2003 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA

This splendid 156 GTA has just 64,242 miles on the clock and has recently spent a decade laid up somewhere safe, warm and dry.

The fact that it has been carefully and considerately curated throughout its life is evident in its continued presence as a physical entity.

Most GTAs have long since reconstituted themselves into the base minerals and elements from which they were originally formed and are now small piles of oxidised dust on landfill sites.

So, our splendid low-mileage example is both a true survivor and, in this excellent and original condition, a real and appreciating rarity.

This car seems to us to be in excellent overall order.

We are told that it goes about its business with zest and purpose, happily getting a move on when asked, and nipping in and out of bends with all the Go-Kart-like balance, grip and accuracy for which the model was rightly lauded.

The car comes to us courtesy of a vendor who has left it in the care for many years with a highly respected business services, repairs and restores Alfa Romeo’s legendary ‘Il Mostro’ SZ and RZ cars.

So, as you may have gathered, the car has been in the immensely capable hands of a highly knowledgeable and experienced marque expert for quite some time now.

And it shows.
 

The bodywork on this 156 GTA is really very straight indeed and you’ll look in vain to find any dents, dimples or dinks of consequence anywhere.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are as consistent as Luigi and Giuseppe would have wished as they waved the car a fond arrivederci from the end of the production line in 2003.

The silver paintwork has retained plenty of time-defying shine and lustre and looks pretty good from every angle.

Naturally, being 22 years old, it’s picked up the odd smudge and blemish along the way, but they are generally more noticeable for their absence than their presence.

Anyway, it’s our job to be pernickety and find things to moan about, so here goes.

The lower edge of the front valance has, inevitably, picked up a few scuffs and scrapes over the years; there is a paint chip and scuff on the nearside of the bonnet; the passenger door wing-mirror housing has some scrapes and scuffs on its outer edge; and some of the exterior black trim has slightly faded to grey.  

The distinctive alloy wheels are broadly decent although there is some kerbing and scuffing in evidence here and there.

The tyres appear to have a reasonable amount of life left in them.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all largely beyond reproach, as far as we can see. 
 

The good news continues uninterrupted on the inside, where everything looks to be both remarkably original and impressively well preserved.

The black leather seats (winged buckets at the front, a moulded two-seat bench at the rear) with their Daytona-like ribbing are in very good order, with only the outer bolsters on the driver’s seat squab and backrest showing any signs of light wear.

As ever, the rear seats look as if they’ve rarely played host to anything heavier than a hat or a handbag.

Elsewhere, the leather trim on the door cards is undamaged and taut, as is the headlining.

The car’s carpets and GTA-branded mats are very good, too.

As far as we’re aware, all buttons, knobs, dials, gauges, switches and levers do as they’re told in a timely and obedient manner.

The boot is as good as the rest of it and contains a space-saver wheel, jack and tools. Lifting up the carpet in the boot or elsewhere on this car reveals…nothing whatsoever to worry about.
 

The very full engine bay is dry, orderly and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

And just look at the ‘Busso’ V6 masterpiece in front of you.

We could spend hours just gently stroking its polished chrome air intake pipes.

The undersides of the car reflect the fact that this car has been in the care of an Alfa expert for several years. They knows, as do we, that oxidisation is the car’s Achilles’ heel.

Consequently, they have assiduously tackled anything and everything that needed tackling, and spent the right amounts of time and money on treating the car to all manner of preventative and curative measures.

The results speak for themselves.

The undersides of this car look to be possessed of oodles of structural integrity and we’ve seen nothing to prompt a tut or frown on any level. 
 

The car comes with plenty of invoices, receipts and bills attesting to work carried out over the years.

It was last serviced by Alfa Aid on 7.10.25.

It has been the recent recipient of thorough underbody cleaning and the re-application of high-quality underbody, rust-kill and stone guard protection. And it has been the regular recipient of the same or similar treatments many times in the past – hence its excellent condition.

Recent work by Alfa Aid includes new clutch and brake fluids and the replacement of the o/s/f brake pipe.

The car’s belts were changed in June 2022.

It comes with a V5C, its books, manuals and radio codes, full sets of keys, and an MoT certificate, with no advisories whatsoever, that’s valid until 6th October 2026.
 

In an age of over-complicated, bloated, touch-screen-stuffed cars that only software engineers can understand, Alfa Romeo’s fine 156 GTA is a welcome blast from the analogue past.

This one is in excellent condition and has been lucky enough to be in the care of someone with the knowledge, skill and passion to keep it fighting fit and raring to go for many years to come.

One thing’s for sure: you’ll never grow bored of listening to the throaty burble of the 3.2-litre ‘Busso’ V6, still considered to be one of the best-sounding engines ever to grace the engine bay of a road-going vehicle.

We like it a great deal.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £7,000 - £10,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Reading, Berkshire. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.