1978 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super

Ardeshir Mattini bought this example a little over a year ago, from a private individual who buys and restores Alfas as a hobby. “I fell in love with it,” he explains. “I love the shape; everyone raves about Junior Coupes, but I personally think the shape of the Saloon is more striking. And they’re practical too, with a room for four adults and a large boot space.”

There is however one fly in the Aredeshir’s ointment; his wife isn’t quite so enamoured. “She’s Russian and says that it reminds her of a Lada, but personally I like those too; she also hates the noise that the engine makes and the fact that you can smell the petrol as you drive it.”

Those are, of course, two of the prime reasons why enthusiasts love these delectable little cars, and in fact Italian (and other classic) cars of the era. “I have a second reason for selling: an upcoming tax bill,” adds Aredeshir. “If it wasn’t for those two reasons then it wouldn’t be going. It’s a shame, as I’ve only driven briefly due to the situation over the last year.”

So there we have it, we have a combination of the vendor’s wife and the great British taxman to thank for this lovely car coming onto The Market. First registered on January 2, 1978, it started out life as a Super Nuova but was modified during restoration with the earlier aerodynamic bonnet, boot lid and stainless-steel grill; it’s also fitted with some Alfaholics goodies, including 15” GTA style alloy wheels.

This car’s paint finish is deep – see yourself in it, deep. It’s been beautifully done and polished up as here, black is a difficult colour to beat. Panel fit looks spot on, which is important on a car with so many subtle styling cues. All gutters, sills and panel seams remain supremely clean.

As mentioned, the less loved later Nouva plastic grill has been removed and its looks backdated for a much more pleasing appearance. Bumpers have also been removed, and these combine with the Alfaholics’ GTA-style alloys, to lend it a sportier aesthetic.

Believe us (not Ardeshir’s wife) when we say that this is not a car that you’ll tire of admiring. It wears its front registration plate Alfa side-style, and there’s a cheeky cloverleaf badge added to its squared off derriere.

Remaining brightwork is good and all alloys remain unmarked. The latter are shod in Continental EcoContact 6 185/60 R15 rubber with plenty of remaining tread.

It must be said that the interior is a very nice place; you get a full tan leather interior (including door-cards), lovely woodwork and fresh carpets. That sounds like a rather mundane description, because the reality is entirely satisfying.

There are few better places to be than sat in an Alfa 105, with a three-spoke wooden steering wheel and gearstick (set at a dapper 45 degrees in a deliciously curved centre column) both to hand. Factor in chrome rimmed Veglia Borletti gauges and it’s a big thumbs up all round.

The headlining has a few light stains at some of its outer extremities but they’re not too untoward, and it’d be relatively easy for a good trim shop to replace it if the next owner wanted to.

Pop the boot lid and you’ll find it very nicely trimmed inside. Lifting the carpet reveals a matching alloy wheel.

“It doesn’t have the same capabilities a modern car,’ says Ardeshir. “But it drives beautifully; the engine is glorious; the gearbox shifts even better than my ’78 Porsche 911 (which I bought at the same time) and the brakes are superb. I drove it from West London up to Abingdon; it didn’t miss a beat and was a pleasure to drive.

“The next owner won’t have to worry about anything,” says Ardeshir. “It’s great, simply switch on and enjoy the drive – they’ll also be surprised by just how nice it is.”

We’ve subsequently had it our for multiple spins and can confirm it’s a really good ‘un – in fact, scratch that it’s absolutely lovely. The only thing Ardeshir missed out, was that the chassis is lovely and supple on all British roads, but best sampled on the tight and twisty stuff. Oh, and it sounds properly rorty in true Alfa fashion breathing through twin Solex carburettors, with a complementing raspy exhaust note (watch our video for a brief aural sample!).

During restoration the brakes, steering, propshaft and suspension were all dealt with, as was the gearbox. The latter benefitted from a full rebuild last year at considerable cost and is particularly nice to use, with no 2nd gear issues evident at all (ropey ones will crunch going in and jump out once there!).

A quick look underneath is reassuring, as it reveals a solid and well-protected underside and fresh-looking suspension and steering components.

In the history file you’ll find a large number of invoices showing the significant amounts that have been spent getting the Alfa to its current superlative state.

These show that the majority of works were carried out around 2014 and 2015, including: £6899.69 for the body repaint at Blackwood Automotive Repair Ltd, Gwent; £1564 and £862.73 for a variety of parts, including new Alfaholics main bearing, big end and little end bearing, chain links, track rods, brake calipers, piston rings and an engine gasket set. The head was also skimmed during this time.

Dennis Vessey & Co of Nort Lincolnshire rebuilt restored the propshaft and replaced the gearbox and engine mountings, as well as fitting a Lumenition ignition system around the same time.

In more recent years, Motorcare of Somerset rebuilt the gearbox with new synchros, sleeves and seals with a used Layshaft assembly in May 2020, at a cost of £1051.55 – also fitting a new clutch slave cylinder. Alfaholics 7x15” alloys were sourced at a cost of £1154.40 (including tyres) and new carpets and interior components came from Classic Alfa for (£414.90).

Other invoices can be perused for a full picture of all monies outlaid on the vehicle. It has a current MOT certificate that runs until 26/07/21.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored and maintained to the very highest of standards.

This lovely little Alfa has clearly had the right amount of money spent on it, and in the right places, because it’s a lovely little thing. The 1.3-litre twin-cam engine will never set the world on fire, but as anyone in the Alfa know (knows) that, just as in the Junior Coupe, it’s a supremely sweet unit that thrives on high revs – and that means FUN.

It's been restored very well and still presents exceedingly sharply and the Black exterior/Tan interior colour combo is, for us, one of the most evocative permutations that can be had.

We think it’ll ship for somewhere between £20,000 and £30,000, which when you factor in a sharp, tight and thoroughly on the button driving experience means that satisfaction for the next owner is almost certainly guaranteed.

Bella machina.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.