The air must have been thick with excitement and anticipation when Alfa Romeo launched the 159 in 2005, appearing at the crest of something of a golden-era for Alfisti. The well-received 147 was still selling well, the 916 GTV and Spider production lines had not yet fizzled out, the beautiful GT, like a supermodel, had made a stunning entrance to the party, Sr Busso’s masterpiece was still barking loudly and the sublime 156 (the car which had almost single-handedly rebuilt the marque’s standing in the mid-1990s) had gained a new lease of life thanks to its handsome facelift. That cornucopia of modern classics makes today’s current choice in the showrooms suddenly look a little anaemic doesn’t it?

Surely then, the 159, which was then being touted as the great 156’s direct replacement, was going to set the motoring world alight? The first signs were certainly promising; Giugiaro, in collaboration with Alfa’s in house design team, had penned yet another beautiful shape, inspired by his achingly gorgeous Brera concept of 2002. But, behind the scenes, the 159’s birth hadn’t been without trauma.