Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT & GTV

These pretty 1970s coupés are often overlooked due to their V6-engined sibling

- Matthew Hayward

JUST HOW DO you replace a legendary car like the 105-series Alfa Romeo Giulia? The range of sporting saloons and sexy coupés was not only backed by motorsport success, it also gained a cult following that has barely faded to this day. So what of its successor? Although the much later GTV6 coupé reached iconic status thanks to its fantastic engine, it's fair to say the earlier four-cylinder Alfetta GT and GTV models have been drastically overlooked.

The story of the Alfetta starts in 1972, with the launch of the four-door models. They were powered by a range of twin-cam four-cylinder engines and offered exceptional handling, thanks to almost 50:50 weight distribution, achieved by mounting the transaxle gearbox at the rear, with a sophisticated De Dion tube rear suspension.