Alfa Romeo 155

155 lover · March 23, 2009, 05:29:24 PM

If anybody should know of anyone selling a 155 or interested in selling in the short term future, please contact me via e-mail, as i am interested in finding one in decent condition for a reasonable price. tossi2@hotmail.com

AGM155 · March 23, 2009, 06:27:48 PM

Good luck...as far as I know there are very few 155s in Australia and they come up for sale very rarely...in the last few years I think I can only recall about 4 being advertised, most recently around December last year.

I don't know of any of them for sale now though...sorry that didn't really help did it?

155 lover · March 24, 2009, 09:17:35 AM

Thanks, i have been monitoring and i have only ever seen 2 or 3 for sale or on the roads here. I was looking into importing and thought that'd be the best way but i just thought i would put the feelers out in case!

jimnielsen · March 24, 2009, 11:27:56 AM

I have a 155 Q4 that I use as a track car - I imported it from Japan. Its easy to import them, but its not possible (at least here in victoria) to get them road registered. The only ones that you see on the road are ones that were grey-market imported around the time when the cars were new, or imports that immigrants have brought with them (they are subject to different rules.) There are no engineers certified to make the 155 comply with the ADR's.

cheers, jim.

155 lover · March 24, 2009, 11:45:00 AM

Thanks Jim - i have some friends in England with RHD 155 contacts and am currently looking into this recent evolution in vehicle import laws - the "SPECIAL ENTHUSIAST VEHICLE" or SEV's which has come in over the last 2 years.

It would appear that if your car meets criteria that are along the lines of - never manufactured here or a similar model was never sold here and there are no plans to be sold here and you can get a registered Alfa dealer to sign off on these things + that the car will be largely compliant then there seems to be a way to get a 155 in (details are on the SEVs form available online - form still subject to DOTARs approval).

I am still largely enquiring about this and it is a longer term goal (6 - 18 months) to get one in from England maybe as there seems to be a larger supply and more model variation even though shipping costs are higher but the door seems slightly ajar at the moment thanks to SEV's.

Also, you couldn't post some screen shots of your Q4 could you? I'd love to see it and the interior if you still have the original dash etc as i am fascinated by the Q4

Sheldon McIntosh · March 24, 2009, 04:22:15 PM

You could also investigate cars from NZ. They often come up over there. Check www.trademe.co.nz

I've seen a Q4 over there for $7000 before, and a Delta Intergrale for $5k. Of course, both were LHD so no good here! But there is often twinspark and V6 155s for sale in NZ. I was over there for a month in Dec/Jan and nearly bought one myself. Saw a pretty tidy 2 owner V6 for $2000 NZD.

John Hanslow · March 25, 2009, 12:54:56 PM

Perhaps Ed halsten may have a comment to add as I understand he has some professional experience in the car import field.

Any way, waht Alfa Dealer would sign off on an grey imported car anyway ? may need an engineer for that. There was a 155 at the last Spettacolo and I thought it was road registered.

Good luck with your endeavours.

Evan Bottcher · March 25, 2009, 01:37:20 PM

I'm assuming all the dealer is asked for is to 'sign off' that the model was never sold in Australia and there are no plans to sell them here.

155 lover · March 25, 2009, 02:44:01 PM

Yes, the main thing is that the dealer has to sign off on the fact the car has never been sold here, is not planned to be released here and is significantly different to any other models sold here. I.e. it is not an "ACURA" which is just a Honda rebadge...

Victor Lee · March 25, 2009, 04:29:05 PM

As local Australians living here, the options for importing a post January 1989 car is difficult -

See this website:

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/importing_vehicles/general/EligibilityCriteria_2.aspx#four

I'm believe that the 155 that was at Spettecolo last year was a Personal Import when the original owner moved to Australia (Section 5 Personal Imports in above website)

Jim brought his 155 as a race car, never to be registered for road use. (Section 8 Racing Vehicles)

What you mean by "sign off" is incorrect. See section 4 "Letter Of Compliance" on the above website. Dealers & Distributors have no authority to "sign off" on a car that was never imported as full volume into Australia. You can get the manufactuer themselves to issue a Letter Of Compliance; but I have previously spoken to the engineering company that certifies all the Ateco cars for ADR's before entry to Australia and he would not certify a car that was not brought into country officially.

The only option is Section 10 "Importing, Modifying and having an Australian Identification Plate Fitted by a (RAWS)". It seems that firstly you have to have the car accepted under the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS). Then you have to get a Registered Automotive Workshop Scheme (RAWS) to comply the car. The RAWS workshop must satisfy to the relevant authorities that they are able to comply the vehicle in question so as they can attach that ID plate. This costs them lotsa money and it is unlikely that a RAWS workshop will go through the papaer work and audit for just one car.

If there are any other options, I would like to know too!

AGM155 · March 25, 2009, 06:08:37 PM

The 155 at Spettacolo was indeed road registered and is driven regularly.

A lot of the 155s in Australia came from Brian Foley motors, who imported a batch of them (around 2000 I think).

155 lover, your story sounds familiar...I was looking for a 155 for a couple of years however there were so few up for sale and importing looked like a complex and expensive procedure.

So I got my 166 instead.

turboalfa · March 25, 2009, 08:00:06 PM

here 155 lover i found a 155 for sale

although its in newzealand bu how much can transport possible cost you?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Alfa-romeo/155/auction-192942730.htm

enjoy hope it helped .

ciao

Sheldon McIntosh · March 25, 2009, 11:58:56 PM

Quote from: AGM155 on March 25, 2009, 06:08:37 PM
(around 2000 I think).

I hope that was a mistype. I find that figure extremely hard to believe. Maybe more like 20?

I'd love to know how many were in the country.

AndrewO · March 26, 2009, 08:00:21 AM

I think it was the year 2000, not that 2,000 cars were imported.

There was a limit to how many cars one company could import in a year (I don't know the number) and Brian mixed it up with 155's and 164's. I bought one of his 164q's.

I think he did it over a number of years.

155 lover · March 26, 2009, 10:13:01 AM

Thankyou all for your help and knowledge on the topic. I have seen that link in NZ, it looks in reasonable condition too.

I will continue my quest to import one i think. The next step will probably be to speak to a professional import broker. My friend imported a Japanese car through one and although they charge a flat fee of around $1000 for all their services, it seems to be the most streamlined way to go to avoid making mistakes.

There seem to be a lot of these companies who import from Japan also, so i may start there and see if they know anyone in the game who imports from elsewhere. Hopefully i can get one in the next 12-18 months as my next project as the Alfetta and Spider should be finished by then.