Note-perfect Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV for sale
Mostly you can thank Giorgetto Giugiaro for all the loveliness. But, in this particular case, Ian Callum too
Question: are there any purists left to clutch their pearls at the sight of tasteful, restomod-style modifications, even when applied to a car as unarguably pretty as the original Alfa 2000 GTV? The forums will tell us, of course, but those who still prefer to see ‘70s metal unfettered by bigger wheels would perhaps do well to note who originally commissioned this very lovely example. When Ian Callum – yes, that Ian Callum, the design maestro behind the Aston Martin DB7, Vanquish, and numerous Jaguars – decides to specify a classic Alfa, he has probably earned the right to more rope than the rest of us.
At any rate, clearly this 1974 GT Veloce is not as it left the factory. But its original charm is there for all to see, albeit tweaked in many of the ways that have become familiar over the years. At the heart of this particular transformation is the Ian Ellis-built 2.0-litre Twin Spark engine, complete with Jenvey throttle bodies and modern ECU management. For those unfamiliar with Ellis, he's developed something of a cult following among Alfisti, although probably all you really need to know is that the car will sound unlike anything you can buy in 2025. Which is to say, wonderful.
The ‘stage two’ handling package appears to be equally well-considered. Koni dampers and uprated bushes doubtless provide substantially more body control than would have been evident in period, while Alfaholics steering arms have been added more recently. Bigger ATE brakes complement the obviously wider tyres, which really do look the part on 15-inch rims. It seems safe to assume that the aim here, as it tends to be with these sorts of projects, is to sympathetically enhance the experience of driving a GTV without fundamentally altering it.
And so it goes with the exterior. Callum has spent much of his time in recent years reconsidering his own design work (with mixed results), but his touch here is admirably light. The bodyshell has been completely restored, with the underside reportedly as clean as the top - but nothing has been done to tamper with the GTV’s note-perfect, bumper-less proportions, nor its glowing reputation for an understated sort of prettiness.
The restrained theme continues inside, where black leatherette seats and carpets complement the original gauges, maintaining the period feel and presumably leaving the mechanical upgrades to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to ease of use. To that end, there’s no garish modern stereo here or an incongruous digital displays to spoil the ambience – just the essentials, presented in such a way that your grin is likely to be the most conspicuous part of the GTV’s pleasingly tiny cabin.
To top it off, the mileage on the clock since its overhaul remains pleasingly tiny, too: just 2,200 miles are said to have been covered since the majority of the work was completed. It's also worth noting that the car has been fully serviced and is ‘ready to enjoy’ according to the vendor. It’s hard to see how you could fail to do so, even after having parted with 65 big ones for the pleasure of getting behind the wheel on a permanent basis. No small chunk of change then, but potentially a small price to pay for the kind of sensory engagement that makes a good B road worth seeking out. Which, at the end of the day, is the only sort of purism we really care about.
It just has visceral fun written all over it, and it's quite the antidote to seeing the new Ferrari TR release last week.
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