Super Clean 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta
Although the relentless sun can bake rubber and destroy seat vinyl, a city like Phoenix, Arizona is a really good place to source cars like this 1976 Alfa-Romeo Alfetta GT. I owned a same-year one of these, having paid out all of $50, and it was amazingly rusty—even though it still drove well. This one is on Craigslist with $10,500 the asking price.
The same two-liter overhead cam that’s in the Spiders is in this car too, but it has a transaxle combining the transmission and clutch instead of a conventional rear-drive unit. I found this out after I bought the Alfetta to swap the powertrain into my Spider. C’mon, it was a long time ago. The V-6 GTV versions of this car are more highly regarded, but a properly set-up two-liter Alfetta with a five-speed is a fun ride. And this appears to be exactly that.
The fuel injection has been replaced with dual Weber carbs. Other additions are a Momo steering wheel, Melber wheels, and (much better looking) European chrome bumpers. These are the appropriate upgrades. The tires and brakes are new, and the car is said to “run great.” The odometer shows just 52,000 miles.
The photos aren’t great, but from what can be seen the car looks good from every angle, including the red paint and black plastic interior. The wheels and tires are somewhat overwhelming the wheel wells, but other than that it all looks kosher.
The Alfetta Tipo 116 was introduced in 1972, originally as a conventional sedan, and more than 400,000 were made. The fastback Alfetta GT was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign, and it debuted in 1974. The car had a 1.8-liter version of the overhead cam when introduced, and by 1976 there were 1.6 and 2.0 versions. I think the U.S. got only the two-liter.
The GTV 6 2.5 with more power came out in 1980, with a restyle that same year. There’s a highly sought-after Callaway Twin-Turbo version of that car. They show up occasionally, but only between 30 and 36 were built in Connecticut between 1983 and 1986.
In any guise, the Alfetta/GTV is a nice-looking car. Finding one without body cancer is quite difficult. And this one has low mileage and useful upgrades. But is the asking price high?
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Comments
It’s nice to see the Alfetta/ GTV6 getting the recognition it deserves. Another beautiful Italian car that’s easy on the eyes. They do require more maintenance than other cars of the era but they reward you in a way that only Alfa can. If you are an automotive enthusiast you will become smitten.
If you could get into the chassis and determine the rust/no rust situation then it might be worth the asking price. On the surface it’s a good looking car. We looked at a new ’72 GTV on the dealer floor because we’d always liked the cars. As I was opening the driver’s door I noticed what looked like dirt around the edge of the handle. It turn out to be rust where the installer had screwed it down so tight it went through the paint. The sales guy standing there just didn’t have any words for the situation. As they were also the Ferrari dealer I asked him, on the way out, if he was going to check the door handles on those too.
If those are euro bumpers thet stick out a long way. But the Alfetta GTV is one car which looks really good without bumpers.
Very hard to find a good early Alfetta. The chassis and transmission can be difficult and expensive to sort, not many have been well-maintained, so don’t assume the spend is done when the car is bought.
But a good one is a great car to drive.
I just luv these cars, the front end looks alone inspire…..i wish i had a ton of space and time, this would be a great one to pick up it seems …..
A young mans car, I have never seen a car with so much charisma, a great drivers car in the great Italian tradition, a mate owned one here in Australia, went like the clappers but not very reliable and certainly not a car for someone who lives in a hilly place could not keep the handbrake operating for more than a week, rust issues and parts were extremely expensive but very sexy
Offset on those wheels seems a little wide. To my eye, they ought to be a bit more tucked under those fenders.
California drivers need not apply; ask me how I know! I bought a ’75 GT, with the CA DMV-legal 2-liter and all of its engine-strangling equipment it was putting out maybe 70-some HP at best, and prone to backfiring on shifting up or down. When I put it up for sale, I heard from a guy who’d just moved to Colorado and wanted to get it de-smogged for use there. He sent a friend to check it out, the friend passed along a check for about twice what I’d paid for it, and it went to a well-known Alfa shop in (I think) Santa Ana for a 49-state makeover. The makeover was a great success and the new owner was as delighted as the seller. I just wish I’d had the chance to drive it after the operation …