The standard Alfa Romeo 156, launched in 1997, won the coveted European Car of the Car award in 1998. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2001, Alfa unveiled the 156 GTA and 156 GTA Sportwagon variants, exclusive high-performance models that were hand-assembled on a separate production line to the standard cars. The GTA designation stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerita (‘lightened grand tourer’). Designed by Walter de’Silva, the GTAs had the same interior, doors, bonnet and boot lid as the standard 156, but everything else was specific to the model.
The cars were fitted with the acclaimed 3.2 Busso engine, renowned for its sound and its revving ability (“arguably…one of the most exciting ever produced”, according to motoring website Pistonheads), and with faster steering than the standard 156, plus upgraded Brembo brakes. Only 109 right-hand drive 156 GTA Sportwagons were produced.
Owners’ manual, service and radio handbook, all in original Alfa folder
Current V5
MoT until August 2023
Numerous invoices from Alfa specialist
Radio code card
FH 02 OSW was first registered in May 2022, and was acquired by the vendor in 2017. He’s enjoyed driving it but he has several other cars and has decided that he doesn’t use the car enough to justify keeping it; the MoT history shows that it’s done very few miles in the last few years (less than 1000 since May 2018).
The history file includes a number of invoices and paperwork from renowned Alfa specialists Autolusso, including an estimate from 2017 (under the tenure of the previous owner, but the vendor believes all the work was carried out) totalling more than £5000 – this included a full respray. dmx3ldQS5zs7DUQHcU2U8AmfjsIxUsB3oR9vJ46u.jpeg441.18 KB
Interior
Black leather seats
Eight-speaker Bose sound system
Alloy pedals
Smart dashboard and dials
The car’s interior looks generally very good for its age and mileage. The leather seats have some patina as one would expect, and the driver’s seat shows some significant wear, particularly on the bolster. There are some notable scratches on the offside rear seat. The carpets also show some wear, mainly in the driver’s footwell, but are nonetheless good for their age. All four interior door panels look to be in pretty good order, while the kick-plates on the door sills show a few scratches.
Elsewhere, the dashboard and switchgear all look great. The glove box contains the original locking wheel nut, still in its bag. The 156 GTAs were renowned for their eight-speaker Bose sound system and this seems to work as one would expect.
Between the rear seats, the armrest folds down to reveal a flap with an opening into the boot space – useful for longer items such as skis.
In the boot space, the lining is clean with few signs of wear, and beneath this is a spare wheel and tyre in good order. There’s also a CD autochanger located behind a side panel. The rear seats fold down to create a spacious and practical load space. npsYvjWMONwY3aLAVVA0pkFKhjSQetMFmDX9jk19.jpeg702.43 KB
Exterior
Walter de’Silva’s striking, curvy design for the Alfa 156 was intended to recapture the magic of the company’s earlier cars such as the Giulietta and Giulia. Those lines have stood the test of time, and the car still turns heads. The Sportwagon’s looks set it apart from other estate cars produced before or since.
FH 02 OSW looks resplendent in its silver paintwork (the car was resprayed in 2017). There’s no evidence of rust or of damage. Similarly the badges, brightwork and lights all look good. The five-hole alloy wheels really set off the car’s looks and these all appear to be damage- and corrosion-free. All four tyres look to have plenty of life left in them. Everything points to the car having been carefully looked after by successive owners.sKMrLpHRdaCFuNyqgX3bVH4t9ShanEmoTDm9Upth.jpeg1.01 MB
Mechanicals
3179cc 24v V6 engine
Bosch Motronic fuel injection
Six-speed manual gearbox
Clean and tidy engine bay
Brembo brakes
The car starts on first turn of the key, and the engine note – always a key part of the car’s reputation – sounds great. The recent MoT test recorded an advisory that the engine management warning light was illuminated; this was still the case on the day of our photo shoot, but the vendor will rectify this before sale – he believes it may be related to the fact that the recommended service interval has been exceeded and that a service will be carried out prior to handover. He assures us that the car drives and handles beautifully.
Alfa engineers carefully refined many aspects of the 156’s suspension, steering and brakes for the GTA variants: ride height, spring and damper settings, reinforced lower beams on the front double wishbones, special struts and steering links and beefier anti-roll bars were all part of the package, as were the beefier, multi-piston Brembo brakes. The steering was upgraded: Alfa claimed at the time that this was the most direct steering on any mass-produced car, at 1.75 turns lock-to-lock.
An invoice from 2017 records the fitting of a new timing belt, along with numerous other items of mechanical work; it’s clear that the previous owner spent large sums of money prior to selling the car.
Lift the bonnet and there’s further evidence that this is a car that has been well cared for; everything is clean and well-ordered, with no sign of corrosion or of leaks.
The Alfa Romeo 156 broke the mould of late-20th century saloons, with sharp styling and a classy interior. The 156 GTA iterations added 250 bhp performance, a six-speed gearbox and lowered suspension; few estate cars offered looks and performance like the Sportwagon variant.
With only 109 RHD versions of the 156 GTA Sportwagon made, this is now a rare and sought-after car, and its overall condition makes this one a very attractive proposition for those seeking a distinctive, usable and quick modern classic that’s practical as well.
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