Wednesday 20th December 2017

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA: Spotted

Pick up the European Car of the Year 2001 with a few tweaks for £3,500

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Once upon a time Alfa, whose fortunes fluctuate like the tides and whose modern cars are either heart-stoppingly desirable or achingly frustrating, had a perfectly respectable and reasonably stylish family hatchback that achieved untold glory for the firm by being voted the European Car of the Year in 2001.

It was the 147, and it carried on some of the promise of the breadvan-like 145, the first small Alfa to display any flair since the dear old Alfasud. It was available as a three-door car or a five-door one or, if you preferred, you could simply have this extraordinary 250hp 3.2-litre V6-engined GTA version - think 0 to 60mph in just 6.3 seconds. Think it, though, but don't try it - the GTA was front-wheel drive only, so to do it successfully was nigh-on impossible, as was trying to keep it pointing in the right direction. In standard form, it simply had too much power for its chassis.

A pity, because inside the GTA was enticing. It was all stitched leather, drilled pedals and sports seats, and if it was a little unruly it at least had the passion and the brio of a true Alfa.

There was, however, a solution to some of its ills, and it came in the form of the tuning firm Autodelta, who could not only give your Alfa more oomph but also cure some of its traction issues. For example, you could specify from them a limited-slip differential for the GTA that, among other tweaks, could turn your torque-steering monster into a snake-hipped groover.

Alas this car doesn't mention chassis tweaks among its upgrades, despite the seller's comprehensive and honest appraisal of the thing. It's had an engine remap and a fancy carbon intake set-up from Autodelta that, if anything, should add a bit more hp, which is not really what's wanted. It has a sports exhaust and a high mileage and no brakes and third gear is on the way out, too, so it's definitely not a car for the faint-hearted, this one.

However, it is about half the price of a regular 147 GTA in good condition, so if you know someone who's got the dosh and the time and inclination for applying a bit of TLC you've still got time to snap it up as a last-minute stocking filler

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SPECIFICATION - ALFA ROMEO 147 GTA

Engine: 3,179cc, V6
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 250@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 221@4,800rpm
MPG: 23.3
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2005
Recorded mileage: 154,000miles
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £3,500

See the original advert here

Mark Pearson

[Uncle John]

How did it get an MOT with no brakes???

Sorry this is too far gone, gearbox will need a rebuild at £600 odd, cambelts will need doing on top of everything else.

Colours not great and the car looks more than tatty.

I'm oooottt.

[cookie1600]

Gotta love a 6-speed manula gearbox, far better than CVT......

[James Junior]

Don't believe those wheels belong on that car either. A brave purchase indeed, but for someone who can swing a spanner might be a good project.

[robsco]

Our dealership used to service this car - nice bloke who owned it, spent a pretty penny on it.

[unpc]

Needs teledials. Those wheels look awful.

I ran one of these for about 4 years and was totally reliable in my ownership but was glad to get shot of it when I did as it was a ticking time bomb. Handling was dire but that Busso V6 was a glorious thing.

[PoopahScoopah]

Uncle John said:

How did it get an MOT with no brakes???

Sorry this is too far gone, gearbox will need a rebuild at £600 odd, cambelts will need doing on top of everything else.

Colours not great and the car looks more than tatty.

I'm oooottt.

Lazy PH writing. If you read the advert, it does have working brakes, they are just spongey due to snapped bleed nipples preventing proper bleeding.

I reckon it could make a decent fixer upper if you can keep costs down, but for me it would need to be nearer £2.5k if not even cheaper. The gearbox is the big bill, but it needs proper teledials too and once you've sourced a set, perhaps even having to have them refurbed, and wrapped in rubber, that's going to be a big bill as well.

Silver on black is not really a loin twitching combo for a GTA either.

[givablondabone]

This car has been up for some time I seem to remember. Personally I'd rather spend twice as much and get a straight one. Gotta love a busso though. Hope someone takes it on and returns it to glory.

[Krikkit]

Didn't the later cars get the Q2 diff from the factory?

[MJ85]

They are wheels from an Alfa GT and suit that much more.

Edited by MJ85 on Wednesday 20th December 15:24

[barryrs]

Arent the GTA multispoke alloys 18"?

[Dale487]

Buy it cheap & use the engine in a Lancia Stratos replica.

[FN2TypeR]

robsco said:

Our dealership used to service this car - nice bloke who owned it, spent a pretty penny on it.

That may be the case but it sounds like the next owner will have to spend a pretty penny more, too

[underphil]

Krikkit said:

Didn't the later cars get the Q2 diff from the factory?

only the 1.9JTD

but I imagine half of the GTAs on the road today have had the Q2 diff fitted as it does transform the car

could also fit the gearbox from the 2.5 V6 156 as the ratios are shorter which for me would make it even more fun

[Oilchange]

I wouldnt fit a 156 gearbox, I have one and am always short shifting...

[AdamIndy]

Only on PH could £3.5k be classed as a "stocking filler".

It's not the mechanical issues that would put me off, it's the general scabbiness of the thing.

[sandys]

Seem to recall there were optional spokes alloys for the GTA for those that didn't like teledials and when Alfa fitted 330mm disk calipers due to the thing continually warping discs if you didn't have teledials then they would switch the GTA spoked wheel for these, my memory is hazy on that though, I had teledial and the upgraded brakes were no issue.

No GTA wheel was 18" there was an 18" replica teledial.

[MDMA .]

barryrs said:

Arent the GTA multispoke alloys 18"?

17" standard. Lot of people fit the 18" jet fin type from the GT.

[_Superleggera_]

Even as someone who loves these things I couldn't recommend anyone to buy this example.

[sixpistons]

No thanks. I like these, but I would never spend my own money on one. From the readers' cars threads these look like needy cars even if you have a good one - this one will be ruinous.

[Arese1973]

Had many aged Alfa's. Many with a Busso V6, engines don't seem to cause much trouble almost everything else does. Unfortunately this looks like somebody may get caught standing up whilst playing Alfa musical chairs and get a financial spanking. You regret it when you haven't got an Alfa and you regret it in equal measure when you have, that is the first step to acknowledging you have a problem!