Alfa Romeo Alfetta

Alfetta at a glance

The Alfetta is listed in the Alfa Romeo catalogue.

Why Alfa Romeo moved the gearbox to the back

The name looks back to the Alfa Romeo 158 and 159 "Alfetta" Grand Prix cars, which won the first two Formula One world titles in 1950 and 1951 with Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio. The road car revived the name for a new mid-size saloon with an unusual drivetrain. Engineer Giuseppe Busso supported the layout, and the saloon body came from Alfa's own Centro Stile under Giuseppe Scarnati.

The engine stayed at the front, while the clutch, five-speed gearbox and differential formed one unit at the rear. A propshaft turning at engine speed linked the two, running through three flexible Giubo couplings. The rear wheels were located by a de Dion tube with a Watt linkage and coil springs, and the rear disc brakes sat inboard next to the differential to cut unsprung weight. At the front were double wishbones with longitudinal torsion bars and rack-and-pinion steering. The result was weight distribution close to 50:50.

The saloon range, 1972-1984

The four-door was revealed near Trieste on 17 May 1972 with the 1,779 cc twin-cam from the 1750 range, rated at 90 kW (122 PS). In auto motor und sport issue 8/1973 it beat the new BMW 520 in a comparison test, mainly on price. A 1.6 with 80 kW (109 PS) arrived in 1975, and in 1977 the Alfetta 2000 replaced the Alfa Romeo 2000 saloon, with a front end 10 cm longer, rectangular headlamps and a new dashboard. The 2000 L of 1978 raised output to 96 kW (130 PS).

Late in 1979 the Alfetta became the first Italian saloon with a turbodiesel, a 1,995 cc VM unit of 60 kW (82 PS); a 2,393 cc version with 70 kW (95 PS) followed in 1983. The Quadrifoglio Oro of 1982 added twin headlamps and more equipment, and from 1983 it used Bosch Motronic and variable timing of the inlet camshaft. Only 991 cars of the 2.0 CEM, with electronic engine management, were built in 1983. Italian police forces used the saloon as a patrol car, replacing the Giulia. The Alfa Romeo 90 took over in 1984, while the Alfa 75 kept the transaxle layout into the 1990s.

Totals differ between sources: Wikipedia EN gives 448,417 saloons, Wikipedia IT 475,719, and Wikipedia DE 478,812 cars by early 1986.

Alfetta GT, GTV and GTV 6

Giorgetto Giugiaro had been asked for a coupe in 1968, and the Italdesign GT appeared in 1974 with the 1.8-litre engine and 90 kW (122 PS). In 1976 it was replaced by the 1.6 GT and the 2.0 GTV; Octane notes that the 2.0 gave no more power than the 1.8, only a little more torque. US GTVs from 1976 had federal bumpers and Spica mechanical injection. The GTV 2000 L of 1979 brought revised camshafts and 96 kW (130 PS).

For Group 4 homologation, Autodelta developed the GTV 2.0 Turbodelta with 110 kW (150 PS), and 400 were built. The 1980 facelift brought plastic bumpers and matt-black trim, dropped the Alfetta name and the 1.6, and introduced the GTV 6 with the 2,492 cc V6 of the Alfa 6 and 118 kW (160 PS). In racing the GTV 6 won the European Touring Car Championship four years running from 1982 to 1985, and Andy Rouse took the 1983 British title in one. South Africa built a 3.0-litre GTV 6 with 137 kW (186 PS), tested at 8.36 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. The coupe stayed in production until 1987.

Alfetta today: what to check when buying

Wikipedia DE describes the Alfetta's main weaknesses as poor reliability when new and a high tendency to rust, problems shared by other Alfa Romeos of the 1970s. Octane's buying guide of April 2026 says a full ramp inspection is essential: check the inner wings, wheel arches, floors, sills and suspension mounting points, because small rust spots spread quickly. Repair panels are harder to find than for the 105-series Giulia, and South African cars are often a safer base.

The twin-cam fours are strong when serviced with good oil. The rear gearbox is the weak point if abused: listen for grinding synchromesh or gears jumping out, and expect a shift that was never pleasant even when new. The three rubber Giubo couplings on the fast-turning propshaft and the inboard rear brakes, which sit next to the hot transaxle, deserve a close look.

Octane's April 2026 figures put an early 1.8 GT at about EUR 9,200-17,300 (GBP 8,000-15,000), chrome-bumper GTV 2000s at EUR 8,600-13,800 (GBP 7,500-12,000) for average cars, Turbodeltas at EUR 34,500-69,000 (GBP 30,000-60,000) and the best GTV 6s at EUR 28,800-40,300 (GBP 25,000-35,000). The dated guides used here do not price the saloon. The brand's wider story is in the history of Alfa Romeo, Alfa's open two-seater of the same years, based on the older Giulia, is the Alfa Romeo Spider, and more cars of the era are in the classic cars section.