1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 – Classified of the Week

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Dale Vinten

We’ve been indulging in a bit of Alfa Romeo fandom recently, initiated by our ‘The Time is Now‘ article on the Alfa Romeo GTV. So, when this rather stunning 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 popped up on the Car & Classic classifieds we just had to include it as our Classified of the Week. But this isn’t your ordinary, run of the mill GTV6. Oh no. This is a South African homologation special. One of only around 200 ever built.

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The Alfa Romeo GTV6 was based on the Alfetta saloon that made its debut all the way back in 1972, replacing as it did the excellent Giulia. This newer coupé version was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro using the Alfetta’s underpinnings and featured larger, more powerful engines, culminating in the 3.0-litre Busso V6 featured in the car up for grabs here. The extra performance, coupled with the car’s already excellent 50:50 weight distribution, thanks to its rear-mounted transaxle, meant that the GTV6 was, and still is, a cracking car to drive with one of the best soundtracks in the business. Not only that but it was comfortable and with a decent boot, to err, boot. So, the complete package then…

The standard GTV6 featured electronic fuel injection but the handful that were homologated for South Africa’s Touring Car Championship – of which this is a survivor – were fitted with not one, not two, but six Dell’Orto carburettors. The thinking behind the change was to increase low end torque and the result was 195lb ft at 4,300rpm and a peak power output of around 186bhp at 6,700rpm which translates into real world performance figures of a 140mph top speed and a 0-60 time in the region of six seconds. The GTV6 was Alfa’s most powerful production sports car at the time and this South African version was a team effort between Alfa Romeo South Africa and Autodelta – Alfa’s now defunct competition department.

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All of this proved to be enough to secure some hefty silverware and the GTV6 went on to be successful in motorsport, including winning at its first ever outing. Not only that but outside of South Africa the GTV6 also won the 1983 British Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship 4 years in a row and numerous WRC Group A class wins. Oh, and James Bond drove one. What more validation does one require?

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The 1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 we have here appears to be in excellent condition throughout. This isn’t a rusty barn find or a recently restored concours example. This is an original, unrestored car that has spent the last 30 years in private ownership. Having been privately imported from South Africa to Australia in the mid 2000s the car currently resides in Doncaster East and is fully compliant with Australian laws. The car has clearly led a charmed and cherished life. The original factory Ice White paintwork retains its deep lustre and the original bodywork is completely rust free, as is the chassis. The original 15” Compomotive split rims are present and correct and the car just looks spectacular. Looking at the overall condition it’s no surprise to see that this GTV6 has covered a mere 20,000kms. That’s just under 12,500 miles. Read that again. This is practically a new car.

The interior is equally well presented and the rich velour bucket seats don’t appear to have aged a day. The same can be said for the rest of the cabin and all of the dials, instruments and trim pieces remain essentially unworn and free from damage. It’s a running, driving example that, if the advert is to be believed, still feels tight and fresh having lost none of the power from that glorious V6 engine. This is an incredibly rare slice of automotive history with a strong racing pedigree but it’s the drive itself that makes this GTV6 such a wonderful car to own. Yes it’s over sixty grand and yes, it’s on other side of the world, but with its poised balance and punchy six-cylinder engine it’s up there with the best driving experiences on offer. Oh, and did we mention the sound already?

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