The year 1986 would be the swan song for the Alfa Romeo sports coupe in the US market. The GTV6 became known for its entertaining handling, superb balance with its rear mounted gearbox and V6 engine with an exhaust note from the gods. These coupes represent a good bargain for those looking for a cheap thrill. This GTV6 for sale in Texas appears to be one of the last of its kind and comes with an interesting backstory.
As the story goes, Craig Morningstar, former Public Relations Director for Alfa Romeo explains it this way. "Our dealer in the Modesto area went out of business and we had to buy the car back. It was returned to our west coast point of entry Long Beach and sat outside on the docks. It was almost two years later when I convinced famed automotive journalist T.C. Browne to purchase the car. I told him it would be the last one ever sold new in the United States. Sadly, from sitting out in the southern California sun the paint had baked off the roof, the dash was cracked,etc. ect. T.C. demanded those items be put proper as factory new. Curiously he asked Alfa to re-paint the roof portion black. I agreed and we painted the roof black, replaced the dash and performed all service updates. This car is the only Alfa authorized original two tone paint scheme." The car was later sold to Squadra Nuvolari and eventually to the third owner, John Labella in Los Angeles, Ca. John put the car up for sell on auto trader in August of 2011. I have been the proud owner of a 1979 Alfa GTV since 1983 and always dreamed of owning a GTV6. When I discovered it on auto trader I was surprised and elated to find one in such good condition, and with so few miles, believing at the time that none existed. I flew to L.A. the next week and and drove it back to Austin, Texas on the sweetest road trip I have ever taken, and I have taken a few. In order to properly restore the 79 GTV, I am offering this car for what I think is a very fair price. Now is someone's chance to own a classic, low mileage GTV6 in mint condition. This car drives, handles and looks like a new GTV6. It is truely a head turner and I never take it out that someone doesn't doesn't come up asking about it. Always garaged, it comes with the original window sticker and all receipts. The front rotors have been replaced with high performance rotors and stainless steel brake lines. All maintenance by Alfa Milano,Inc. of L.A.
It's fairly easy to find a good GTV6 for sale in the $7,000 to $12,000 range. The price of this particular car took me a little off guard as it is at the very top of the range. While it has low mileage and a unique history, I have seen higher mileage GTV6s in similar condition having covered more distance. With such low mileage, it would be a shame to use a car like this on a regular basis and given its relative lack of exercise, it's a relative risk in terms of parts failure going forward. If a few thousand dollars were taking off the asking price, it could be enough to move the metal.
Following on to the Alfa Romeo GTV6 we featured last Wednesday, here is another GTV6 that is one year newer for sale in my backyard right outside of Washington, DC. Owned by an Alfa enthusiast, this is a very straight, original example for someone seeking affordable Alfa thrills.
1986 GTV6, 99,460 miles, $6,800. California car, very good condition. Completely stock except for the Blaupunkt radio/CD. Well maintained, up to date service, can be driven anywhere. 2 owner car. Drives great, everything works, no damage or rust, except where noted (please see pics also/follow link!);
-small dent on driver's side, below rear window (pic),
-minor surface rust in engine compartment below brake cylinder,
-minor surface rust spot on window trim metal,
-steering wheel leather is dried out (perfectly useable of course),
-some leather stitching on seats coming undone.
Recent work (within last 5k miles;
-rebuilt steering rack,
-castor bushings all around,
-new rear engine mount,
-timing belt replacement,
-new front brake lines,
-new driver's tie rod.
-complete exhaust including cat and o2 sensor. Stock type.
-new rear brake pads and disks.
Noteworthy details about this special car; all lights work (see pics), all gauges work, clock works, sunroof works perfectly and smooth, NO 2nd gear crunch during shifting, A/C needs recharged, car was re-sprayed by original owner (in very good condition), wheel wells/arches are rust free.
This is an opportunity to purchase a very clean, straight late model GTV6... not modified or personalized in anyway. But, it is not a perfect car, as I have described some of it's imperfections. There are no nasty surprises or money-pit scenarios. Any issues can be resolved over the course of a few weekends and you can have a nearly-new quality car. The surface rust can be treated with POR 15 or similar (see pics). I want this GTV6 to go to a good home! Someone who will maintain its integrity and take care of it, the way the factory intended.
I recommend this go to someone who is familiar with GTV6's, or someone with access to a good Alfa tech. Now that we have our new born we are looking to move and I won't have space for this car. My Buy It Now price reflects the issues that this car has, so please don't make me low offers because this car needs some work. It's perfectly enjoyable as it stands, and quite frankly if it was perfect I would be selling it for more. The car is located in the DC/N.Virginia area. I welcome you to test drive before bidding.
