2001 Alfa Romeo GTV V6 24V Lusso

Owner Mark has had this gorgeous late-production Alfa Romeo GTV V6 since August 2018. ‘I bought from a guy who’d had the car for a long time,’ he remembers. ‘He was a real Alfa enthusiast. He really cherished it and it shows in the work he had done.’ Mark points to a bespoke Italian exhaust he bought and had fitted. Talking about his own viewpoint he adds; ‘I love the design of the car.’ Mark is himself a designer and has used the car sparingly in the summer months for days out with the kids (those back seats keep that design house look quite practical), as well as going to the odd car show and meet-up.

‘When I bought it, I immediately took it for a cambelt change,’ he points out. ‘Not so much because of the mileage as the time between changes. It didn’t need it, but it gave me peace of mind.’ It also had a new water pump. Mark also had the car undersealed - ‘though it was always very solid underneath. It’s only done 56,000 miles.’

The Alfa also has only three owners recorded on the log book. Its purchase invoice notes that it was supplied with a factory sunroof, upgraded interior trim (you’ll love it when you see it), and electric seats (both sides).

Mark has always garaged the car (as did the previous owner) and the Alfa also comes with a car cover.

The angular little coupé is in excellent shape. It sports quite a subtly complex shape - the profile of many panels often not quite what they first appear - plus all those sharp-edged folds in the metal. In more tired examples ‘something’ can seem off without you exactly knowing what, but in this car, all those lines and intersecting planes line up exactly as they should.

Even inspecting and photographing the Alfa on a rainy day, the quality and gloss of the paint finish shone through, looking good both from a distance and close-up. The silver paintwork is consistent and smooth across all panels and materials, showing no signs of corrosion. Nor is there any sign of discolouration or corrosion in the contrasting window surrounds, which retain a deep black colour. There is a small scuff to one - on the corner at the passenger side B pillar.

There are no superfluous adornments to the body - save for the badges and model numbers - all of which are in very good order.

Also reassuringly, the often tell-tale areas in joins in materials, angles in metals and the gaps between bodywork and window frames - corners, grooves and edges - all these are clean and stain free. As Mark said, the car has obviously been garaged, and kept clean with no residue allowed to build up anywhere. It must have also been driven and parked carefully - the paint at the bottom corners of the doors is intact, and the outer edges of the mirrors are scratch free.

There are, of course, a few scuffs; some small scratches to the top layer of paint in the panel join near the rear number plate, and a chip to the corner of the plastic vent surround on the driver’s side of the front apron. But, as you can see, these are very minor points on a car that presents exceedingly well.

Even with an exterior as good as it is, one of the signature features of this car has to be its interior - both in colour combination and condition. The first thing that strikes you on opening the doors is the rich and vivid colour of the leather; red with black inserts. It was probably one of the best interior colour combinations available - and very nicely set off by the silver paintwork.

The hide has been very well taken care of. On all surfaces - seats, doors and dash, the leather and plastics retain all of their colour - no sun bleaching and no discernible wear to the seats. Bolsters are firm, stitching tight - and intact all the way around, and the embossed crests in the seat backs as crisply outlined as when the car left the factory.

The carpets too have been very well kept - perhaps one or two very small frays to an edge on a mat - but no holes or stains. Again, it’s the edges, crevices and joins - always clean and tidy - that suggest gentle use and care. As do the gear stick - with a very smart looking gaiter - and the three-spoke Alfa steering wheel. Neither show discolouration or scratches to the surface.

The door handles; quite chunky pieces (as are the complete door panels) look similarly robust and clean. Looking further around the doors allows you to see just how good the rubber door seals are; in excellent condition; supple, with no cracks or tears. (Don’t mistake the rain settling on the rubberised plastic for wear). On inspecting the door cavities, you’ll see clean metal and non-creaking hinges. This area might not be quite up to concours standards, but its presentable and very serviceable.

Really a beautiful cabin.

When you take a look underneath the Alfa, you’ll easily believe that this has been a fair weather driver only. The suspension appears strong and in good order. The dampers look very healthy, as do those red brake callipers. Hoses and cables look supple and split-free. There is some light surface corrosion to components (including a trace on the edge of a seam), though all moving parts look eminently serviceable and no structural components are in any way compromised by rust or damage.

Looking under doors, the plastic strips and paintwork under there looks good. Under the low chin spoiler there is some very understandable scuffing (no corrosion). while an inspection of the wheel wells reveals perhaps one (small) fingernail’s-worth of surface corrosion to an edge.

The wheels themselves look similarly good, giving a fine overall impression with only a few small scuffs to edges of the alloys. The bosses each boast an Alfa crest, with no cracks and a small blemish to only one (front driver’s side). The tyres certainly appear to have a lot of life left in them.

Lifting the bonnet reveals a workmanlike engine bay - not pristine, but looking as if everything is very serviceable and in good working condition.

The block and manifolds look pretty clean and sturdy, and the clean and crisp-edged heat shielding suggests there have been no heated arguments between the V6 and its rather cosy engine bay. Tubes, ducting and cabling all stand up to inspection - no cracks, nothing perished, all starting and ending where they should and held in place by clips and guiders that are themselves intact and robust-looking.

Seams, brackets, suspension towers; all inspire confidence in their condition and ability to carry on for many a mile, and there is nothing to suggest there have been any significant leaks. The under-bonnet soundproofing is clean and the struts strong.

The GTV comes with a good sheaf of papers that back up what’s been said about the car. There is a receipt (and instructions) for that Italian after-market exhaust and a collection of MOTs and tax discs, which back up the mileage claim. The car has had good servicing evenly spaced throughout its life (rather than a lot of remedial work in the last few years). Invoices show regular oil changes and a cambelt service in 2012. There was a thorough brake and suspension service (new discs) in 2017 and, of course, that further cambelt change when Mark acquired the car in 2018.

Many owners would have considered their intended mileage and not bothered, so it’s nice to find a keeper who looks to the car’s deeper care.

‘I’ve not done many miles with the car, but it’s always been serviced by Alfatech in Huddersfield. Everything needed has been done.’ Mark has also been conscious of maintaining driving it; ‘to keep it happy.’

We reckon this is one happy Alfa.

This car has all the elements anyone looking for any classic/youngtimer should want; excellent (original) condition, sensible use, diligent upkeep - and a paper trail to prove it. In practical terms, it’s a stunning driver’s car; power, handling - ‘that’ engine - and two-plus-two practicality. And in a one of the best colour combinations they made. What’s more, it’s such a striking, still fresh design (yet still quite practical) that more and more people are gradually waking up to.

So we think now is probably the time to be buying one of these and that this is definitely a very nice example to be looking at. With that in mind, we expect it to command between £5,000 and £7,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Brighouse, West Yorkshire; 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’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographer and author, to compile this listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.