In a Sea of Mercedes | 1971 Alfa Romeo Berlina

Spanners 105 - Season one Finale | Matt Kwiek's 1971 Alfa Romeo Berlina 1750

With Michigan frozen over, we escaped to Nashville to visit our friend Matt Kwiek—Mercedes restomod expert, shop owner, and the man behind the MARS name. At Kwiek Classics, Matt has made a name for himself by seamlessly blending modern Mercedes drivetrains with vintage chassis, creating some of the cleanest and most capable restomods out there.

But in a shop filled with high-powered V8 Mercedes builds, one car stands apart: a well-worn yet eager-to-run 1971 Alfa Romeo Berlina 1750. Originally picked up as a placeholder for his dream Alfa GTV, the Berlina quickly proved its worth, winning Matt over with its charm, capability, and sheer drivability. After holding its own at the 2021 Round Headlamp Rally, it earned a permanent spot in his garage—because sometimes, the car you settle for becomes the one you never want to let go.

Join us as we tour Matt’s shop, dive into his approach to Mercedes restomods, and take the Berlina for a spin to see why it refuses to be just a placeholder.

🔧 Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - First Mercedes
01:07 - The Number 1 Car
01:29 - Kwiek Classics
02:14 - 230 SL "Pagoda"
03:24 - The Alfa Dream
03:43 - Datsun Era
04:15 - Berlina 1750 origin
06:21 - RHR1k 2021
07:26 - GTV vs Berlina
08:26 - Alfa 1750 History
09:05 - 11/10ths
09:40 - MARS Community
09:56 - Outro

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