1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000

Built on the 30th October 1973 and sold on the 8th November 1973 by Alfa Romeo UK in London, this lovely Alfa Romeo GT Veloce is finished in its original colour of Dutch Blue with a Nocciola cloth interior.

Restored in the late noughties, ‘GFC 984N’, benefits from being a genuine UK-spec car that still carries its original chrome and a charming patina to the cabin. 

It’s been with the seller for the past three years; as a long-time enthusiast, he’s owned several of these and says this has been his favourite. Sadly, ill health means he hasn’t been able to use it as much as he would like and has reluctantly concluded it’s time to let it go.

The bodywork is pretty good, and not just for an older restoration. True, it had a little help in May 2023, when Kennington Motors repaired and painted both doors to remove the crazing that had developed there but the previous work was done well – Kennington reported they found no filler, only metal - and is generally holding up nicely.

Kennington also polished the car while they had it, and it responded beautifully.

That original chromework is very good too and adds just a hint of brilliance to an otherwise sober exterior, which is a compliment; while we think brighter hues look good, we have a soft spot for Dutch Blue and the discreet, upmarket look it gives Giugiaro’s lines.

The steel wheels prove you don’t need alloys to create an impression. They’re also in a good condition and are fitted with a matching set of Bridgestone tyres, all of which have plenty of tread left on them.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

As for work to do, there is a small dent in the rim of the nearside front wheel, the wheelnuts are rusty, the nearside door rubber has come adrift, the drivers exterior door handle could do with some fettling as it sticks, and there’s some rust on the rear offside wheelarch that could do with being caught sooner rather than later. 

There’s still a little crazing in the paint on the trailing edge of the offside front wing, the offside C-pillar, the base of the nearside A-pillar, the nearside rear wing, and the offside front corner of the bonnet.

No one would have complained if Alfa had decided that creating the prettiest coupé of its generation was enough and had fitted a commonplace interior to save money.

But it went all-in in the cabin, too and the result is – again – possibly the nicest of all its contemporaries.

The wood-rimmed Personal steering wheel is as beautiful now as it’s ever been. Deeply dished and wonderfully tactile, it’s a million miles from the small, fat-rimmed, leather-covered steering wheel almost everyone else was fitting to its sporty cars to fool the driver into thinking the chassis was better than it actually was. No such sleight of hand was necessary with the GTV of course, because the chassis is every bit as good as the styling.

The cowled instruments behind it add to the car’s credentials, and they’re joined by a cranked gear lever that places the simple black gearknob in exactly the right place.

The floor-hinged pedals are perfectly positioned too, and they’re fitted with some well-decorated pedal rubbers, notwithstanding some slight wear.

Convention is further confounded by the fitment of cloth seats rather than leather. Softer, warmer and grippier than hide, they’re a much better choice for almost everyone, despite everyone else’s marketing departments telling you otherwise.

The front seats are in a decent condition and feature the most glorious headrest uprights of the 20th century. Made of wood, they’re unlike any you’ve seen before and almost worth the price of entry all by themselves because you will never get tired of remotely cranking them up and down.

The rear seats are plump and sumptuous and in an even better condition than those in the front, albeit all show a little softening and rumpling.

The headlining is taut and clean and in a very good condition, as are the blue carpets and the brown vinyl door cards and rear side panels. 

Importantly, the dashboard of free of the cracks you often see on the model. 

There’s no radio (who needs one when the engine sounds this good?) but there are two 12-volt charging points.

The boot still plays home to the original jack and handle, which is a lovely touch. There’s a full-size spare wheel in there too, plus a box of spares. Please take a look at the photograph to see what’s included.

As for flaws, the driver’s seat stitching has eased away on the outer edge in two places, the carpet in the boot is stained, and the rear carpets could do with being fastened down properly.

The GTV has been fitted with a new alternator, regulator, battery, and wiring only recently, plus a new starter motor. Kennington Motors have looked after it for the seller and he says it’s always received whatever it needs. 

As you can see, it starts well, idles nicely, and shows good oil pressure. It revs as it should too and does the whole lot with the sort of induction rasp you only get with a pair of Weber carburettors. 

The seller tells us it “pulls like a train” and “drives beautifully”. He’s a big fan of the combination of the two-litre engine, five-speed gearbox, and twin servo braking system and having owned four previous examples, he says this is his favourite.

The engine bay is nicely finished without being overly prissy. You could detail it further if that’s your thing, but we imagine most would be content to simply maintain it as it is.

No MoT tester has ever had cause to question the GTV’s structural integrity but we see it did receive some welding repairs to the underside in 2015 by DTR European Sports Cars Ltd, which isn’t unusual.

As for faults, the finned sump has, like most, taken a couple of knocks in its life and has a few chunks out of it, not that that should be a problem.

The most recent oil service was carried out on the 15th May 2023 and 68,368 miles by Kennington Motors Ltd and there are lots of old invoices for previous parts in the history file. So many, in fact, that the seller estimates they form a three-inch high stack. 

It also has its original handbook, a bunch of expired MoT certificates, the handbook, and a letter from Alfa Romeo confirming the car’s specification and build date.

The GTV’s MoT certificate is valid until May 2024, and the recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

The 105-series feels crafted, not built, and if that distinction escapes you then you probably aren’t going to excuse an Italian car its many and varied foibles; Germanic build quality comes from the Germans but style like this comes only from Italy.

As for this one, it’s been cared for by a man who knows the model well and entrusted its curation to one of our favourite garages. The result is a hugely desirable car, albeit one that needs a little cosmetic fettling here and there.

But, if you’re after a standard model that’s managed to dodge the GTA-aping that’s afflicted so many of them recently, this might be the one for you. We estimate it’s going to fetch somewhere between £30,000 and £40,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.