The price of this GTV6 matches the last one we featured at $6,500. This seems to be right smack dab in the middle of the range when it comes to well cared for, if not perfect, drivers. Mint examples start creeping more towards the $10,000 mark. This car seems to be a solid example with but a few issues to sort. For the enthusiast on a budget, it doesn't get much better than this.
Few things get the heart of an car enthusiast racing than a red Alfa Romeo. Whether it's a classic Spider of the more recent 8C Competizione, these cars exude automotive passion like none other. I've always been partial to the Alfetta GT and later GTVs of the 1980s. This red Alfetta GT for sale in Oklahoma comes from an owner with five other Alfa Romeos looking to downsize his collection.
We've enjoyed this Alfetta for the last 7 years,but the other 5 Alfas need some attention,so it's time to thin the herd. This is a rust free car that runs and drives great. Over the years I've replaced about all the wear parts from the engine & tranny mounts,brakes,suspension,all drive shaft components, etc., new exhaust system with Euro manifolds.New headliner and battery. The seats need redone and there are cracks in the top of dash. The car was repainted and is holding up well.
While the later GTVs with their V6 engines tend to command a bit more in value, the earlier four cylinder Alfetta GTs are a relative value and just about as entertaining on the road. For a clean GT, expect to pay somewhere between $5,000 and $9,000. I'd suspect with this vehicle's history and condition, we're looking at around a $5,500 to $6,000 car.
We've featured a few nice examples of the GTV6, Alfa Romeo's last affordable sports coupe to be sold in the US. Enthusiasts are waiting with baited breath for the mid engined 4C to arrive stateside, here is a clean example of the car that begat the GTV6, the Alfetta GT. With a twin cam four cylinder engine in 1.6 and 1.8 liter capacities, this coupe was a bit lighter on its feet and in the power department than its later brethren, but still offered an entertaining, well balanced drive. This GT for sale in California looks handsome in dark blue and had one owner between 1979 and 2010.
I am selling my 1977 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT. I will start with the history of the car that I have been able to obtain. It was purchased new at Cotton Goff Alfa Romeo in Buena Park California. The original owner then traded it in or sold it back to Cotton Goff in 1979. That is when the owner prior to me purchased it. He purchased it from Cotton Goff in 1979. I have the factory maintenance book and prior to his purchase it had been maintained at the dealer. From 1979 until 2010 when I purchased the car he was the owner. He maintained it very well during the life of the car. I have many receipts from this maintenance. Generally he tried to take it to Zimmerman Autosport in Vista CA. He took very good care of the car and kept it in a garage nearly all of the time he had it. I actually purchased it from his daughter after he passed away. I am sure had that not happened he would still be driving it today.
When I obtained the car it was still in very good shape. Needed a bit of cleaning up, but that was about it. It was running a bit rough due to a bad thermostatic actuator. I replaced that and re tuned it for the new actuator and it has been running great ever since. It smogs fine in California and I will smog it for any California purchase. The problems with the car are few, but I will list them below.
The oil pressure gauge is a bit finicky. It works most of the time, but sometimes it does not.
It has two minor rust spots. One is just above the rear bumper on the rear drivers side of the back. The other is at the bottom of the passenger fender right by the door. Pictured below.
The dash has two cracks in it.
It grinds a bit going into second which is common with these. Double clutching eliminates this problem.
Overall this car is in incredible shape for its age. It is pretty much all original. I have reupholstered the drivers seat. I also had the rear hatch and the front core support(in front of the hood) repainted due to scratches and a few dings. The paint is in great shape and the interior is as well. It drives beautifully and runs flawlessly. It leaks a tiny bit of oil, but for a 35 year old car nothing major. I have really enjoyed this car, but now it is time to pass it on to someone else. I hope this description has been helpful. Please feel free to email with any questions.
Later GTV models in good condition are bringing on average between $7,000 to $12,000 these days. The four cylinder versions tend to bring a bit less, but there are those that value the earlier GT versions for their lighter weight and greater design purity. This GT is presented well, and even considering its faults, will probably bring somewhere between $6,000 to $8,000.
The Alfa Romeo GTV6 is a fantastic way to get into the Italian car hobby without spending a lot of money. With its V6 engine, well balanced rear drive chassis and history of racing in its bloodlines, it's an attractive piece for the sporting enthusiast. These coupes are not too hard to come by these days. While many have been beaten to within an inch of their lives, there's a surprising amount of well kept examples out there to choose from. This GTV6 for sale is a survivor that was stored for many years but recently revived to a reliable driver.
