1969 Alfa Romeo GT – Classified of the Week
June 16, 2020
There is something so wonderfully perverse about a racy, noisy, stripped out, stickered-up classic car. For the most part, classic cars are machines we associate with sunny summers and car shows. So to think of one competing, and competing hard, well, that’s something to stir the soul. And it’s something to celebrate, too. People think the life of a race car is one of glamour and prestige, but it’s not. It’s a hard, aggressive, tiring life that shows little remorse for the machine. A race car isn’t cherished, it’s a tool. A blunt, loud instrument built for a job and one job only. As such, when their moment passes, many race cars are cast aside for newer, younger models that are faster and lighter. And it’s with that in mind that old race cars should be cherished. To survive as a classic car is one thing, but to survive as a classic race car is quite another.
That’s why cars like this 1969 Alfa Romeo GT get us all hot under the collar. It’s a time-served racer that has lived a life of competition in Italy. It has taken on events such as Coppa del Chianti, the Camucia Cortona, the Lo Spino, the Coppa della Consuma and many others. We can only imagine how magnificent it looked as it fought through the pack in those races.
Last year, the Alfa went to a new owner who, keen to keep its racing pedigree alive, dropped some ten thousand Euros into a complete refurbishment. The chassis was cleaned up, the fuel tank and system were renewed, the tires, the bucket seats, the harnesses, the fire suppression and much more was all fettled and brought up to date so as to satisfy the FIA regulations.
Powered by a 1,600 Alfa Romeo twin-cam engine, complete with twin carbs, this is a car that’s more about lightness and agility than outright speed. Though make no mistake, that engine is no slouch. Especially in this lightweight, stripped down body, which we would think tips the scales at no more than 800kg. A proper featherweight.
This is the part of the article where we’ve done our job and made you fall in love with the car, leaving you to ponder how much it is. And looking at it, you’re probably thinking it’s 100,000 to 150,000 Euros, right? Well, no actually. This racy little 1969 Alfa Romeo GT could be sitting in your garage for a mere £41,700. And that makes it astonishing value. The only caveat is that the car is currently in Germany, but what’s a road trip with a trailer between friends?
