As one of the most successful (and dare we say, most beautiful) Alfa Romeo sedans of modern times, the 156 is anything but rare – just as long as you live in Europe because in the States, you have more chances of seeing a Ferrari Enzo on the road than Alfa’s compact executive model.
That said, we were surprised to find an Alfa Romeo 156 listed for sale on eBay in Sacramento, California.
Introduced at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as a replacement for the ill-received 155, the 156 sported a distinctive styling with hidden rear door handles, a dramatic front grille and sweeping profile lines, courtesy of designer Walter de Silva and the Alfa Centro Stile.
The 156 went on to win the prestigious European Car of the Year award in 1998.
It was offered in both sedan and SportWagon (estate) bodystyles with a variety of gasoline and diesel engines, topped out by the 189hp (190PS) 2.5-liter V6 and the performance-orientated GTA fitted with a 3.2-liter V6 rated at 247hp (250PS).
Alfa Romeo sold around 680,000 examples of the 156 between 1997 and 2005.
The car listed for sale on eBay is a 1998 model fitted with a 2.0-liter Twin Spark four-cylinder gasoline engine that delivers 153hp (155PS). It has covered 150,000 miles (~241,000 kilometers) since new. The seller says that the previous owner imported the car from Italy in 2009.
Naturally, anyone interested in the car should be aware of the fact that since it was not offered for sale in the U.S., any replacement parts needed will likely have to be imported from Europe.
The highest bid last time we checked on eBay was US$1,525, but the seller’s reserve had not been met.
eBay Seller’s Description:
“1998 Alfa Romeo twin spark five speed. All power options on this car work. The A/C and heater work as they should. It has 240klms on it witch is about 150k miles+-. There are some scratches and minor imperfections on the paint and body. The roof has some dings on it from the roof rack and whatever was put on the roof rack.
I have a clear clean CA title on the and it is currently registered til 12/2012. I also have the original Italian title. This car was imported from Italy by the original owners son back in 2009. The car is available for inspection here in Sacramento. We drove it up from southern CA to Sac without a problem.
Went over the grapevine like the wind was behind us. This also would make a great track car is so desired or for export to Canada or Mexico. I also put all new Polk audio speakers all the way around with a nice Pioneer blue tooth remote MP3 player.
The 156 also has all four new Goodyear tires front and rear brakes with a fresh oil change. This is a 1998 model, but nobody can list vehicles on eBay younger than 1981 with the European VIN. The European VIN is a WMI number (World Manufacturer Identification) and North America uses SAE numbers (Society Automotive Engineers), where the 10-digit indicates the year (as an example). I just listed the VIN that the car is titled with here in the US.”
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