Just a few weeks after we agreed the spec, the 166 arrived with just 80 miles on the clock. A quick inspection seemed to confirm the radically improved build quality of Alfas these days, and it definitely felt better built than our previous Fast Fleet 156. In fact it soon became obvious that the 166 is more than just a bigger 156. There's a quality clunk when you close the doors that instantly impresses the improved quality on the occupants, and that is reinforced by the sheer quantity of leather around the cabin. If you tick the 'Momo' option, you get acres of beautifully finished hides, making the 166 feel much more luxurious than you expect from a big Alfa. Even if you were sitting in the rear you didn't feel short-changed as there was loads of space and exquisitely shaped seats. In fact it was a better place to be than the rear of the other luxury saloon on the fleet, the Jaguar XJR.

As the miles were racked up ΂- around 3000 a month for much of our time with the 166 ΂- the engine in particular came in for praise. It might be an old design but there simply isn't another V6 to match its smoothness, its power over a huge rev- range, and of course the most cultured V6 howl known to motoring man. A real surprise was the quality of the gearbox. The last thing I was expecting was a change as quick and snickety as this. You really wanted to use it just for the hell of it, if only the clutch wasn't quite so heavy.

With little brother 156's legendary ability to swig large quantities of multigrade, it came as a bit of a surprise to find the 166 was almost tee-total in comparison, needing only one small top-up during the 11 months and 23,500 miles with us. However, it did lose all of its power steering fluid, leaving art ed Damian Smith stranded one morning. A litre of fluid was enough to get it back to Alfa who, a few weeks later, issued a recall to replace the power-steering hoses on all 166s so they didn't chafe together. This had caused the leak on ours, apparently.

The Alfa soon became the instant choice for long journeys, including a couple of trips to Europe. One of these turned into an epic; it's not every day you play tag with a Pagani Zonda heading for Goodwood. The Alfa made short work of the 945 miles between Evo Towers and the Zonda factory, averaging 78mph and 25.8mpg. The average on the way back is anyone's guess, but Andy Morgan did hit 157mph, with the Zonda still disappearing into the distance.

The amount of performance on offer never ceased to delight. A 3-litre 166 is a close match for our current hot hatch king, the Clio 172, when it comes to acceleration times. If only its handling was as impressive. The front wheels can't really cope with the V6's power, even though torque steer is way better controlled than in the previous 164. Nor does the 166's spring/damper relationship feel quite right. This isn't a car you will enjoy taking to the limits, perhaps explaining why the original Goodyear tyres lasted an amazing 21,500 miles.

It would be nice to finish this round-up right here, but unfortunately at 18,500 miles our 166 suddenly lost all power on the motorway and, even with foot to the boards, would only reach a peak of 10mph. Next day the car was rescued and returned to Perry's in Amersham. Turns out the throttle potentiometer had failed. These things happen but it shouldn't take two weeks to get the parts, nor should we have had to beg every day to get a courtesy car. Lackadaisical dealers seem to be the most frustrating part of Alfa ownership. If you find a good one, great, but there are some black holes in the network, if our post bag is anything to go by.

After almost a year it was a shame to see the 166 go. It really was an elegant car, though whether it's a great car is harder to say. But it is a great Italian luxury saloon, in a market dominated by Germans. Maybe we've all become too used to what they offer, which is efficient, but a little sober. If you're looking for a dash of Latin temperament in a sea of uniform grey, then the big Alfa won't disappoint.