2001 Alfa Romeo GTV Cup

This car, with its splendid Y14 GTV registration, is a very fine GTV Cup indeed.

There, we’ve said it.

It is number 87 out of 155 RHD cars. That’s a figure that reflects its place in the build programme, not its quality. Judged on how it presents and drives, we’d say it’s more likely to be in the top 10.

Finished in Alfa Romeo Red with black/grey half leather upholstery, this GTV Cup is in first class condition and has the service history to back up its exquisite looks.

It starts, goes and stops precisely as Alfa’s engineers intended and any unwarranted creaks, groans, squeaks, rattles and whistles are reassuringly absent.

It feels tight, taut and properly screwed together. There are no rattles, whines, whistles or clunks when you’re out on the open road.

And it drives like a dream.

Go-kart handling and grip, a fast, slick gearbox, and a gloriously throaty engine that keeps on offering up power and torque right across the rev range. The non-standard Zenden quad-pipe exhaust system on this car gives even more richness and timbre to an already sumptuous V6 soundtrack, but without straying into anti-social territory.

This is a car that really does encourage you to press on a bit.

The vendor has owned the car for about a decade and has always kept it garaged.

In that time the car has travelled less than 10,000 miles, has attended a couple of Classic Le Mans meets and featured for a while as the poster car on the Hagerty classic car insurance website (the vendor’s son is a Director).

There are very few visible faults with this highly original vehicle and we will, of course, describe them for you in a moment.

We’re of the opinion that it would take someone with a magnifying glass, a deerstalker hat and a briar pipe to find anything of note.

The paintwork is in really good condition and the finish has an impressive shine and lustre to it.

Undoubtedly masters of creating pedigree sporting thoroughbreds for proper drivers, Alfa were also known, rightly or wrongly (but mainly rightly), for lagging behind their Teutonic counterparts in terms of build quality and attention to detail.

Well, we can only assume that Giuseppe and Luigi were on particularly good form when they made this one.

The angled, swooping flanks are formed from unblemished panels with good shut-lines and door gaps.

There are no dinks, dents, ripples, creases or folds of any note, save for a few scuffs to the paint on edges of the rear spoiler.

We have spotted a small area of peeling lacquer on the boot lid and a few stone chips around the front valance.

All the trim and badging is as it should be.

The wheels are in good condition overall, although there is some kerb rash in evidence on both n/s wheels.

The matching Michelin Pilot Sport tyres appear to have a decent amount of life ahead of them.

The good news continues on the inside, where you’ll find everything is functional, clean, unworn and in generally very good condition.

The leather/fabric seats are firm, comfortable and supportive, with only the lightest creasing visible anywhere.

The door cards, roof lining, dashboard and centre console are all in fine condition.

The carpets and mats are all good.

The only sign of wear visible anywhere is on the leather knob of the gear lever.

The boot is clean and tidy. Lifting the carpets here or anywhere else on this car reveals…no rust that we can see.

As far as we can tell, every knob, toggle, lever, flap, button and switch does what it’s meant to do.

The undersides of this vehicle give no cause for alarm or inducement to raise an eyebrow.

Everything appears to be solid and sound and as it should be.

Again, there is no proper rust to speak of anywhere, just the standard superficial bloom of rust dust here and there.

The engine bay is similarly devoid of anything to worry about. The centerpiece is, of course, that glorious V6, with its alluringly sparkly manifold pipes.

It’s evident from looking at and driving this car that it’s been well looked after and maintained by people who appreciate both its rarity and the powerful appeal of its thoroughbred ‘Alfa-ness’.

The car’s comprehensive and complete service history backs up this impression.

Alfa Motorvogue Northampton - 12076 miles - 12.7.03

Alfa Motorvogue Northampton - 16605 miles - 22.7.04

Alfa Motorvogue Northampton - 19091 miles - 1.3.05

Alfa Motorvogue Northampton - 22406 miles - 26.9.05

Alfa Motorvogue Northampton - 26879 miles - 12.4.06

Alfa Tech Luton - 31410 miles - 2.3.07

Alfa Motorvogue Northampton - 40800 miles - 8.6.10

Swan Garage Buckingham - 44756 miles - 25.6.12

Swan Garage Buckingham - 49703 miles - 5.9.16

Swan Garage Buckingham - 49876 miles - 7.9.17

Swan Garage Buckingham - 50410 miles - 1.9.20

The vendor has always kept the car on a trickle charger in a warm, dry garage.

The car comes with a dust cover, lots of keys (including the brown master key), manuals and handbooks, and a decent sheaf of bills, invoices, receipts and old MoT certificates.

It currently has an MoT certificate, with no advisories, valid until 11.9.21.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

If, after reading this and looking at the photographs, you’re still prepared to hold out in the hope of finding a superior low-mileage example of a RHD GTV Cup, then you’d better be prepared to play a very long game.

No, it’s not perfect.

Nothing is.

But, in our humble opinion, this is about as close as you can get without disappearing into the bottomless rabbit-hole of obsessiveness that is concours.

It’s really very, very good indeed.

We have the confidence to offer this exceptional car for auction with an estimate of £13,000 - £18,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular array of parts 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’.