1999 Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0 24v

First registered on the 31st of December and showing just one keeper, this stunning, low-mileage Alfa Romeo GTV is a genuine time-capsule example of a car you thought had passed you by.

With just 26,499 miles on the clock, this right-hand-drive, UK-spec car is fitted with the three-litre, 24-valve, V6 ‘Busso’ engine and six-speed manual gearbox, making it the perfect spec for the enthusiast whose priority is performance and driving pleasure rather than parsimony and fuel economy.

It is also an extraordinarily well serviced and maintained example with 13 stamps in the service history booklet over the years and no fewer than three replacement cambelts in that time.

Best of all, the vendor has sufficient faith in you lot to offer it with no reserve (I know…), so it’s going to sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

Finished in the classic Rosso Red, the GTV looks amazing. With factory-tight shutlines and perfect panel alignment that speak of a life gently led and with no horror stories to tell, while the majority of the paintwork is believed to be original, as you can see from the invoices, has been sympathetically conserved over the years.

This work has included the bonnet and roof, which were repainted in 2014. The front and rear bumpers, plus the boot-mounted spoiler, were all refreshed in 2011, too to remedy the usual ‘pink’ paint fade. Interestingly, the boot lid still wears the supplying dealer’s decal, further supporting the owner’s claim that this is the extent of the work undertaken while it has been in his hands.

Recently machine polished, it gleams wonderfully. The light lenses, badges, and glazing is all good too, and it sports a recent set of numberplates as further proof of his fastidious nature.

Obviously, the 17” ‘teledial’ alloy wheels are in great shape being free of scuffs, scrapes and other damage. They’re well shod too, with 225/45ZR17 Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres on all four corners.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The only significant flaw (other than the odd stonechip) is a 10mm scratch in the lacquer near the driver’s door lock (photo #) and a small chip in the windscreen (#150) – and that that is the worst we’ve got to say about it tells you everything you need to know about how good it really is.

The GTV’s interior is beautifully designed but even its most ardent advocates would struggle to argue that it ages well with most looking more Steve Bannon than Bill Nighy.

Not so here though because it has clearly been used as carefully over the years as it has infrequently. Hell, even the protective film on the centre console near the radio is still in place (#139).

This careful use manifests itself by way of only very gentle creasing to the black leather seats - and while the front ones are still as firm and supportive as ever, the rear seats are even better. In fact, they look barely used, which won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s tried to sit in them.

The heavily cowled dials ape those of classic Alfas of yesteryear, as do the rotary controls, air-vents and gauges in the centre console. The cabin is largely black except for a flash of alloy trim in the centre console and matching light grey headlining and carpet. It really is a delightful place to be and it all works every bit as well as it looks.

The original Alfa Romeo headunit is there too, and it connects to the outer world via an electric aerial. The boot is just as clean as the rest of the car and is home to the space-saver spare wheel and OE toolkit.

Problems? Well, there is the odd small mark on the light grey carpets but we think they could probably be removed if they bother you. If it were ours, given the car has a set of overmats, we aren’t sure we’d worry unnecessarily about it.

The service history booklet is extraordinarily well stamped, showing the following:

• 02.08.00 and 5,471 miles – service by Desira Norwich

• 08.08.01 and 7,496 miles – service by Desira Norwich

• 21.08.02 and 10,279 miles – service by Desira Norwich

• 22.09.03 and 13,617 miles – service by Desira Norwich

• 18.10.05 and 19,005 miles – service and a new cambelt and front discs and pads by Desira Norwich

• 21.11.06 and 21,456 miles – service by Desira Norwich

• 13.05.11 and 23,496 miles – service plus a new cambelt, water pump, and front and rear brake discs by Avanti Autos

• 14.04.12 and 24,197 miles – service by Avanti Autos

• 13.04.13 and 24,579 miles – service by Avanti Autos

• 31.03.14 and 24,986 miles – service by Avanti Autos

• 27.04.15 and 25,282 miles – service by Avanti Autos

• 25.04.16 and 25,459 miles – service by Avanti Autos

• 03.04.17 and 25,604 miles – service by Avanti Autos

• 09.05.18 and 25,732 miles – service and a new cambelt by Avanti Autos

The eagle-eyed will have noticed that there is a gap in the book between 2006 and 2011. However, the car continued to be looked after during this time including invoices for new front discs and pads at 01.02.2007 and 21,762 miles.

The most recent work, in May 2018, set the owner back £1,365 but then it did include a lot of minor fettling of bushes and linkages as well as a new cambelt, which the cognoscenti will appreciate it is big job.

The rear suspension components were also removed and shot-blasted before being painted and reassembled with new bushes, bumpstops, anti-roll bar linkages, coil springs and dampers, too; you, like us, are probably starting to appreciate just how pampered it has been.

The GTV was professionally undersealed by Avanti Autos in 2013, work that is still holding up very well. As you can see from the photos, the underside is extraordinarily clean and a credit to the firm for doing such a great job as well as the owner for looking after it so well.

The engine bay looks very fresh, partly thanks to all that careful maintenance and servicing over the years but also because the camcovers have been refurbished in Ferrari crackle finish. It’s a gorgeous engine anyway but the way it has been preserved and detailed really does allow it to shine.

And yet, it is anything but a static exhibit. As you can see and hear, it starts well, revs beautifully and sounds amazing thanks to the new stainless-steel Ragazzon tailpipe. In factory specification the V6 note is surprising subdued (despite what you might read on the Internet…), the upgraded exhaust allows the Busso V6 to really shine with a soft but menacing burble on tickover and a genuine howl at high revs.

The GTV’s MOT certificate is valid until September 2021. It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, the fully stamped service history, the complete book pack, and the soft vinyl storage wallet. It also has three keys plus the original red coded key.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

As we mentioned earlier, the Alfa Romeo GTV was showered with praise when it was new, gathering plaudits from muttering rotters around the world who quickly appreciated its lust for life and ability to put a smile on the face of even the most cynical of journos. It’s gioia di vivere, if you like.

It is also, many would argue, the last Alfa to do so before the firm began its inexorable decline into corporate blandness and PCP-dominated marketing.

The trouble with ‘em is though that good ‘uns are now few and far between – but when ones like this do some up, they generate an awful lot of interest among fans of Italian sports cars who thought they’d missed their chance to own a good one.

And this Rosso Red, V6-equipped one is not only a good ‘un but one of the very best we’ve ever seen.

Meticulously maintained and carefully curated since 1999, it is as close to a new example you’re likely to come across. Sure, you might see a delivery mileage example pop up in the future but that would be the wrong move because you’ll never be able to use it for fear of damaging its value.

A car like this, on the other hand, with only a couple of handfuls of miles and a sensational service history, frees you to use it without guilt – or fear that it’s going to leave you stranded because it’s had the right money spent on it in the right places and so is exactly where we’d put our hard-earned money if we were in the market for one.

The vendor is a sensible chap too, and knows that valuing a unicorn car like this is all but impossible, even for highly skilled experts like us. (Heh, don’t @ me: I was bullied into writing that…).

So, he’s done the pragmatic thing and is offering it without a reserve, so it’ll sell from the very first bid. If we were to make a guess, we suspect the virtual hammer will drop somewhere between £9,000 and £15,000 but that’s nothing more than a WAG because we can see this drawing an awful lot of interested bidders.

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.