Faults:

Refused to engage reverse at 61000 - expensive to repair, but quick and also solved traditional Alfa 2nd gear synchromesh issue.

Blew smoke at 63,000 - almost certainly because a petrol station had put unleaded in the Lead Replacement Petrol pipes - easily fixed with new plugs and some careful driving for the next 1,000 miles.

Minor water penetration through sun-roof at 64,000 - cured by a wipe with cleaner and rodding the drains gently. (Remember, the car was already 13 years old at this point)

Exploded in a ball of fire because of a petrol leak while in a traffic jam. Nearly killed me (put me in hospital) and toasted a large part of my worldly possessions. No prior leaks or warning. Car was utterly destroyed. RIP.

General Comments:

This car was seriously quick and handled like it was on rails. I loved every second of driving it.

Pretty. When I was not driving it, I was waxing it with Autoglym's finest.

It was so light and quick. It makes it obvious how ridiculously bloated and over engineered 'modern cars' are. I could always scoot round or past them.

That boxer engine was so flat and low, it made cornering something you did for the sheer joy of it.

Again, nothing I've driven in 13 years is as agile this side of a Lotus Elise.

Minor Alfa electrical and trim niggles totally irrelevant once hooked on the snorting little devil.

Faults:

"Alfa control" warning light system had a mind of its own - blinking and flashing at random.

Fuel gauge would deviate from empty to full on every roundabout and could not be relied upon. Don't know if this was a fault, or a design intention, but annoying nonetheless.

Indicator switch packed up. Dealer wanted £69 + VAT, but luckily found one in a breaker for a fiver.

An absolute pig to drive in traffic when it would stall and be reluctant to restart. Temp gauge nudged the red on the M25 during rush hour so I pulled over and killed the ignition. Left it half an hour to cool off, and it repaid me by refusing to restart. Towed in and checked out by the local dealer and everything was as it should be. The problem never reoccurred.

Hated the damp - would cough and run on 3 cylinders in the rain and it was an utter pig to start if it had been left out overnight when wet. Always carried a can of WD40.

Clutch started to slip at 50,000 miles. Then found out that nobody wanted to touch it apart from a main dealer, and they wanted (wait for it) £495.00. The clutch on my Astra (at 95,000 miles) cost £110 fitted! You expect some difference between Vauxhall and Alfa repair costs, but nearly 5x the cost?? Come on!

General Comments:

Acquired from a family friend who had owned it from new and had it religiously serviced. But that's no guarantee of trouble free motoring with an Alfa. Despite being mollycoddled by its previous owner, it cost me over £1,000 in maintenance and repairs, and broke down three times in just 6 months / 6,000 miles of running. Lost patience and sold it.

Good points:

Engine - goes like a 2.0, not a 1.7 and sounds the absolute business.

Handling and steering - as good as front wheel drive gets.

Comfort - it surprised me too. Nice seats, reasonable driving position.

Bad points:

Pretty much everything else: Reliability, niggling faults, knitting needle in bag of marbles gearbox, criminal repair costs, poor build quality.

I remember thinking if only the same care and enthusiasts attention lavished onto the engine and chassis had gone into the whole car, it would have been as close to an affordable dream car as it gets. As it was, engine, chassis and badge apart, I found very little to like about it.

I've never sold a car on so easily though. 7 calls within a day of advertising it and first guy bought it - slipping clutch and all. They obviously got the bug that I failed to catch. There is a fine line between character and unreliability, and for me, this crossed it.