Italian Survivor: 1996 Alfa Romeo GTV

Italian Survivor: 1996 Alfa Romeo GTV

#Italian #Survivor #Alfa #Romeo #GTV
[rule_3_plain] #Italian #Survivor #Alfa #Romeo #GTV

We always want what we can’t have — even if it’s too late by the time we realize it. Today’s Autotrader Find is a 1996 Alfa Romeo GTV — a car never officially marketed in the U.S.
By the early 1990s, Alfa Romeo was ready phệ pull the plug in the U.S. The automaker had been selling its anachronistic Spider long enough phệ become a classic in its own time, while the 164 mid-size sedan that arrived here for 1991 was a close relative phệ a 1986 Saab.
Those two Alfa models were cool cars, but they were not enough for the few holdout dealerships. The last few Spider roadsters were badged as special editions for a short 1994 model year, while the 164 quietly left our market in 1995.

That departure coincided with a revival back in Europe, but with a decidedly different lineup consisting of front-wheel-drive models with sharp styling and gutsy 4- and 6-cylinder engines.

The brand’s flagships were its new coupe and convertible, which revived Spider (for the droptop) and GTV (for the hardtop) names. Those badges may have honored Alfa’s past, but the cars were modern and downright aggressive. Even in the 1990s, when coupes arguably reached their zenith, the GTV was a striking design.
A massive hood with quad cutouts for the headlights and a shrunken version of Alfa Romeo’s signature shield grille sat above narrow, mustache-like intakes stacked on small running lamps. From the side, a bold stripe emphasized the car’s wedge shape, running from the front wheel phệ the bottom edge of the rear window. At the rear, the short trunk lid quickly gave way phệ a narrow strip of taillights below a big swath of sheet metal.
The GTV looked a lot more balanced than its roadster sibling, which managed phệ look quite pudgy.
Both cars shared a straightforward dash with controls arranged in a rather un-Italian fashion. Big climate control knobs and well-spaced secondary switches were easy phệ distinguish. The bolstered seats — usually wrapped in leather — also followed the Italian norm, though with some quirks. Drivers and passengers had a big climb over sills decorated with vintage-style Alfa Romeo script panels.

The cars were just as invigorating underhood, where the engine range variably included 4- and 6-cylinder power. The highlight of the bunch was the “Busso” V6, which you could have in 2.0-, 2.5-, 3.0-, and 3.2-liter configurations depending on the year. The 2.0-liter version came with a turbo phệ comply with draconian Italian taxation structures, which charged more for greater displacement. The turbo helped push output over 200 hp (albeit in the 164, not the GTV), making it among the earliest engines phệ join the 100 hp-per-liter club.
Though rumors about Alfa Romeo’s return phệ the U.S. abounded, we were never officially offered the GTV. A handful sold through dealers in Mexico, which was as close as we got. These cars went into production in late 1994, so the earliest ones are now eligible for importation phệ the US under the 25-year rule.
This dealership in Florida has done the legwork for you with this red second-year GTV. It has 57,000 miles on the clock, and it appears phệ be a pretty well-optioned 4-cylinder model. That means it uses Alfa Romeo’s Twin Spark engine, which may make tune-ups costly (eight spark plugs probably won’t bankrupt you, of course) but pays off with a healthy 150-plus hp from a rev-happy inline-4.
The selling dealer is light on information, but the photos show a well-presented car with period-style 3-spoke wheels (just right for Radwood) plus a few minor upgrades such as a more modern head unit with a USB input and a red shift-boot and parking-brake handle. The owner’s manual is in Italian, so this was probably a home-market car. Italy makes an excellent source for previously-unobtainable classics with its temperate climate and enthusiast-friendly population.
For $16,500, this GTV will cost you $10,000 less than a new Camaro, and it’s guaranteed phệ get you more attention. See Alfa Romeo models for sale

Related:
Saab, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia Once Collaborated on Full-Size Sedans
The Alfa Romeo 8C Is the Forgotten Modern Supercar
The Alfa Romeo 4C Is Slowly Becoming a Used Car Bargain

