Alfa Romeo’s Type 916 GTV caused a bit of a stir when it launched in 1995. Indeed, its blend of Pininfarina styling and smooth and tractable engines led TV’s Jeremy Clarkson to dub it ‘one of the best sports cars of its time,’ and he ought to know, right? With rakish styling that’s aged beautifully, eager chassis, effervescent performance, comfortable and well-laid-out interiors and genuine practical usability, it certainly ticked a lot of boxes – and today, these cars represent remarkable value. 

This GTV, a 2000 model, has been in the same family for its entire life, with only two owners – the present keeper, and his uncle who owned it from new. It’s been kept garaged for most of its life, which explains the overall decent condition on top and underneath. With the impressive 2.0-litre 16v Twin-Spark engine and all-original spec, this is an desirable little coupe that’s going to make a very pleasing buy for somebody.

The GTV’s interior is a very well laid out affair, with comfortable sports seats and an array of auxiliary gauges angled toward the driver, all of which gives it a real sporting feel.

These cars were well equipped from the factory, and essentially everything is working as it should – with the only notable issues being the radio, which powers on but provides no sound, and the air conditioning, which may or may not simply require a re-gas. The seat trim and doorcards are all in decent order, and the front seats tilt correctly to allow access to the rear. Inside the boot it’s all dry and tidy, with the original spare wheel, tool kit and locking wheel nuts, as well as the CD changer.

The bodywork is in good condition overall, and the deep and lustrous metallic blue paint suits it perfectly. There are a few age-related scuffs here and there, but no more than you might expect for a car of this age; the front and rear bumper corners bear a few parking scuffs, there are some small marks on the door edges and the nearside rear wheel arch, and a minor scrape on the offside rear quarter – but, crucially, no dents, so it should all be fixable with some fairly simple paint correction.

The window glass is good, as are all the light lenses (save for some minor damage to the rear cluster on the right-hand side); the front badge has faded, but all the correct badges are in place.

The car wears its original 16” alloy wheels, which feature a pretty design, and are in fair condition with a few scuffs and marks here and there. It would benefit from a new set of tyres; the rears are five years old with a decent amount of tread; the fronts are mismatched, and one of them bears a 2006 date code and is heavily perished.

Naturally with a car of this age there’s always going to be a list of minor niggles like this, but on the whole it’s a very attractive and presentable car, in good original spec.

The 2.0 T-Spark is a desirable choice, serving up an eager 150bhp, and it’s very well suited to this slick manual gearbox. With its relatively low mileage, it still feels like a young and peppy car, and the owner reports that it’s a reliable and dependable runner that always starts and runs well; on our test drive, it proved to be smooth and eager, with no warning lights or unwanted noises.

The exhaust has recently been replaced, as has the battery. There are one or two minor issues to note; the windscreen wiper hosing could do with some attention, as the pump works but there’s no water flow. 

The car rides well, but the suspension could perhaps do with an overhaul at some point further down the line, as the coil springs are slightly corroded and the owner reports a very slight knocking when driving over bumps, caused by worn bushes. But overall it’s a reliable and enjoyable drive, with a very pleasing exhaust note.

These cars really are very good value these days, and if you’re in the market for a T-Spark 916 then this one makes a very strong case for itself: there can’t be many on the market with mileage this low and that have been in the same family from new. 

Yes, there are one or two very minor points to address, but it’s an all-original example that runs and drives very well, and is just begging to be taken out and enjoyed. It’s proved its prowess as a daily driver for years, and is ready for a new keeper to take out and enjoy.