• Widebody 155 in the best colour

• Genuine 48,000 miles

• Rebuilt and restored by Alfa specialist

• Full leather trim

The Alfa Romeo 155 is famous for one of the biggest controversies in British Touring Car Championship history.

For the 1995 season, using a loophole through which buyers of road cars could specify optional adjustable spoilers and aerofoils, the Italian company got around the rules to give themselves a huge advantage. 

It was an advantage that saw Alfa Romeo win the first six races of the season with a 1-2 in each, and which led to all the other manufacturers lobbying the BTCC’s organisers into changing the rules.

In the event, the rule change decreed that similar spoilers were allowed for other manufacturers, and allowed Alfa Romeo to romp ahead and win the 1995 season hands down.

Controversial as it was, the move certainly didn't do Alfa Romeo any harm and the 155 soon became a far more familiar sight on the roads than any of its predecessors.

Incidentally, another of the tricks pulled by Alfa Romeo to guarantee motor sport success was to offer a wide body version of the standard 155, thus allowing race teams the opportunity to run with flared arches and a wider track. Wide body 155s are sought after as a result, and here is what must be one of the best examples available on the market today.

It's a late wide body 155 2.0 Twin Spark, in the very best colour and with full black leather upholstery.

The 155 has had three previous owners, two of whom have been Alfa Romeo specialists. 

While its early history isn't especially well known, during the past seven years its had a complete strip down and rebuild, has been restored to a very high standard and has covered less than 1500 miles. 

The car is currently part of the private collection of an Alfa Romeo specialist that the owner is in the process of downsizing.

Supplied with the 155 are the original owner’s handbook and wallet along with the service book, which details the car being rebuilt and being put back on the road in 2016, at which point it had covered 46,700 miles.

As well as the booklets, there’s a folder full of old MOT tests along with a UK V5C. the vendor will also put the car through a brand new MOT on conclusion of the sale.

Unsurprisingly, given the fact it's been given a full rebuild, the condition of the 155 is exceptional with no noticeable rust or body damage at all. 

The red paint work is in very good condition with no signs of fading or deterioration, the plastics and trim are all in good condition, the badges are all present and correct and the matt black alloy wheels have been refurbished to a very good standard. It has four Cooper performance tyres, all with well over 5mm of tread.

The vendor says that the underside of the car is as good as new and that he's had the opportunity to inspect it on a ramp.

There's also a full photographic record of the car’s rebuild that shows the full extent of the extensive work carried out.

It's rare to see any 155 with leather trim, let alone a 2.0-litre. But open the door and the first thing you notice is the supple black Italian leather inviting you into the cabin.

The seats are in superb order with minimal wear and apart from being cleaned up they weren't replaced or refurbished during the car’s recommissioning. 

The low mileage has also helped to preserve a lot of the carpets and switchgear as well as the door cards and headlining, all of which are in really good condition. 

In the boot, the 155 has its original toolkit and spare wheel and even the boot carpet is in great order. This is quite clearly a car that has been cared for and looked after over the past few years.

From the early 1990s onwards, it became very much a theme among carmakers to hide their engines under giant plastic covers.

But that most certainly isn't the Alfa Romeo way. Instead of ashamedly hiding the oily bits under neat, clinical and Germanic bits of plastic, the Italian company was making its engines as beautiful as the rest of the car. Lift the bonnet of any Alfa Romeo and you'll see that what the company calls the ‘heart’ of its cars is just as pretty as the rest of it.

The 2.0-litre Twin Spark is no exception, with the cam cover and inlet manifold picked out in red, and smart black detailing that matches the car’s exterior colour theme.

More importantly, the engine is in fine health. It has only covered around 1,300 miles since it was completely rebuilt by a well-known Alfa Romeo specialist in the East of England so it comes as no surprise to find that the unit runs sweetly with no known faults.

During its restoration, the 155 also saw many of its suspension and steering components renewed and the vendor reports that it drives absolutely brilliantly and is terrific fun.

There are currently less than 200 Alfa Romeo 155s left in the UK, so to find one at all is something of an achievement.

To find a wide body example in such beautiful unmolested condition, and which has been recommissioned to such a high standard, is nigh-on impossible. But here is one such car. 

If you’re an Alfa Romeo fan, then it really is an unmissable opportunity.