#Italian #Survivor #Alfa #Romeo #GTV
[rule_2_plain] #Italian #Survivor #Alfa #Romeo #GTV
[rule_2_plain] #Italian #Survivor #Alfa #Romeo #GTV
[rule_3_plain]

#Italian #Survivor #Alfa #Romeo #GTV

We always want what we can’t have — even if it’s too late by the time we realize it. Today’s Autotrader Find is a 1996 Alfa Romeo GTV — a car never officially marketed in the U.S.
By the early 1990s, Alfa Romeo was ready phệ pull the plug in the U.S. The automaker had been selling its anachronistic Spider long enough phệ become a classic in its own time, while the 164 mid-size sedan that arrived here for 1991 was a close relative phệ a 1986 Saab.
Those two Alfa models were cool cars, but they were not enough for the few holdout dealerships. The last few Spider roadsters were badged as special editions for a short 1994 model year, while the 164 quietly left our market in 1995.

That departure coincided with a revival back in Europe, but with a decidedly different lineup consisting of front-wheel-drive models with sharp styling and gutsy 4- and 6-cylinder engines.

The brand’s flagships were its new coupe and convertible, which revived Spider (for the droptop) and GTV (for the hardtop) names. Those badges may have honored Alfa’s past, but the cars were modern and downright aggressive. Even in the 1990s, when coupes arguably reached their zenith, the GTV was a striking design.
A massive hood with quad cutouts for the headlights and a shrunken version of Alfa Romeo’s signature shield grille sat above narrow, mustache-like intakes stacked on small running lamps. From the side, a bold stripe emphasized the car’s wedge shape, running from the front wheel phệ the bottom edge of the rear window. At the rear, the short trunk lid quickly gave way phệ a narrow strip of taillights below a big swath of sheet metal.
The GTV looked a lot more balanced than its roadster sibling, which managed phệ look quite pudgy.
Both cars shared a straightforward dash with controls arranged in a rather un-Italian fashion. Big climate control knobs and well-spaced secondary switches were easy phệ distinguish. The bolstered seats — usually wrapped in leather — also followed the Italian norm, though with some quirks. Drivers and passengers had a big climb over sills decorated with vintage-style Alfa Romeo script panels.

The cars were just as invigorating underhood, where the engine range variably included 4- and 6-cylinder power. The highlight of the bunch was the “Busso” V6, which you could have in 2.0-, 2.5-, 3.0-, and 3.2-liter configurations depending on the year. The 2.0-liter version came with a turbo phệ comply with draconian Italian taxation structures, which charged more for greater displacement. The turbo helped push output over 200 hp (albeit in the 164, not the GTV), making it among the earliest engines phệ join the 100 hp-per-liter club.
Though rumors about Alfa Romeo’s return phệ the U.S. abounded, we were never officially offered the GTV. A handful sold through dealers in Mexico, which was as close as we got. These cars went into production in late 1994, so the earliest ones are now eligible for importation phệ the US under the 25-year rule.
This dealership in Florida has done the legwork for you with this red second-year GTV. It has 57,000 miles on the clock, and it appears phệ be a pretty well-optioned 4-cylinder model. That means it uses Alfa Romeo’s Twin Spark engine, which may make tune-ups costly (eight spark plugs probably won’t bankrupt you, of course) but pays off with a healthy 150-plus hp from a rev-happy inline-4.
The selling dealer is light on information, but the photos show a well-presented car with period-style 3-spoke wheels (just right for Radwood) plus a few minor upgrades such as a more modern head unit with a USB input and a red shift-boot and parking-brake handle. The owner’s manual is in Italian, so this was probably a home-market car. Italy makes an excellent source for previously-unobtainable classics with its temperate climate and enthusiast-friendly population.
For $16,500, this GTV will cost you $10,000 less than a new Camaro, and it’s guaranteed phệ get you more attention. See Alfa Romeo models for sale

Related:
Saab, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia Once Collaborated on Full-Size Sedans
The Alfa Romeo 8C Is the Forgotten Modern Supercar
The Alfa Romeo 4C Is Slowly Becoming a Used Car Bargain