Owning an Alfa Romeo GT Junior

Mike Ianucci explains, ‘It’s an original righthand-drive car, bought by the Guinness family in 1973 and kept for more than 40 years, mostly garaged, before they sold it to their gardener who in turn sold it to me. It’d only done 35,000 miles from new. It’s a very tactile car to drive with superb handling and is quite addictive.’

‘Parts availability is very good, because there are lots of Alfa specialists in the US where you can source most parts. The Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club and blogs are also good sources of information for any issues and advice.

‘It’s reliable, will cruise happily at high speed and is easy and cheap to service. In eight years I’ve only had to replace the battery (£90) and starter motor (£120). I service it myself and budget approximately £300 per year for running costs.

‘The 1600 GT Junior is closer in spirit to the GTA model – it’s lighter than the 1750GTV and its engine is free revving.’