1983 Alfa Romeo GTV 6 With 39,103 Original Miles. The Auto Check mileage has been corrected. I bought the transmission in it, years before I found the car, knowing this was special and the transmission I would want in the car I was going to keep the rest of my life. It is from a Milano Verde with taller gearing and a limited slip differential. The standard GTV 6 transmission does not have a limited slip differential. The transmission was rebuilt by Merritt Carden and features lightened gears. It has a Merritt made copy of a Shankle short throw shift linkage with Hyme joints. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the old transmission, all the synchros were (and are) fine and there were no issues what-so-ever. My mechanic said the transmission was perfect! I put in the LSD with the taller gearing for better mileage as I was going to use the car on road trips. This transmission has only about 1,000 miles on it; it is just breaking in nicely and is superb! Another thing to bear in mind; it is getting close to impossible to find new synchros that are OEM parts and the aftermarket ones are frequently junk. Lightening the gears allows the synchros to last close to forever, if you DON'T lighten the gears, your synchros will not last. With this transmission, you can expect 100k (or more) miles of flawless shifting.
I got this car from the Carden family in the San Francisco Bay Area. It belonged to one of the older brothers but he got to the point he couldn’t climb in and out of it, so it was sitting in a horse barn and needed a complete resurrection which was done properly as I planned on keeping this car for the rest of my life. It had the original timing belt in it with the original hydraulic chain tensioner. There is no question this is a 39,000 mile car. All work was done by Alfaman Jim Cestarolo, whose family still runs Alfa Center in San Francisco and has for many years. I have all the service records since I had Jim do the work and you can talk to Jim. This is not just an average GTV 6, this is a really GOOD car! If you fins another GTV 6 with the same mileage on it that hasn't had all the work that I've done on mine, you will need to put $5,000 into it. All the rubber rots, the fuel pump will go bad, etc.
A friend and car guy I've known for over 30 years, told me this story about when he bought his Jaguar XK 120, "If I'd spent $5,000 more for a better car, I would have saved money in the long run." Again, everything was done as if I was keeping the car and I wanted it all done right. I have put about 1,000 miles on it getting it fully sorted out. If you have questions and want to speak to the mechanic, I will give you his number. He’s in Novato, California.
The good:
It still has the original dual fans and they work. New water pump, rebuilt hydraulic tensioner with OEM rebuild kit and timing belt. Stainless steel brake lines, rebuilt alloy front calipers and steel rear calipers, new master cylinder. Replaced all injector rubber hoses underneath the plenum. All new hoses for the radiator and heater, radiator checked. The clutch is excellent with 98% + of material remaining, the bearing and fork are excellent, new clutch slave cylinder. New center bearing for the driveshaft and new Giubos. New fuel pump and fuel lines. Air conditioning converted to the new refrigerant.
Fresh Michelin tires. 195/60 R 15 XSE, Pilot Exalto A/S. They appear to have less than 2,000 miles on them. There are still some “nubs” from the mould. The good condition leather interior has been treated with Connolly Hide Food. There is one small hole in the driver’s side front seat bolster, facing toward the door, probably from the previous owner getting into the car. There are surface cracks in the leather, but if treated and kept parked in a garage, the seats will last a long time. What kills the leather is lack of treatment and being left in the sun. It has the $200 sunroof handle surround that is machined out of ¼” thick material. The stock ones are all broken, they’re all cr*p. The guy is on the fence about making any more, he may and he may not. I got one of the last 4. The power windows work. There are no dings or chips in the glass. I have the windshield washer tank, although it is not pictured installed. It has a good pump on it. The paint is generally very good with a few chips here and there. There are a few very minor areas of surface rust. It does NOT have the usual rust in the wheel wells. The car has a clean California title and is registered. If the buyer is from California I will supply a recent smog certificate. It passed when I registered it.
The bad:
The left front corner of the car and part of the front around the grill has been repainted. The bodywork was done well but the paint is not an exact match in terms of shade or sheen. (it’s really not very bad) The plastic piece on the top left of the rear bumper that covers the gap, is separated from the center joint piece, (also not very bad). Some of the usual minor cracking on the dash. I have a dash pad for it that also cuts down on glare. It is not installed and comes with the car. The radio is nothing special but works. The car still has the “in the windshield” radio antenna, which never did work even when they were new.
There is no ugly!
