ALFA ROMEO 1750 GTV

2023-01-01 -

Despite Brazilʼs World Cup hit-rate, our Italian striker – the Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV – looks unfazed by its glassfibre challenger. After all, its home nation had been taking tournament honours since before WW2, and as for Alfaʼs lineage – well, Scuderia Ferrari? So, while the GTV sits pretty, itʼs also sitting pretty bullish. And this Alfa is the real deal: a fully fledged Italian, no substitute required.

This original UK car was first registered in June 1968, making it a very early S1 ʻflat-frontʼ 105-series model. But the basic design, launched by the Giulia Sprint GT in 1963, would endure until 1977 under various mechanical guises and cosmetic changes. Penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone, the GTV was based around a shortened platform from the Giulia saloon. All 105s, no matter the engine capacity or variant, had all-alloy, twin-cam engines with twin carbs, delivering drive to the rear through five-speed gearboxes. All cars also had disc brakes front and rear – quite a coup for a ʻmainstreamʼ coupé in the ʼ60s – and a chassis using independent front suspension with double wishbones, and a live rear axle suspended by trailing arms and coils.

The 105ʼs was a groundbreaking design, but it wasnʼt until it received the 1779cc engine as the 1750 GTV that it grew wings. Producing 118bhp at 5500rpm and 137lb ft at 3000rpm, the little Alfa could hit 118mph and accelerate to 60mph in just 11.2 secs – especially impressive considering its ability to accommodate four in a relatively salubrious cabin. And there are few cabins like this classic Alfaʼs. You sit before a dished, wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel framing two large clocks for speed and revs (with a 6600rpm redline). Two more dials are angled towards you from the faux-woodtrimmed central stack, housing a gearlever that sprouts almost horizontally from it. Youʼre sitting in perhaps the most beautiful seats of any 1960s production car: deeply bolstered, with a ribbed design that puts you in mind of those from a Ferrari Daytona or a 246 Dino.

But the GTV is no show-pony. It feels highly strung from the off, needing a good prod of the floor-mounted throttle before the twin Webers clear their throats. From then on the engine is eager to rev, and you never feel inclined to give it less than 5500rpm between changes, dipping into that sonorous soundtrack time and time again. Throttle response is excellent and thereʼs a good slug of torque in the mid-range. The ride is firm – especially from that solid axle – but along with assuredly weighty and precise steering, you feel as if youʼre driving a car thatʼs been created by people who are as passionate about driving as you are. The same ones, in fact, who will be in floods of tears if the Alfa doesnʼt make it to the next round…