Friday 1st August 2008

SOTW: Alfa GTV

A red Italian thoroughbred for £650? What could possibly go wrong...

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Ahh, what is it about a £650 Alfa GTV that just makes you want to start running Forrest Gump-style in the opposite direction and never stop. At the same time the other half of your brain is making you fumble crazily with your wallet, desperate to own this gorgeous chunk of motoring history.

Top Gear is right – you really should own an Alfa at some point. And with the company making a push towards products that don’t fall apart, ‘proper’ Alfas like this are all the more desirable.

The GTV was a fastback coupe version of the Alfetta saloon and originally came with a 1.8 litre (1779 cc) version of the Alfa DOHC four but was called the Alfetta GT. Later came a 2.0-litre ‘GTV’ version and the top model was the GTV-6 which, as you can probably guess, had a V6.

If you scour the internet for owner’s reviews of these cars you will often find the response ‘everything’ under the section ‘What Went Wrong?’. The cars are temperamental but sexy and this means that owners often feel compelled to keep them on the road.

Rust was a problem as usual but all manner of things are capable of packing up. But then if they weren’t then it wouldn’t be an Alfa and it wouldn’t have what owners of unreliable cars call ‘character’.

The bottom line is you wouldn’t want one, would you? But as I look at the picture I just do. This is a 2.0-litre GTV from 1982 and for £650 what could possibly go wrong? It even comes with service history and tax and test so at least you can legally brake down on the way home…

Autotrader ad says: ‘1982 ALFA ROMEO ALFETTA 2.0,3 Doors, Manual, Coupe, Petrol, RED. SERVICE HISTORY, TAX AND TEST. £650.’

 

[BlueCello]

I want it. Now. And it kills me, because I have the cash ready, just nowhere to put the car!! Great shed.

[bob1179]

I have always wanted one of these, but it would have to be the now rare GTV6. I think I fell in love at about the age of 4 when James Bond stole one in 'Octopussy' and was chased by a bunch of German E28 5 series.

I want one very, very, much!

Edited by bob1179 on Friday 1st August 12:25

[Chrisbown]

I paid more than that for my mountain bike & I push that alot.

[S3_Graham]

gtv-6 one of the nicest sounding cars ever???

[RSBear]

Not one of my favourite Alfas (give me a sorted 33 anyday) but not bad. Can't be that bad if its got tax and ticket for £650? (famous last words...)

[2volvos]

Where else could you spend £650 and get into the Italian Exotic Club and be able to look down upon those Johnny Come Lately Ferraris and Lambos from the pedestal of Alfa ownership?

Even if it just sat on your drive slowly disappearing from view and needed sweeping up after 6 months, it'd be worth it.

[jamieboy]

I used to have a GTV6, gunmetal grey over black, and on its day* it was a fantastically fun car. I think they're starting to divide in price, too - the cheap ones that will bankrupt you are getting cheaper, and the good ones are getting rarer and dearer.


*actually that's a bit harsh, it had more than one good day.

[Alfanatic]

S3_Graham said:

gtv-6 one of the nicest sounding cars ever???

+ 1

Wanted one of those since I was a kid. Then owned one (chrome bumper) for 6 years and sold it. That made me want one even more than I did before. Best car I've ever run. And worst.

[MitchT]

Are these front- or rear-wheel-drive?

[jamieboy]

MitchT said:

Are these front- or rear-wheel-drive?

rear-wheel-drive.

[Fetchez la vache]

Just an observation... the SOTW cars are usually found in Autotrader. Does that mean the ones on pistonheads are overpricd?

[M5Dave]

jamieboy said:

I used to have a GTV6, gunmetal grey over black, and on its day* it was a fantastically fun car. I think they're starting to divide in price, too - the cheap ones that will bankrupt you are getting cheaper, and the good ones are getting rarer and dearer.


*actually that's a bit harsh, it had more than one good day.

Are there any good ones? My friends dad had a GTV6 which was bought brand new and it almost bankrupted him, so god knows what a 25 year old one will do to you.

That said, it looked fantastic, and is the best sounding car I've ever heard.

[balls-out]

I realised a dream when at 23 I brought a GTV6 in gun-metal grey. Easily the most disappointing car I've ever owned. The 1750 quid I paid was put into perspective by the 1500 quid top end rebuild required within 6 months.
75 t/spark was far and away better better to drive and own, I'd recommend that or a 3 litre 75.

Edited by balls-out on Friday 1st August 12:58

[Alfa_75_Steve]

Great choice of shed.

So long as it's not structurally rotting away, should be a great and reliable daily driver shed, or the basis for a cracking track car.

[balls-out]

Alfa_75_Steve said:

Great choice of shed.

So long as it's not structurally rotting away, should be a great and reliable daily driver shed, or the basis for a cracking track car.

Is this sarcasm

[DrAlfa]

For £650 you could buy it then when the inevitable day came when it refused to go any further you could build a plinth in the garden buy another one all for less than than a second hand punto!

[Alex]

M5Dave said:

jamieboy said:

I used to have a GTV6, gunmetal grey over black, and on its day* it was a fantastically fun car. I think they're starting to divide in price, too - the cheap ones that will bankrupt you are getting cheaper, and the good ones are getting rarer and dearer.


*actually that's a bit harsh, it had more than one good day.

Are there any good ones? My friends dad had a GTV6 which was bought brand new and it almost bankrupted him, so god knows what a 25 year old one will do to you.

That said, it looked fantastic, and is the best sounding car I've ever heard.

I just bought one! See my profile.

Nothing has dropped off yet, although I am very aware of the temperamental nature of these cars having owned both a GTV6 and a GTV 2.0 in the early 90s.

[balls-out]

looks like a feeble excuse for some Alfetta porn?

[gezkc]

If this is a 2.0, why's the owner referring to it as an Alfetta?

I'm always suspicious of adverts where the owner is lacking in knowledge of the car he owns... particularly when it's an Alfa!

[Alfa_75_Steve]

gezkc said:

If this is a 2.0, why's the owner referring to it as an Alfetta?

Because it's an Alfetta GTV.... rather than a Bertone GTV or a modern era GTV.

Edited by Alfa_75_Steve on Friday 1st August 13:09