1967 Alfa Romeo GTV

Coupe

1.6L Twin Cam Four Cylinder

Manual

AR247733

Clear

Gasoline

Up for sale is a 1967 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce. This model is sometimes referred to as the "Step Nose" because of its distinctive lip at the front of the hood. This model could be called the first iteration of the "GTV" name, though later models are usually the ones associated with this connotation. These cars are known for their agility from (in this case) a 1.6L double overhead cam four cylinder engine mated to a synchromesh five speed transmission. They are also known for their wonderful handling and beautiful, simple Bertone lines. Compared to the later GTV models, the Giulia Sprint GT Veloces are somewhat rare. A total of 81,728 GTVs were produced (between the 1750 and 2000 models) but only 14,240 Giulia Sprint GT Veloces were made over their three year production run. Compared to the Giulia Sprint GT, the Veloce was still produced in fewer numbers with production numbers of the regular Giulia Sprint GT coming out to about 31,955 units total. In recent years, these Bertone bodied Alfas have started to climb in value. This particular model, the Giulia Sprint GT Veloce, has started to become more desirable in that it has the slightly older style lines compared to the GTV, but still feels a bit peppier compared to a regular, similar looking Giulia Sprint GT or a Junior. In the September 2014 issue of Sport Car Market, Stephen Serio wrote an article titled "Serio's Gang of Five $50k Buy-Nows". While he claims the cars are listed in no particular order, they are as follows: 1972-1974 BMW 2002 tii, 1965-1967 Porsche 912, 1963-1965 Buick Riviera, 1961-1973 Volvo 1800/1800 ES, and finally: the 1965-1968 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT/GT Veloce. His short blurb about the car is re-printed here:"1965-1968 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT/GT Veloce, with a heavy preference given to the step-nose cars. Worldwide production of approximately 14,240 units would prove this to be a very successful coupe for Alfa Romeo. Lots of focus has been paid recently to the rise in value of the same-era Alfa Spider, but I actually prefer the closed car. Non-red exterior and black dash examples are my favorite, but they are somewhat difficult to find fully restored. You'll have to live with a fake wood-grain dash. With 110-ish horsepower, the car measures well against the 2002tii, but sex appeal goes to the Alfa. You have to love any car that is as comfortable on the highway as it is on the twisty bits. Slight GTA improvements are always a plus, whether they are just wheels or brake and suspension upgrades. Throw your wallet at this one and buy the best of the best. Thank me with a bottle of Vermentino." In addition to this article, in February of this year, Bonhams sold a very similar 1966 Giulia Sprint GT Veloce in dark green with tan interior for 46,000 Euros or about $58,700. (http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21768/lot/434/) Yet again, just this past August in Pebble Beach, Gooding & Company auctioned off a 1968 Giulia Sprint GT Veloce in black with red interior with finals bids reaching $93,000. In the November 2014 issue of Sports Car Market, Stephen Serio was marveled at this sale and remarked, "To my taste, the rather blank black exterior and 'Trashy Lingerie Stripper Dial-it-Back Red' interior really failed, but then again, what do I know? I just wrote about how you should get one of these cars if you can find one under $50k! [...] The buyer just set the new bar for these coupes..." (http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1968-alfa-romeo-giulia-sprint-gt-veloce/#tab1) Up until recently, this car spent most of its life in California where it was well cared for by Alfa enthusiasts. Upon purchase, it was treated to some clutch work (reverse block out gate repaired) as well as some electrical work (turn signals now fully functional). Since then, it has been maintained and exercised regularly to preserve its highly original condition. This Alfa is mostly original with only the paint having been re-done, the front seats re-covered, and an MSD ignition installed. The remainder of the car is highly original and shows as a very well cared for vintage Alfa. The paint shows very nicely with only a few minor chips or scratches, many of which could be polished out. It is believed that the car received a re-paint while under the ownership of noted Alfa collector Raymond Milo. The rest of the body is quite straight and VERY rust free. In fact, one of the previous owners spent a long time searching for a straight, rust free Giulia Sprint GT example and he settled on this car. In addition to the nice body, the chrome also shows well with only minor imperfections. Similarly, the glass is in nice shape as well. Some of the weather-stripping is old and dry around the corner windows, but it is not dry enough to break off when used. The wheels on the car are period correct BWA wheels with the original center caps and correct extra long lug nuts. All of the studs were replaced with right-hand threaded studs when these wheels were installed (the driver's side originally had left-hand threaded studs similar to older Chryslers). Inside, the interior shows quite well with only the front seats not being completely original with a re-covering. The rest of the interior is nice, though does show a bit of age after several decades. The black dash is in nice shape with no imperfections what-so-ever. The faux-wood dash is also in very nice original condition with only a few cracks that should be expected after so many years. Seat belts were installed by a previous owner, but were not done properly. The seat belts are now properly installed, though they do not retract on their own. The steering wheel is a beautiful original Alfa wheel with no cracks or breaks and compliments the interior of the car far nicer than any Nardi or other style wheel could. All gauges function and the dash lights up fine. The horn also has a nice clean note. All of the lights work well (low beams, high beams, brake lights, turn signals, running lights, etc). The trunk is clean with a full sized spare (not a BWA wheel, but an original Alfa wheel) and the original rubber mat with the embossed Alfa logo. The engine and running gear are in wonderful shape with the car being an absolute pleasure to drive. The car has been used to go on several short out-of-town trips at highway speeds and distances of around 120 miles. The twin Weber carburetors help create a wonderful sounding exhaust note that will give you goosebumps and fewer headaches than SPICA fuel injection of later cars. According to the previous owner, the man he bought it from had carried out a complete engine rebuild. It is also believed that he carried out a rebuild of the transmission as well. The brakes