At one point, we owned a GTV-6. Black on black cloth, ridiculous 17" wheels, transaxle and DeDion sitting next to the car, rusty but no rot. Bought at a decent price, but never got around to getting it on the road. Part of that was a lack of commitment to making new hydraulic lines, and part of it was the fact that we needed garage space, having sacrificed work and storage space to that GTV-6 and an Alfetta project for too long. Our Milano Verde, with its acquired taste styling, checks many of the same boxes as a GTV-6, but as a friend with five GTV-6's will tell you, the sense of occasion is much stronger in the Giugiaro coupe version of the Alfa transaxle platform.
The GTV-6 was offered in the US from 1981 to 1985, with the 84-85 cars being most desirable to most due to their incorporation of many Milano upgrades. Those later cars got thicker Milano sway bars, longer sway bars to match the Milano (meaning heavy duty Milano bars can be swapped in), and the isostatic shift linkage from the Milano. They also featured the same 4.10 rear end as the 84-85 cars. In contrast, this 1982 model would utilize Alfetta torsion bars and sway bars and a 3.42 rear axle ratio. The seats are Alfetta-style, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as they are quite stylish, if a little bit less supportive.
Year: 1982
Model: Alfa Romeo GTV-6
Engine: 2.5L V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 31,750 mi
Price: Auction
Location: Short Hills, NJ
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Alfa Romeo GTV-6
Purchased new from Alfa Romeo in upstate NY July 1983. Car spent 35 years in the same town. Used sparingly on weekends by original owner. Car wouldn’t start in the 90’s and wound up at a local mechanic’s shop where it remained tucked inside for 20 years. Over the last 2-1/2 years, the car has received an extensive restoration - mechanics, body, paint and interior.
The body is all original and was repainted using Diamont BASF paint in the correct silver code AR748 METALLIC SILVER in 2019.
Complete engine service and heads overhaul by top Alfa mechanic shop (Eurotech Motors – Livingston NJ) performed in 2019 (over $8000 service). Mechanically, the car is in excellent running condition. The 2.5L Busso aluminum alloy engine starts, idles, and runs strong producing the unmistakably crisp sound from its original 60 degree V6 power plant. The 5 speed transmission shifts are silky smooth with no synchro issues common on high mileage cars. Brand new front and rear brake pads and rotors were installed summer 2020. This is an expensive service since the rear brakes are inboard. New fuel tank, new brake lines, new belts, flex joint, water pump.
The GTV6 is very lightweight with almost perfect weight distribution due to its rear mount transaxle –it is a nimble, confident Gran Tourer. New tires and A1 Ronal wheels. Rack and pinion steering is precise. The car starts, drives, handles and brakes very well - this is very tight, see videos below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr5zBlDQdWY&t=3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DTtjQ0x0Go
Power windows all operate as they should. Radio / cassette player are in good working order. Lights and turn signals work as they should. The tach and speedo will stick on occasion - needles need to be straightened to correct.
Glass is original and is well-kept with Alfa markings present. Front and rear seats were professionally restored. Air Conditioning and heater are not working. Car needs a new heater valve installed (new part included).
The chassis is in excellent condition. It was undercoated during the body restoration process in 2019.
The seller of this example has clearly spent a healthy sum getting it back into driving shape. We can't think of a mechanical weak-spot on this example, save for the heater valve that will need to be replaced. $8k in mechanical repairs doesn't go as far as it would seem on one of these, but the car should be fully sorted. What worries us is the general condition of the underside. This car clearly wasn't stored dry in CA, and the underside shows that. The seller reports rust repairs and a repaint - we would just want to make sure that these repairs were performed with due care.
These early GTV-6's with the Alfetta seats have more of a late 1970s look and feel to us, though the front spoiler and bumpers definitely bring them into the 1980s. With later cars commanding more money, we'd say to drive both before reaching the conclusion that the later cars are better. That taller rear end means more time with the Busso V6 loaded, and less time shifting through that rubbery Alfetta shift rod. Seeing as this car didn't sell at over $16k in bidding on BaT, this might not be the place to find a deal on an early car. But, it's certainly one of the cleaner, though not most-original, examples that we've come across recently.
-Graham