I'm not actively trying to fan the flames of whether or not you have to own an Alfa Romeo at some point in your life to be called a proper car enthusiast. For most, they just aren't dependable enough. I know this, because in my short career so far I have had the pleasure of driving two Alfas: the first was a classic and failed to really go anywhere because of a dodgy battery/battery connection (or both - never quite got to the bottom of that one). The second was a Giulia, which didn't fail, but it did throw up all of the warning lights while going around the high-speed bowl at Millbrook. I did get an answer to that one: "it's because the car's trying to be clever" the technician told me. Right...
To be fair, it was caused by the accelerometers recognising that the car was at an angle and turning at a constant radius on the bowl, yet the steering wheels were pointing straight ahead. After a quick re-flash of the ECU, the car was happy and it didn't happen again. Trouble is, you do keep hearing stories about this kind of stuff, and it's not as if PH hasn't had niggly electrical issues in the past with the Giulia - and the Autocar long-termer had some, too. None of this dampens my enthusiasm for the car itself, though; I think it's a great car to drive and I'd love to be able to own one. But I think I'd like a switched on individual to own it before me and take care of all those niggles first. Which is where this Spotted comes in.
You see, this GTV seems to have been owned by someone who one might call an enthusiast. It even says so in the ad. And if the pictures are to be believed, this person knows every nut and bolt of the car because they appear to have rebuilt the suspension, brakes and given the engine a thorough going over too, since there isn't a speck of dirt on it. The 3.0-litre V6 has even had the cambelt changed (which is an expensive job).
The interior is almost as immaculate as the engine bay, with leather seats that look like they've barely been used, a steering wheel that has only the slightest sheen on it and a dashboard that looks pretty much as it did when new.
Which brings us to the catch. It's currently up for £6500, which is strong money for a GTV - even with the engine you want. However, considering the level of work that's gone into it, that seems fairly reasonable. It's one of those situations where the seller will say "Go find me a nicer one for less" knowing full well you probably can't. It's exactly the point I made earlier about wanting to buy an Alfa that has had all its problems sorted out by the previous owner. Yes, it might cost you more than a regular one, but a lot of used cars are being sold because they need some money spent on them - be it tyres, a service or stuff to get it through it's MOT. The point is, you'll inevitably have to pay out to fix something early in your ownership of a used car, so why not spend a little extra in the first place to get something that's already been sorted.
Imagine that, a problem-free Alfa. That's something to get excited about.
SPECIFICATION - ALFA ROMEO GTV LUSSO V6
Engine: 2959cc, six-cylinder, N/A
Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@6300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 199@5000rpm
MPG: 24.1 mpg
CO2: 272 g/km CO2
First registered: 1998
Recorded mileage: 60,000miles
Price new: £27,943
Yours for: £6500
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