The Alfa Romeo 164 sedan, the last model developed independently by the Italian automaker before Fiat took over, served as the base for some extraordinary vehicles.
Among them are a firefighting pickup and a mid-engined V10 race car, both preserved at the Museo Alfa Romeo.
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Firefighting Pickup: Alfa Romeo 164 Vigili del Fuoco
Alfa Romeo's internal skunkworks, the Reparto Esperienze, created custom firefighting vehicles for the Balocco proving ground, which opened in 1962.
After building conversions based on the 1750 Berlina, Alfetta, Alfa 6, and Giulietta, the team turned to the 164.
The donor car was the all-wheel-drive Quadrifoglio 4 variant with a 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 229 hp.
The conversion involved cutting the rear roof section to create a pickup bed, which housed heavy-duty hoses and water pumps under a soft aerodynamic cover.
The vehicle also featured emergency lights and a special red-and-white livery. After retirement, the one-off pickup was donated to the museum.
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Mid-Engine V10 Race Car: Alfa Romeo 164 ProCar
Built in 1988 for the proposed ProCar championship, the 164 ProCar kept the sedan's silhouette but was entirely different underneath.
It used a carbon fiber tub chassis from Brabham, weighing just 750 kg.
Power came from a mid-mounted 3.5-liter V10 engine originally designed for the Ligier F1 team, producing 620 hp.
Although the series never materialized, the car made a public appearance at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.
The 164 also spawned two concepts: the 1991 Proteo, a coupe-convertible with a folding glass roof, and the 1997 Scighera, a mid-engined supercar with a twin-turbo V6.
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Both borrowed the sedan's platform and components.
