I wanted something different and got bored of my old Audi when I saw more or less every other guy in the car park getting out of one in the morning. Alfas are a bit more of a driving enthusiast car anyway, which I would say I am.
The Alfa Romeo GTV does come with some nasty surprises in the shape of numerous little failures, but seldom things that will stop it from actually driving. That's the good thing about Alfas, they take a kicking and keep ticking, or they seem to give themselves a kicking. Anyway I got mine used in 2005 and had a fair bit of work done, but I would say it's reliable cos it doesn't just die. And this is an Alfa, you're not getting it for the reliability! It's mostly just electrical stuff anyway, cheap fixes, often don't even need a new part.
The engine itself in the Alfa Romeo GTV is completely flawless, shows no signs of age, always comes on with a pleasing roar, and shoots away from a standstill. Zero to 60 feels much faster than the 8 seconds or so that it's supposed to be.
The driving position probably has a lot to do with that. You're good and low down, the shocks are tweaked just to give you plenty of a sense of what's going on on the road, and although it's solid enough to let you feel what's going on and be close to the road, it's still actually really comfortable in the Alfa Romeo GTV. I've driven more or less the length of the country in it a couple of times and it's been a treat all the way.
It's not too snobby either. I especially like the way that in amongst all the fancy interior stuff (which is very fancy btw) there's a regular sized slot for the radio, not one of these ones that's completely designed into the car. I've changed it a couple of times and I love that it's adaptable like that.
What I mean is that it's not a passenger's car! The Alfa Romeo GTV is a dream come true for anyone who loves driving and wants a cheap and fairly trouble free route to hugely enjoyable stints on the road, but it's no fun for passengers, especially back passengers, who get so little head and leg room it's not very nice.
The original suspension was a little on the stiff side for my ageing bones. I'm sure it's fine for younger drivers, and I'm also sure it gives a better driving experience, more 'feedback' as they say.
But the Alfa Romeo GTV just shook my joints a little more than they wanted shaking, so I got the shocks replaced and now it's a little more sedate, but much more comfortable.It's still got most of the same abilities, just less destructive of my hips.
I should warn any ladies out there (and I should probably say some men too) that the Alfa Romeo GTV is a pig and a half to park. The visibility out the rear is extremely poor, very restricted.
Personally I've got used to it, although there is still some guesswork sometimes and I do often take a very long time to park straight. One of the benefits of being retired I suppose, but it could get frustrating if you're busy generally. The turning circle is also very large. This parking business is the only reason I've marked down the handling. When you're actually driving, the handling is superb.
I got this when I landed a job in London and had a commute from Bedford. I wanted something to make the drive a bit more pleasurable, so I shopped around for a sports car. To my Italian parents delight I bought an Alfa Romeo GTV.
The GTV looked too good to pass by really, and it seems relatively sensible and practical. I mean relatively, this is a market of daft cars for daft people, but our little girl could sit in the back fine, which was more than I could say for some others.
The boot is a bit silly though, and if I ever have to carry merch around for work then like as not it goes on the back seats. I'm guessing they've measured it to fit a set of golf clubs in, I think that's the standard! But that's about it.
My Alfa Romeo GTV came new and I did buy the extra warranty, which I'm glad about as I've had a fair few problems over the years. It's mostly been to do with the electricals, things like warning lights and regulators messing about. It hasn't made me late for work yet but I have had it towed home from work four times (in as many years, so not that bad).
After that warranty expired I didn't bother with the main dealers anymore and went straight to a local guy who knows all about Alfas. I source any parts I need online (he tells me what I need, and I just pay for the labour).
Dunno how I've got this far without saying what an awesome car the Alfa Romeo GTV is to drive. You'd probably think I would get sick of it after such a shaky experience, but it just steals you away, you can't help but love it. The growl, the look of it, the looks from other people, and zipping away from the lights, it never gets boring, it's just a perfect package. Well not perfect, but fantastic.
I suppose these are quite rare now. We had our Alfa Romeo GTV for about fifteen years, from the late 80s to the early naughties. It was a gem, really exciting to drive. I've rated the handling and performance highest for that reason, and really those two things helped me to keep loving it, despite everything else.
By that I mean numerous mechanical jobs. I don't recall them all, I'd need a very good memory for that! But I do recall our Alfa Romeo GTV being in the garage at least once a month, and me fiddling about with this and that in between visits.
Things like the cam belt tensioner, shocks, bushes, those sorts of things, the kinds of repairs that aren't really fatal but keep the repair bill at a steady high.
We got the Alfa Romeo GTV when we didn't even have kids, and we had it right through their childhoods, but when they got to about 15 or so it became too cramped in the back for them. It's not all that roomy back there, and so by that point we bought a family car.
Soon after it became obvious that the only reason we had the Alfa Romeo GTV was so that dad could drive it to golf games (all my gear did fit in that little boot, just!), so we sold up in the end. Nice car, excellent to drive, just not the most reliable, or the second or third most reliable...
I was married to an Italian woman and the Alfa Romeo GTV reminds me of her. Stylish, beautiful and powerful, but unreliable and unpredictable. A bit of a crass analogy there but I think it stands. The Alfa Romeo GTV is a bit of a design classic in my opinion. It really looks stunning. But I had so many problems with mine that I eventually got rid of it.
The rear suspension a problem in a lot of these, I understand, and mine was no exception. It cost a lot to sort that out. The interiors started to fray after a while, too, and I looked into having those replaced but decided against it as it would have cost the earth. And then there was the rust.
But the engine makes the car feel like a real sports model and the sound it makes is unreal. I think the Alfa Romeo GTV is really better for a quick fling than long-term ownership. Before it starts falling apart it really is great fun