The conclusion:
If you buy a car with this kind of low mileage that’s been sitting for 20+ years, plan on having to do everything I’ve had to do to have a reliable car. I have receipts for over $7,000 + plus the transmission which was a $1,500 overhaul, not including finding a Milano Verde transmission to be rebuilt, plus the cost of the car! Everything was checked for reliability and longevity. I have all the repair receipts. I’ve invested between $9,000 and $10,000 in total, to make a car that will give no surprises. I would not hesitate an instant to get in this car and drive from California to New York, or anywhere else on the east Coast. If you want a good one, buy this car!
A good GTV6 will run someone anywhere between $8,000 to $12,000 these days. The opening bid of $8,000 is a bit high and doesn't leave a lot of breathing room for bidders, but given the work done to it, plus the later transmission with the limited slip differential, I'd say this GTV6 would be as good as any if you're in the market for one of these.
Instead of locking them away in a museum or private collection, vintage racing is a popular way to combine your enthusiasm for classic cars while enjoying them as they were meant to be. It also gives the general public an idea of what these cars looked like in action when they were new. The Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT is a popular car for amateur competition, thanks in part to their stout engines and superbly balanced chassis. This particular GT for sale in Richmond, Virginia has been set up to resemble rally cars from the period and has had a slew of appealing modifications carried out.
I am relisting this car as the buyer sent a deposit but did not complete the transaction nor did he respond to my emails. Had he responded with a legitimate reason, I would have refunded the deposit. But anyway, I am in a serious bind for space so I must sell by beloved Alfetta GT coupe. It has a fresh 2 liter Twin Spark engine equipted with Columbo e Barianni cams, new piston and liner set, EB Spares headers, Jim Steck 8 wire distributor and 45 mm Webers....all new within the last 36 months. It has only been driven on nice weekends since. The chassis is rust free havin been garaged its entire life. For you guys that know Alfas, I have included pics of all the usual rust spots. The suspension has IAP rear springs, Spax shocks, GTV6 front torsion bars and the bushings have been renewed with Delron where possible. It was fitted years ago with a Shankle shift kit. The car is lowered about 1" in the back and 2" in the front. The brakes were rebuilt about 18 months ago including new brake hoses and a new clutch assembly was fitted. The wheels are period correct 7X15 Ronals as was fitted to Alfa's rally cars of the period and consistent with this car's rally motif. It has a stainless Euro rear bumper and I have the front Euro bumper if the buyer prefers it to the lights.
Please note that it has not been adapted to the US spec front mounts but it goes with the car. The car was painted 2 years ago and the paint is in very good order and shows very well. At that time the large USA spec side markers were replaced with Euro units. The car was a 1st place winner in the only show it's been in. The interior has new new grey carpet and new after market seats in black with red stitching with the doors upholstered to match. The sunroof doesn't leak and the mechanism is in good order. Its a 35 year old Alfa so its got a few niggles: the right turn signal is not working, there are cracks in the dash, the drivers door doesn't lock with the key and there may be a few other minor issues I've forgotten. Having said that, all the big money has been spent on this car and what it needs are easy fixes. Its a strong runner,a ton of fun to drive and cruises effortlessly at all legal speeds. I truly hate to part with it but I must. I have some travel over the next few days so if you have questions, please be patient and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks for your interest.
The driving lights, bumper deletion and black chin spoiler give this GTV an aggressive stance. Normally, modified Alfettas are not my favorite, but this one, with its lack of rust, Twin Spark engine and tasteful upgrades ticks all the right boxes. It’s a shame the owner had to relist this car due to an uninterested party, as this is a vintage Alfa that could be enjoyed both on the road and in competition and deserves its due respect. For the work that has been done to it, not to mention the condition, this is an economical way to sample the Italian classic car experience.
We've featured a variety of Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTVs on the site, but none quite as exquisite and showroom fresh as this late model example with only 28,000 miles on the clock. With it's 2.5 liter V6, rear wheel drive and rear mounted gearbox, this is one of the best handling sports coupes of the 1980s and a clean example such as this is sure to grab everyone's attention at the next big Italian car meet.
If you missed your chance on buying an Alfa Romeo GTV6 new, well, here's your second chance. I've never seen one for sale at a price this high, but I'd wager to say this is the best one I've seen in years, in a desirable color to boot. If this car wasn't enough nostalgia for you, here is a period Alfa Romeo commercial from 1983 highlighting a similar GTV and the rest of the lineup with the tagline "The Master Car."
The Alfa Romeo Alfetta Sedan and GTV Coupe were the cars that introduced the legendary front engine/rear transaxle combination so favored by enthusiasts and missed greatly when front wheel drive became the norm in the 1990s. The GTV could be best described as a bridge between classic and modern day Alfa Romeos, with styling cues taken from the V8 Montreal coupe but with sharper edges more akin to the later 75 sedan. This particular GTV represents the third year of production for the GTV Coupe and comes with an amazing provenance and recognition from the Alfa Romeo Owners Club.
