There were certainly many interesting compact sedans on the market in 1972 – Datsun, BMW, Fiat, Opel and others had compelling options that were either naturally sporty, or could be made so with some minor modifications. Arguably, the closest competitors at the higher end of that range were BMW and Alfa Romeo, with the 2002/2002tii (or a lightly used 2000 tilux if you were willing to go that route) and the GTV/Berlina, respectively. Performance-wise, the 2002tii and Berlina were near equals, the Alfa claiming a slight edge in speed and power, as well as luxury features, and the BMW coming out ahead in weight and fuel economy. Of course, there are also the subjective values in choosing between Italian and German cars, but for reasons that are best left to a long, boring dissertation, BMW came out ahead, and we all know how Alfa’s been doing the last 10 years. So let’s flash back to when we could choose for ourselves and have a look at this 1972 Alfa Romeo Berlina for sale in Flanders, NJ with bidding at $3700, reserve not met and about 4 hours left to go.
Rusty But Trusty 