You Can Buy An Alfa GT For Just Over £1000 And I'm Actually Quite Tempted
Alfa Romeo really does have a lot of making up to do. Sure, in the Giulia the Italian manufacturer now has a genuine BMW 3-series rival with a - shock horror - newly developed rear-wheel drive platform, but the era of shoddy Alfas we’re only just getting away from leaves a lot to be desired.
Case in point? The GT coupe. Under its handsome Bertone-penned flanks it’s essentially a rehashed, front-wheel drive 147 hatchback, a car derived from the 156 saloon, which itself sat on an old Fiat platform.
When I first passed my test I wanted one of these really badly, until I sat in one at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and experienced the laughably cheap-feeling cabin first hand. I do like the idea of the 3.2-litre ‘Busso’ V6 version, but the slow 2.0-litre ‘JTS’ petrol or 1.9-litre ‘JTDM’ diesel? Forget it.
However, when cars depreciate enough, they can become tempting propositions despite what you might have thought about them previously. And these non-V6 GTs are getting cheap: while the six-pots require a budget of £5000 and up, prices for other versions start as low as £1000 these days.
Yes, these aren’t the last word in handling and they’re hilariously slow (you’re looking at 9.6 seconds to 60mph for the 150bhp diesel for example), but as a pretty - potentially disposable - runaround for a little while? If I needed such a thing right now, I’d be tempted.
This one has done just under 100,000 miles, and is up for £1295. It is the diesel however, which has a habit of breaking. Expensively. So if you’re serious about buying one, maybe wait until a cheap JTS comes up. Either way, that’s a lot of car for £1295, isn’t it?
Comments
The GT(JTS) from my country are selling for $30,000 USD.
It’s almost to cry over by how cheap cars you have over there…
IT’S A GREAT CAR..when it works..
I own a 55 reg 1.9 diesel alfa GT. Yes, I had to replace the clutch and flywheel but it has now done 135k. It has its problems like most alas. Alfa’s, currently the back seat has an issue and the start up checks do not complete (flashing odometer) which the garage can not find the reason for. Having said that, when driving I have no issues. A little extra money sorts out that 0-60 in just under 10 secs. Remap the diesel and it does wonders for it. The engine is strong, alfa diesel engines normally are. I drive in town and motorway on the way to work, I do not drive slow and get about 43mpg. All in all, it is great and much underrated. Oh, I paid 2k for mine a little over a year ago and do not regret it one bit. The clutch goes on all cars and it is over 10 years old so I can’t hold that against it.
That’s the initial purchase. You forgot to tell everyone about the massive repair costs that will follow.
Alfas are amazing cars when they run, sadly a lot of times they don’t.
Still, it could be a decent weekend car.
I have a 147 GTA and it has a lovely interior! Very similar to the GT. Friends with new vw golf r’s prefer it over their own cars so not too bad for a 4000 pound car
Wow, you totally missed the point of these cars geez
“Hilariously slow”? My car takes 15 seconds to 60mph and i’m already happy with that, imagine under 10 seconds
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