This is a 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta Coupe GTV in concours condition. It came in second place in "Class 22--Transaxle Coupe" Class in the 2004 AROC national Convention held at Manchester, New Hampshire. Prior to this event, it was regularly entered in the Rolex Vintage Festival at Lime Rock where it achieved 90.9 and 94.1 points (I only have two score sheets) as well as Concourse Italiano in Brookline, Massachusetts. The car underwent sort of "no expense spared" (if this can be even applied to the Alfetta series?) restoration effort in the early 90's by Keith Goring at Alfas Unlimited in Conneticut, when the car had around 25,000 miles.
The engine was built with European 9.6 high compression pistons and Shankle high performance camshafts. It originally had European Ansa tubular headers, but I converted over to Euro Cast Iron for its many benefits including to me better sound. All other mechanical parts were replaced or rebuilt at that time. The Spica injection was fitted with K&N air filters and new exhaust was placed. When I bought the car in November 2004, Spica was tuned to perfection by Joe Lore of Alfa Imports along with higher output alternator from later series. Original Spica air filter housing was also placed to bring the engine bay to as original condition as possible and I never liked the "snorty" sound of the K&N filters. More impressive is the body restoration where the quality of paint and more important, the body prep work done on this car is comparable to restoring a Ferrari.
All new sheet metal was sourced in Italy and the prepwork under the paint is exquisite. Keeping in mind today's exhorbitant cost of "proper" restoration job in terms of labor cost and material cost, this level of "quality" restoration will probably never be repeated in an Alfetta, at least until people realize what an amazing car the first series Alfetta coupe represents in terms of crisp design and ambitious engineering complexity attempted on a mass production car. It also has the rare European stainless steel bumpers in near new condition. Interior wise, the carpet is original and in excellent condition. The driver's bottom seat was redone, otherwise the rest of the seats are in original pristine condition. The dash and steering wheel are near perfect. The original tool kit, jack, and owners manual are included.
The suspension has been updated with new Bilsteins and performance rear springs by the previous owne, and I added the 15 inch Ronal wheels for slightly more aggressive stance. I have owned the car as part of my small collection of Iconic Italian cars which I am down sizing due to my age and change in my passion and hobby. Over the years I only put enough miles to keep the car well lubed and suspension and rubber components supple and in good working order. The Spica injection is amazing and alwys starts up after pumping the gas a few times. The ignition switch was updated and works flawlessly. Engine has plenty of power and torque and yet breaths very well all the way up the revs like a 1600cc or 1750cc. The driveshaft is fully balanced up the revs, clutch is progressive, and synchros are all good. Brakes work fine and with the Bilstein and 15 Ronals, and of course the famous Dedion set up, there is a lot of feel good factor built into the handling. I sourced an Ansa rear muffler but never bothered with the change as the single tip muffler with the Euro cast iron headers to me sound, just right, a quintessenial Alfa music. In summary, this is for the Cognoscenti of the transaxle Alfetta series, who is looking for one of the best out there and ready to enjoy winning in concourse meeting.
I've come across a slew of GTV Coupes in good condition lately. Usually, anywhere between $8,000 to $15,000 can net you some of the best GTVs money can buy, be they the earlier four cylinder models or later V6 versions. With this car's desirable color combination and impressive rebuild, the seller would be within reason to expect a return of at least that much and perhaps even more.
The Alfa Romeo Alfetta was the successor to the Alfa Romeo 1750/2000 Berlina, and if any car had big shoes to fill, it was this one. The 1750 was a popular sight on Italian roads in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and served Italian police faithfully. The 2000, while less common, had a 2 liter twin cam four cylinder that was equipped with dual carburetors (mechanical fuel injection taking place of the carburetors for the US market). When the Alfetta arrived, it harkened a split in the upper reaches of the Alfa lineup. The Alfetta served as the more middle range vehicle, while the Alfa 6, a very rare sight these days, took the flagship role.
Here is a well-cared for 1979 Alfetta for sale in Rhode Island for a reasonable $5,500.
A very nice rust free California Alfa. Well serviced/kept. Stainless Euro bumpers fitted. BBS and factory alloys. Very fun to drive. $5,500 obo
These Alfettas have never been hugely popular with collectors and Alfisti alike, but they are an inexpensive way into Italian car ownership versus the more desirable GTV coupes. The slimmer Euro bumpers are certainly a nice touch and with a little adjustment to the front wheels' offset, you would have a nice, unique alternative to the more popular BMW 320i of the same vintage.
