2004 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

This example of the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA is a much rarer Selespeed version. Of 5,029 147 GTAs built, just 1,004 were Selespeeds making this a rare car at birth. The Selespeed is Alfa Romeo’s version of an automated manual transmission. It consists of the standard 6-speed manual gearbox and clutch and adds an electronically controlled actuator that operates both gear and clutch. It can be operated via paddle-shifters on the steering wheel or via a lever like a conventional sequential manual gearbox as used in touring cars.

This car is a 2004 model and started its life being supplied to the Japanese domestic market via the official Alfa Romeo dealer network. It has spent its life on the salt-free roads and in the benign and dryer climate of Japan. The car has been owned by two diligent keepers in that time and very lightly used. To date the GTA has covered a mere 54,655 km equating to 33,961 miles or just 1,698 miles per year on average.

The GTA was imported to the UK by a Japanese market specialist and connoisseur earlier in 2024. It was first registered in the UK on 1st June and has since acquired an advisory free MoT.
 

The Alfa Romeo 147 is a good-looking car with the design work undertaken by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the auspices of Walter de Silva. Whereas the standard car is handsome but fairly meek looking the GTA is hunkered down with a much more muscular, sporting persona.

This example presents beautifully in Nero Metallico clearly benefitting from preservative Japanese conditions and light, sympathetic use. Current owner, Danny, describes it as “totally original and in a near unmarked condition.” The front end looks especially sporting with small mesh filled apertures sitting aside the sleek Xenon headlamps. The deep chin spoiler features a pair of much wider mesh grills with the shield shaped radiator grill dissecting them. Moving backwards up the wings reveals a pair of triangular cloverleaf badges. The rear of the GTA is differentiated by a centrally placed mesh diffuser, twin chromed tail pipes and “GTA” script badging. Aluminium door handles round off the look perfectly.

From the sides it is the arch-filling, 18-inch, anthracite hued Jet Fin Spoke alloy wheels that dominate. These appear pristine and a matching set of quality Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres are fitted in a 225/40 configuration. The open architecture of the wheels allows sight of the big Brembo branded callipers and associated disks.
 

The interior of the GTA was praised by Top Gear at launch for being “well built, snug – especially the bucket sports seats – and much more tactile than any of the German or Japanese competition.” That seems certainly true of this beautiful example. Those bucket sports seats are immediately obvious with their deep, almost triangular, bolsters and integral headrests. The centre panels are stitched into horizontal padded pleats and finished in pristine looking black leather. The front seats are electrically heated.

The rear seats are surprisingly commodious and are also deeply bolstered and box pleated and fully leather trimmed. A third, occasional position is available in the centre with its own headrest and seat belt making the car a full five-seater. When not in use a central armrest can be deployed for the benefit of the outer occupants.

The dashboard is finished in black and formed into a shaped centre console and hooded instrument binnacle. This provides home to three overlapping apertures which house the white on black speedometer (calibrated in kilometres), tachometer and combined petrol level and water temperature gauge. A digital matrix display is integrated to provide other driver information.

These sit behind the standard multi-function steering wheel. A stitched leather and alloy Momo wheel with aluminium change paddles in also supplied (and pictured) and represents an easy swap. The GTA is a well-equipped car, too with refinements including Bose sound system with sub-woofer, climate control, electric windows and mirrors, CD changer, and tinted rear windows.
 

If ever there was a car that revolved around its engine, then it was probably the 147 GTA. The V6 Busso unit dished out 247bhp which was more than its contemporary competitors the Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R32. Whilst they were both four wheel drive the GTA fed all its power through the front wheels via, in this case, the Selespeed gearbox. Despite that it wasn’t disadvantaged with Top Gear noting that “apply heavy right foot to throttle, and in place of expected lairy wheelspin, nasty axle tramp and torturous torque steer comes smooth, unfussed and very rapid progress towards the 60 miles an hour mark.” The car is equipped with extremely effective VDC, ASR, ABS and EBD systems to keep you on the straight and narrow.

The other aspect of the Busso sure to thrill, of course, is the sonorous noise it makes. One contemporary test noted that its sound “is as good as it gets this side of Italy’s other houses of royalty – Ferrari and Lamborghini.” Have a listen to our accompanying video and judge for yourself. It should be noted that this example also features a full stainless steel exhaust system.

The Busso is also a great looking engine complete with its six separate chromed intake pipes and finned alloy cam cover with red, embossed Alfa Romeo script. A carbon fibre air box is also fitted together with a front (and rear) suspension strut brace. A new battery has also been fitted. The underside of the car is straight and clean and very much in keeping with such a low mileage example.

Owner Danny comments that “it runs and drives superbly. It was driven 110 miles to Bonhams in 34deg temperature sitting in traffic and with some high-speed driving. The air conditioning remained ice cold, there were no dash warning lights and the brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox all performed perfectly. The GTA offers an amazing sound and performance.” Danny also notes that the heat shield may need adjusting by the new owner.
 

All the key documents are present with the 147. This includes the V5 registration document in the name of the first and sole UK keeper. A current, advisory free MoT is also on hand in hard copy. This is valid until May 2025.

The remainder of the paperwork relates to the car’s export from Japan and import to the UK, including the Export Certificate confirming the Alfa’s mileage at the point of export.
 

The Alfa Romeo 147 GTA is a true early hot-hatch hero. There are no turbos and over-stressed, low capacity four-cylinder lumps here. Just a sublime V6, 3,179cc naturally aspirated 247bhp powerhouse with an awesome accompanying soundtrack. The automated manual Selespeed version is by far the rarest with a shade over 1,000 ever produced.

This is a beautiful example of an increasingly sought after car, today considered as hot-hatch royalty. Its Japanese domestic market heritage makes for an exquisite, corrosion and imperfection free condition that is hard to match in European equivalents. The sub-35,000 mileage just adds to this car’s desirability and allure. This is a rarely found ownership opportunity for anyone with even the merest whiff of petrol in their veins and one to grabbed. Bid today.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £14,000 - £18,000.

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