function flawlessly with no feelings of weakness and the suspension is surprisingly comfortable, even at higher speeds. The steering is tight and responsive, as you would expect from a 1960s Italian sports car. When the Alfa was bought in California, but before it was shipped east, it was treated to a clutch adjustment and the reverse lockout was replaced, the emergency brake cable was replaced at this time, and a few heater hoses were replaced. Once the car arrived in South Carolina, the turn signals were not functioning properly so they were sorted and now operate as they should. At this point, the new seat belts were installed, a new muffler was installed, and the intake manifold gasket was replaced. There is paperwork for both of these jobs. The car has been thoroughly enjoyed and maintained while it has been in South Carolina but it is time to downsize. Inspections are welcomed and encouraged, independent or otherwise. This car is being sold in "As-is" condition with no warranty what so ever. The car has been described to the best of my ability and as far as I know, is correct. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ask any questions before hand if something has been left out or is unclear. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer but I can help with loading on my end. The car is also advertised elsewhere so the listing may be taken down at any time. Should the Alfa sell here, a $1000 deposit will be expected within 72 hours of the ending on the auction. The rest of the payment will be expected within a week after the deposit has been submitted. Once the payment has cleared, the clear SC title will be transferred to the new owner and the car will be released to them. Thank you for your time and good luck bidding!*Please excuse the dust on the driver's side carpets. As you can see, the pictures were taken on a dusty road which meant some dust would inevitably get in while I was taking pictures. All of the pictures were taken with the car idling in the Charleston heat with no complaints from the Alfa.On Oct-19-14 at 23:03:25 PDT, seller added the following information: Many people have asked about the engine and body numbers of the car. The body tag reads "AR*247733" as stated above. I've uploaded a picture of the engine tag stamped on the block. It clearly reads AR00536*08181. The body VIN and the 536 engine designation means this is a true Veloce car and engine. As for matching numbers, the body numbers are not supposed to match the engine numbers as they were not synchronized for production. However, this engine corresponds to the time when the car was produced. I can only assume the engine is original to the car.On Oct-21-14 at 13:09:36 PDT, seller added the following information: With the help of the Alfa Romeo community and other potential buyers, I have come to some conclusions about the engine. Using the Fusi book of "Tutte le Vetture dal 1910" which categorizes Alfa Romeo production numbers by year and model, it has been determined that the engine is a genuine and correct GT Veloce engine likely from around September of 1966. I have contacted Marco Fazio at Automobilismo Storico Alfa Romeo and given him the body and engine numbers for verification of the cars history. His response is as follows: "According to our documentation files, the chassis number AR 247733 originally corresponds to an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce (105.36), engine series AR 00536, manufactured on the 14th March 1967 and sold on the 31st March 1967 in Newark, USA.The body colour is musk green, with leather skai interiors." This shows that this car is indeed an original Giulia Sprint GT Veloce and has a Veloce engine. However, it is very difficult to prove or dis-prove whether or not it is the original engine as this information was never officially recorded except for on dealer invoices or owners manuals. Members of the Alfa Romeo community have conflicting opinions on whether or not it could be the original engine based on production dates. It is claimed that the engines were produced and delivered in bulk from a "pile" and were not sequential with chassis numbers which makes it even more difficult to confirm or deny the originality of the engine. One user has stated that Veloces traditionally used Weber 40DCOE27 carburetors, however this car is equipped with Weber 40DCOE28 carburetors. Further research shows that Alfa Romeo used Weber 40DCOE28 carburetors on 1.6L engines so these are still correct carburetors for a 1.6L engine. Mr. Fazio's message also confirms that this car was produced in "Musk Green" with leather skai interior. According to the Alfa Romeo community, the leather skai interior is a rare option but also more comfortable than other materials used. While feeling underneath the edges of the seats, it seems as though the front seats are still leather but the rear seat feels more like aged vinyl. I am no interior expert, but these are my findings. There is also some slight wear to the driver's side driver's seat bolster that has worn as leather would instead of vinyl leading me to believe the front seats are leather. I have also been asked about the condition of the underside of the car in regards to rust and condition. I have crawled under the car and have found no evidence of rust or any rust or damage repair under the car. I also removed the spare tire and original jack and inspected the spare tire well which I found to be both solid and dry. I appreciate all of the interest in the car so far and welcome any further questions. I will update the listing with any other questions that people have had, along with my answers.On Oct-21-14 at 17:28:46 PDT, seller added the following information: After much consideration, I've decided to answer perhaps the most asked question so far. The reserve on this auction is $28,000.On Oct-24-14 at 16:57:38 PDT, seller added the following information: Some bidders have requested additional pictures of the interior and engine while some have asked about the underside of the car. I called my mechanic today and he graciously let me use one of their lifts on a very busy Friday afternoon. I apologize for some blurriness in the photos, but I was trying to act quickly. In the photos, you will see that the underside of the car is in wonderful shape with only a few small blemishes. I also tried to photograph common rust spots to show that there are no bubbles of rust coming through in the rockers or behind the fenders. Here is a link to the additional photos:http://smg.photobucket.com/user/burnin_beamer/library/Alfa%20Romeo There are only about 19 hours left in the auction. This Alfa Romeo is currently the 36th Most Watched Car on all of eBay motors (out of 53,780 cars and trucks) and the MOST WATCHED Alfa Romeo on eBay Motors by a fair margin. As always, good luck with the bidding. Don't let this one be "the one that got away".