs sometime soon. There is evidence of filler on one sill, and although none can be obviously seen in the rest of the body, one might be sensible to expect a little here and there.

The chromework is all reported to be present and in reasonable condition; the bumpers look generally straight and true.

The originality of this car is even further displayed when looking inside the car. The vendor believes that all the seat covers, carpets/underlay, door trims and dash are original, and he reports that although obviously showing patina, all is in good condition, particularly considering it is reaching its 50th birthday.

Issues to report are generally limited to some faded/stained dash veneer, a couple of minor cracks on the dash top (not surprising with the South African sun) and a tiny nick in the rear seat fabric (the vendor has to admit he is not sure if it is vinyl or leather!). There is an old radio that works, but it is not connected to the much newer speakers that have been fitted.

Better news is that all the dials in the binnacle, and all the switches across the dashboard work as God intended (and if your deity happens to be Alfa Romeo, that is something close to a miracle…).

The good news keeps coming here as the vendor has put in some not-inconsiderable time and investment into making this Berlina run well. The twin Weber carbs have been fully rebuilt and mounted on a new cylinder head obtained from Classic Alfa (a total of c£1500). These have been joined by a new flywheel, starter and fuel tank and all has been set up professionally resulting in as sweet engine as these twin-cams should be. The driving experience has similarly been enhanced by some suspension work.

These works led to some investigation into the engine fitted to this Berlina. Some significant time has gone in to the research and has shown that this is not the original engine, but one from a specific 1973 1.8 Alfa constructed purely for the Swedish market to meet their regulations. We’re probably not alone in contemplating how on earth a Swedish Alfa managed to donate its engine to this car in South Africa… the good news is that the Swedish-spec engine is apparently well-regarded in Alfa circles.

Thankfully the vendor has been able to put the Alfa on a proper ramp and take excellent photos that appear to show a distinct lack of rampant rot, although the front chassis rails do appear to have made contact with the occasional firm bit of local Bushveld.

The paperwork is limited to the aforementioned Heritage Certificate along with a decent number of UK invoices for the works done by the vendor since he imported the Alfa from South Africa himself.

Obviously therefore the mileage cannot be verified, but the overall solidity and originality do suggest a significant amount of care in its previous life, or lives.

This is a No Reserve auction for a no-nonsense Alfa Romeo. The vendor has given us huge amounts of information and photographs and is confident he has included all the things prospective owners would want and need to know. Feel free to view the car in Newhaven or contact him through the Contact Seller button.

It appears to be very solid and a great basis for further cosmetic improvement if that was your thing. Or alternatively you could just drive around in an Alfa (using engineering of serious pedigree in this era) that should give reliable motoring given the recommissioning that has already occurred. The choice is yours. The best examples of these will easily top £12,000, we expect this one to be less than half that price. Grab some Italian brio to spice up your summer…