Its stunning looks and mellifluous V6 gave the Alfa GTV a 'mini-Ferrari' billing, and it needn't be ruinous to run, either.What you’re looking at here is a bona fide bargain. The Alfa Romeo GTV is not yet old enough to be thought of as a classic but there’s no reason to think that, in time, it will not come to be regarded as one of sadly rather few truly great Alfas of the late 20th century.
With looks to die for, a choice of a sweet four or grunty six-cylinder motor and a chassis developed to far exceed the modest standards of its Fiat underpinnings, the GTV coupé (and, to a lesser extent, its Spider sister) ticks all the boxes and one more besides. "The amazing thing about GTVs is that I never seen one rust," says Alfa specialist James Wheeler of the Black And White Garage. And that’s not a sentence too often said about old Alfa Romeos.
The GTV and Spider first appeared in 1995 and lived on until 2006, when the model was replaced by the underwhelming Brera. At first it had a 2.0-litre Twin Spark four-pot or 3.0-litre V6 motor, but after its 2003 facelift it was offered with 2.0-litre JTS four-cylinder power and a 3.2-litre V6. No automatic transmission was ever offered.
On the chassis side the Fiat platform was heavily reworked to include a completely different rear suspension, bespoke and very quick steering and individually tailored spring and damper rates.
Even today a GTV is almost as good to drive as it is to look at and Wheeler, like many, prefers the four-cylinder engines. "An early Twin Spark is my favourite," he says. "Such a lovely motor with a beautiful spread of power. The V6s sound great and are quicker but having all the weight in the nose spoils the balance of the car." I remember thinking precisely the same when testing GTVs when they were brand new.
Spiders, however, are a breed apart thanks to the significant level of scuttle shake that resulted from being turned into a convertible. "Oh they all shake," says Wheeler, "but if you’re after a Spider you’re probably more concerned by how you’ll look in it than how it drives, so you can’t say the GTV is necessarily the better car. It just appeals to a different type of person."
Better still, GTVs are reliable. Like all cars that have a few years on them, you need to know what to look for, but the design is fundamentally sound with few potholes to trip up the prospective buyer. The basic package – chassis, body, transmission and engines – is robust and, if it has been serviced and looked after properly, can be a rewarding drive.
What to look out for:
Check paint. Alfa red of this era fades to pink. The wing mirrors go first
Avoid ride-wrecking and vulnerable 17-inch wheel options, especially on Spider models
Don’t worry if the front panel fit is a little haphazard. It may have been like that from new
Heavy clutch with high take up point means a new one will be needed imminently. Budget for a £1000 fix
Doors are incredibly exposed to car park dings. Wheeler’s never seen a straight one
Watch for wind noise issues, even on GTVs. They can be almost impossible to cure
Door locks are at an angle so filling up with water and freezing can blow the central locking fuse
Seatbelts are always getting stuck
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