1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0

‘A909 UWN’, or Sofia as she’s more informally known, started life as a factory 2.5-litre but “it has had a full engine and transmission swap, a suspension upgrade, and many other modifications”, making it “a really special example of a driver’s GTV6.”

Repainted and refurbished in 2017-18, the car’s previous owner took it on a European road trip immediately after completion, covering 4,000 miles in a month without fault – and the work has stood the test of time as it was chosen to represent the GTV model on the Alfa Romeo Owners Club stand at the NEC Classic Car Show in November 2024, six years after being completed.

We can do no better than to quote the owner on the subject of the GTV’s bodywork:

“The bodywork was fully restored in 2018 by Alex Jupe Motorsport, the firm many would argue is the leading UK Alfa transaxle specialist. (He’s also the registrar of the GTV6 Register of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club.)

All the trim, glass, and the sunroof were removed before having any areas of rust treated. New metal was fabricated and welded in as required, along with aluminium wheelarch liners, something enthusiasts see as a ‘must-have’ item on these cars.

“The car was fully repainted in its original shade of AR762 Silver over AR649 Grey, including the front and sides of the engine bay. A full Dinitrol 4941/CAR underbody wax was applied, and all internal cavities have been treated with Dinitrol ML and 1000 cavity waxes.

“As a result it’s still in an excellent condition, including the headlamp inner sections that do not display the usual rust. The headlamps are new OEM units too, and they are as rare as hens’ teeth. New door seals were fitted in 2019, and the entire body was professionally ceramic coated with Supaguard in 2023.”

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed its stance, which is slightly lower than normal but as perfectly judged as everything else. This is due to the installation of an AJM fast road handling kit that comprises custom rear springs, an adjustable front anti-roll bar, 105 Series caster ball joints, adjustable Spax dampers, and a revised geometry.

Nor does the chassis tuning end there because the alloy wheels are the rare OEM ‘Ronal A1’ factory option. Not only are they hard (and expensive) to find, this set is free of scrapes, dinks, and other parking damage.

The wheels are fitted with three Continental Conti Sport 2 tyres, with the nearside rear being an Kumho Ecsta. This non-matching tyre is due to the Continental it was fitted with having picked up a nail.

Together the wheel and suspension “transform the handling, which is pin sharp whilst maintaining a comfortable ride.”

The exterior plastics are as sharp as the handling being glossy black and free of scuffs and other damage – and this includes the vulnerable front spoiler.

As for the sunroof, as you’ll have guessed by now not only does it fit neatly in its aperture, it also slides fore and aft as it should.

Oh, and the seller’s clearly of the opinion that it’s not enough to have good badges, they must also be accurate, which is why the one on the boot lid reads ‘GTV6 3.0’.

As for work you might want to do, the offside rear lamp unit has light cracks that seem to be a result of UV damage, with the nearside being much less patinated. The offside outer headlamp bezel isn’t as good as the rest either but that’s all the problems we could see.

The interior is very sporty and very Italian; featuring soft but supportive bucket seats that are trimmed in black and white pinstripe velour, the driver also gets to enjoy a fat, leather-rimmed, three-spoke Momo steering wheel and an impressive array of square Veglia instrumentation that relay all the information any driver could need.

It’s all in an excellent condition too, both cosmetically and in condition: “all the switches and buttons work and are in good order, including the heater and windows.”

The three passengers all get their very own bucket seats, so they’ll be cosseted on long journeys and held nice and snug when the pace picks up; Alfa did a great job of balancing the two competing demands in the first place, while subsequent owners have done a great job of maintaining their condition.

Other nice design flourishes include netting headrests, a square-topped cigarette lighter, a ‘GTV6 Speciale’ badge, and a cloverleaf-green fan switch.

The door cards, carpets, and headlining are all good too, as is the commodious boot that’s large enough to turn this highly-effective sportscar into an equally effective grand tourer.

If we’re being picky then the switch for the driver’s window is slightly more worn than the rest of the controls. The handle for the sunroof has yellowed too and the headlining is a little grubby, but the fact we’re mentioning any of these things shows how good everything else is.

More urgent – but this is a matter of degree, you understand – is the spot of rust on the offside boot shut near the hinge plus an equally small area of corrosion where the washer fluid pipe sits on the nearside.

(But you do get a boxful of spare by way of compensation.)

Apart from the suspension modifications that we discussed earlier, the Alfa also benefits from a three-litre V6 engine taken from an Alfa Romeo 75. This is mated to a five-speed gearbox and limited-slip differential that was supplied by a two-litre 75, keeping it nicely in the family.

The work was done in 2006 but the quest for a little more top-end power saw the heads being removed and tuned in 2019. They were stripped, gas-flowed, and reassembled with new valves and guides, Colombo & Bariani fast road camshafts and followers, a new camshaft drive belt, and new fuel and coolant hoses.

The GTV6 also received a tubular exhaust manifolds, a new Ansa Sport twin tailpipe and a straight-through CSC centre exhaust section in the same year (“which produces a wonderful soundtrack!”) plus a new fuel pump and starter motor.

The gearbox was rebuilt in 2018, and this work included new Isostatic gear linkage components, an inspection of the propshaft, and a new rear donut.

The car is also fitted with the three-litre 75’s power steering system. Hydraulically powered, “it makes a huge difference with low-speed manoeuvring, without detracting from the steering feel at higher speeds.”

As the video shows, the three-litre V6 fires into life with its characteristically gruff note. It idles nicely too, and it does so with good oil pressure. It revs as well as it should too, and the office is split as to whether they prefer the engine or the exhaust note.

As for faults, the speedometer joins the rev counter in doing a happy dance when the Busso V6 is revved. This may or may not bother you.

The engine’s bays cosmetics reflect both vast expenditure and careful maintenance. Clean and featuring replacement decals, we can’t imagine many folk feeling the need to improve it further.

The underside looks good, with clean replacement parts visible and some nicely applied underseal. As is almost always the case there are a few small areas that would benefit from being wire-brushed and resealed, but these are limited.

Despite being correctly registered as an historic vehicle and therefore exempt from the annual ordeal, the Alfa has an MoT certificate that is valid until June 2025.

The good news continues as the recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with an original Alfa GTV6 tool box and instruction manual.

The history file, which is said to be two-inches thick, dates back to 1994 and includes a photo record of the 2017/18 renovation by Alex Jupe Motorsport, correspondence about the car, and a detailed invoice history with bills totalling just over £40,000 – of which more than £30,000 has been incurred since 2018.

In addition to being displayed on the club stand last year, the car has also been featured in the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) magazine as well as videos for the Classic Car Show.

With an estimate of between £18,000 and £23,000, this is your chance to buy the Alfa Romeo GTV6 you thought you’d never find.

In fact, this is your chance to buy an Alfa Romeo GTV6 you probably didn’t even know existed until recently; subtly upgraded while maintaining the integrity of the core design, this is a GTV6 tribute that goes faster and harder than anything that left the factory production line.

And it’s no ‘under-the-arches special’ either because it was built by the best in the business using an almost money-no-object budget.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.