1972 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV

As this is a 2000 GTV it’s an example of just 37,459 built between 1971 and 1976 (with a further 25 made in South Africa in 1977). Always relatively expensive and desirable machines, especially here in Britain where import taxes pushed their prices into a far more exclusive ownership range, the 105 coupes were seen as special right from the start.

There’s no history with this car so we’re unsure whether it’s an original UK car, but due to the cracks in the dashboard top and a lack of MoT history from the DVLA, we’d have thought that South Africa is a safer bet. Overall, it’s in very nice condition. At some point a previous owner has decided to deviate from standard on a few exterior details, but we think it suits this transformation well. It’s also easily returned to stock if it’s not to your taste.

The most obvious deviation is that colour change to a far more contemporary grey metallic. It looks great, though there’s evidence in several areas (petrol filler flap, bonnet sticker overspray, boot hinge and on the bulkhead) that this GTV used to be Rosso. That well-chosen grey shade also extends over the bumpers front and rear, taking the place of all that lovely factory chrome. There’s also evidence of the same under the black matte paint on the window surrounds – it’s peeling a little here and there.

The paint job appears to have been carried out to a relatively high standard, though there are a few areas that are less than perfect. There are some moisture bubbles peeking up under the paint on the nearside lip of the front wing/bonnet closing panel and a few more on the driver’s side front wing. There are a couple of scuffs and scratches around the bodywork but nothing overly ugly. The worst offenders are a pair of dents, one to the middle of the roof and the other to the nearside front wing; neither are large. There’s a very good set of Michelin Energy Saver tyres fitted all round to an equally fine set of Campagnolo (or good imitation) alloy wheels. There’s also a non-standard, high third brake light at the bottom of the rear window.

Overall, the cabin in this Alfa presents very well but a few areas could do with a little more work to make them tip-top. There’s a messy area of sound deadening and wiring visible just ahead of the gearchange in the centre console/heater area. The dashboard top is also quite heavily sun damaged and cracked (again hinting at a prolonged period in a hot climate). The headlining and seat fabrics both appear in excellent shape however, with just a tiny tear in the vinyl on the edge of the driver’s side lower bolster the only obvious sign of wear.

The Hellebore wooden dished steering wheel looks fabulous as do the black vinyl door cards. There’s some wear to the pedal rubbers, but though it’s light, we’d suggest that you could put a 1 in front of the recorded 23,057 miles on the odometer; but you never know, it might be genuine. Sadly, without the accompanying history, there’s no way to confirm one way or the other.

This is, of course, the most important area to check on any 1970s Alfa Romeo and we’re delighted to report that it appears to be good news. There’s some evidence of patch repairs (apparently good quality) to the floors and some more in the sill closing areas of the rear wheel arches, though both areas appear to have been professionally restored.

We’re not saying this car is rust free (what 50-year-old Italian coupe would be?) but it’s free of any obvious holes. There’s some light surface corrosion on the bottom of the front valance, especially obvious in the areas that meets the roll-bar supports. A considerable coating of Waxoil has been thoroughly applied underneath, though it’s clearly not excessive in order to hide anything heinous. The exhaust looks near new and is fittingly an Imsaf mild steel system, made in this car’s native Italy. There’s a light oil leak from the bottom of the differential and an oil mist to the bottom of the engine. While we’re in the sump area, there are a couple of broken and bent alloy fins here but they’re not compromising the sump.

The only obvious sign of corrosion is to the area around the drain plug in the spare wheel well. There’s further evidence of maintenance and restoration work on the underside with both the flexi front brake lines and the copper solid rear lines looking near new. In addition, it appears as though the rear axle has been dropped recently as its fixings appear pleasingly fresh.

This is an easy one to fill in… there aren’t any. There’s a photocopy of the V5C (NOT THE ORIGINAL ITEM), however the originals are on their way to us here at The Market HQ. The only other bill is for the set of AWW 325K licence plates (which can be seen inside the car).

What this car lacks in history or standard appearance it more than makes up for in driveability and presence. That non-factory paint appears highly presentable and surprisingly in keeping with the character of this near 50-year-old Alfa Romeo. The interior is excellent and it’ll take little more than a dashboard swap to make it near perfect.

These hugely desirable Italian coupes are one of the true driver’s greats and due to that fact, and this car’s fine condition, we’ve no hesitation in placing a guide between £17,000 - £25,000 on this beautiful GTV. Our vendor is generously offering this car without reserve, so it will be on sale from the very first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. Our offices are open Mon-Fri 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. 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’.