2003 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA Sportwagon

This Alfa Romeo 156 GTA Sports wagon was first registered in 2003 and has clocked just 89,667 miles since 2003.

The car has had 4 previous keepers, with the vendor owing the car since 2009. The car comes with an extensive folder of paperwork as well as a recent front cover feature in Auto Italia. There are numerous receipts for maintenance work completed, which include cam belt changes, oil changes and disc and pad changes and a plethora of other maintenance work. The work has been carried out either by Alfa Workshop or Autolusso, both of which specialise in Alfa Romeos.

In the 14 years that the vendor has owned the vehicle, he has completed a mere 30,000 miles in it. It served him faithfully as a daily driver up until 2019 where he opted to have the vehicle fully resprayed. This was a complete respray with all the original glass being removed prior. The front wings were replaced with two new genuine Alfa ones, with various trim pieces, badges and seals replaced too, ensuring that when it came out of the booth it looked as if it did 20 years ago.

Since that time the car has covered around 3000 miles and we are informed that when the Alfa was not being used, it was stored in a garage and only taken out to attend events or shows.

The following year, in 2020, the underside of the Alfa was undersealed to ensure that the under carriage is protected from road grime and other dirt and debris. Later on in 2022 the car was professionally detailed and ceramic coated, ahead of its magazine feature in Auto Italia.

The owner has added some tasteful modifications to the car, which include new Koni shocks and Eibach lowering springs, a CF2 exhaust manifold paired with a stainless steel Hayward and Scott exhaust system which allows the Alfa to sing a more tuneful note.

As you walk around the Alfa 156 GTA, it becomes very clear that a lot of time, attention and care has been taken to ensure that this car is presented at its absolute best. The Rosso paintwork looks fantastic in the light and has an incredibly deep and glossy shine to it. You can see from the images that it wants to do nothing but reflect. A good indicator that the paint has been looked after.

The paintwork appears to be free from your usual washing imperfections, and as far as we could tell there were no scratches to note.

The front end is relatively free from stone chips, and looks superb. The chrome centre piece that sits at the front of the bumper looks excellent, as does the Alfa Romeo badge. The trim that is present at the front and side of the front end looks to be in reasonable condition with no signs of the plastic trim fading from black to grey, that we saw.

As these cars become older, the headlights become susceptible to sun damage and start to fade and haze up, leaving the lenses looking yellow and generally a little worn. We are pleased to report that we saw no sign of this on either headlight, nor on the lenses at the rear of the vehicle.

The model designation badges look excellent and show no signs of pitting that we could see, although we are informed that these were replaced with genuine ones during the respray process so that would be why.

The GTA variants of the 156 featured a more aggressive bodykit over the standard variants. A front air dam and lower front spots linking to the wider front wings. The side skirts along the sills are vented, whilst the tail section of the car features twin tailpipes and an extractor fin, which helps draw air away from the front. Needless to say, the complete package looks remarkable. We did notice a small imperfection on the nearside front wheel arch but other than that the panel alignment and body lines look straight with no dents that we noticed.

The Alfa sits on 17" alloy wheels and look fantastic. Each wheel is finished in an Anthracite grey and show no signs of any curbing or stone chips that we saw. All four wheels have been wrapped in the finest rubber that money can buy - Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. Anyone that is slightly enthusiastic about driving enthusiastically will know that these tyres are some of the best on the market when it comes to offering grip.

The overall condition of this Alfa 156 GTA is stunning with no stone being left unturned to ensure it’s in excellent condition. As far as flaws go, there really is nothing to note. A small mark on the nearside front wing and perhaps a couple of stone chips here and there but nothing untoward.

Upon opening the door and stepping inside the Alfa, you’re instantly greeted with a cabin that is immersed in quality materials. The door cards present well with the leather free from any degrading that we noticed. There are some marks that we saw on the lower portion of some of the door cards. The leather is still tight and looks fantastic for its age. The front doors are fitted with Bose tweeters, which is a nice feature, especially if you appreciate good sound.

The front seats are presented in black leather and are in reasonably good condition. As is to be expected, the driver's seat shows a little more wear than the passenger side , with the leather starting to wear through on the outer bolster. Both front seats have an electric tilt function that works as intended. The rear bench looks to be in good condition with no signs of rips or tears that we noticed.

Carpet and headlining throughout the vehicle looks plush with no reports of damage or them going threadbare. GTA branded floor mats are present in the Alfa.

The instruments and dials within the cockpit are working as they should do. The centre console features 3 integrated gauges as well as an assortment of interior comfort options such as climate control and air conditioning. The vendor reports that the air con isn't gassed and has a possible leak. The vendor informs us that everything electronically within the vehicle works with the exception of the FM radio stations not working on the original stereo. It is believed that this is due to a suspected fault with the signal amplifier. We are told that AM and CDs work.

The boot of the Alfa is just as well looked after as the rest of the interior. The original divider and retractable parcel shelf are in great shape with no imperfections that we could see. Furthermore, under the floor you will find a complete tool kit.

Generally speaking the overall condition of the interior is one that is representative and inline with the age and mileage of the vehicle. There is a small blemish to note on the outer bolster of the drivers seat but as far as imperfections go, that’s all we noticed.

The underside of the Alfa was recently subject to under-sealing and therefore the metal has been protected from salt and road grime for further years to come.

Accompanying the vehicle is the V5C plus a folder which includes receipts, MOTs and parts supply invoices, as well as the Auto Italia magazine in which the car is present on the front cover.

The Alfa comes with a comprehensive service history and fresh MOT. We are informed that the car has just been to Alfa workshop to have all the MoT advisories addressed as well as a new cam belt and engine mounts.

At around 60,000 miles the car was fitted with a Q2 differential and at 70,000 miles the car benefitted from a new clutch. We are informed that last year, the front callipers were rebuilt for the MoT with new Tarox discs and EBC pads being used.

In terms of servicing, there are a handful of stamps in the Alfa Romeo service book. We are informed that when oil changes have been carried out, either Valvoline VR1 or Selenium oil has been used.

The car is awesome. We may be slightly biased as we have a soft spot for anything that is in the shape of a fast estate, but all personal feelings aside, it’s a really well looked after example.

It is obvious from looking at the service history and the condition of the Alfa that is has been looked after meticulously by all of its owners. There are of course a few minor things that may need addressing, but find a 20 year old car that doesn’t. The new owner need do nothing other than turn the key drive away and enjoy the sound of the 3.2 V6 rumbling from the front.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Colchester. To arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.