Saw a copy of "Practical Classic Car" or some such in WHSmugs yesterday
& they were listing cars made in the last five years most likely to
become classics in x years time.

156 was top of the list, with a prediction that it would be the earlier
pre-facelift cars with original nose, interesting metallics and wood
steering wheels which would be most sought after. As owner of a 2000 in
Nuvola this underlined why I have kept this car for four years and have
decided (for the first time in thirty years of car buying) that I shall
keep a car until it is at least five years old.

Which brings me to Giugiario's nose job. Most of the coverage has been
favourable, probably because the full depth 147-u-like grill is, in
isolation an object of drama: indeed it is easily the best thing
(aesthetically) about a 147. But, while the restyle still leaves the 156
a lovely car, I can't help but feel that the innate "rightness" and
intense beauty of the da Silva original has been compromised.

This even applies to the mild tweaking of the rear: the light units now
turn down instead of up. In so doing they subtly (&, OK, very slightly)
alter the previous relationship to the curves in the rest of the body.
This is change for change's sake. But the nose??? This is I fear a
significant dilution of the car's beauty.

One of the most extraordinary characteristics of my 156 has been its
ability to elicit praise from non-car people, especially women, who find
the car (and of course the colour) beautiful. Massively entertaining to
see the 4 year old 156 get far more attention from the girls than the
nearly new £25K+ Audi TT bought by a male colleague for the express
purpose of attracting the girls... I have shown two of these women
photographs of the facelift. "Not as good" was the shared response. I
have to say - after looking at the result in the metal at Brooklands 2
weeks back- that I agree. And I'm unsure about the whole "corporate
nose" thing anyway - on the 166 I think it is aesthetic vandalism to
stick on the 147 grill. The 166 is a large car with a subtle and mature
appeal. The original grill suited it well - the drama of the 147 nose
(which is great on the small Alfa & pretty damn good on the GT) is ill
at ease on such a car.

Every car needs a nose suiting its proportions, style and intended
audience. "Corporate nosing" f***ks this up. With the 156, I'm not
knocking Giugiario - as corporate nose restyles go, its really very
good. But with a car this beautiful, not as good as leaving well alone.

So my proposition on the 156 is: the most beautiful production saloon of
recent years is no longer in production. It has been replaced by a
significantly less beautiful car and history will bear this out...