Another Italian car I once had a drive of back in late 70's is a Fiat 124 Sports Coupe, from memory it was about a 1973 model. (similar to the model pictured) I was quite impressed with it. It seemed to have a fairly high top gear ratio which would have been ideal for highway trips. it handled quite well and had sufficient power. The mate who owned it used to enjoy a variety of French and Italian cars over the years, including a Renault TS and another Fiat. Would a Fiat of this era have been a fair alternative to Alfa ?