There’s surely no better illustration of the bizarre motoring times we live in than a 17-year-old Alfa Romeo hatchback with 72,000 miles having recently sold for only around £7000 less than it cost new. But that’s modern classics for you, and despite all its faults, the 147 GTA can quite justifiably be called a classic.
Faults? Only if 247bhp through the front wheels alone doesn’t strike you as particularly sensible. Ditto a nose-heavy set-up that made many 147 GTAs take a straight line through a corner (a limited-slip differential was an option for a time) and brakes that were distinctly below par (larger front discs were also briefly an option before becoming standard).
However, if you think prices that start at around £8000 and peak at twice that are just another symptom of today’s overheated post-pandemic car market, think again. They’ve been steadily climbing for the past four years. Back in 2017, you could pick up a 147 GTA for around £4000.
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Whether £4000 or £8000, though, no one buys a cheap 147 GTA and thinks they’ve got a good deal. There will always be work needed. Around £12,000 is where genuinely good cars start, although you will need to keep on top of things and prepare to spend big now and again – and that’s without considering its day-to-day costs (expect around 23mpg and new front tyres every 5000 miles). That’s £12,000 for a manual car, by the way. Automatics (with a robotised manual called Selespeed) are a little cheaper. They’re mostly Japanese imports with lower mileages and in good condition, but Alfisti reckon the stick-shifters are the ones to have.
Anyway, enough cold water: the 147 GTA is simply one of the great hot hatches. It’s powered by a 3.2-litre 24-valve V6, fondly called the Busso V6 after Giuseppe Busso, the Alfa engineer who designed the original 2.5-litre version in the 1970s. It has achieved legendary status, admired for its muscular, sweet-revving and sonorous nature. It looks good, too, with its six polished intakes. It produces 247bhp, which was quite a thing in 2002 and more than the Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R32. However, both of these rivals were four-wheel drive, leaving the front-led 147 GTA with some serious questions to answer when the road turned difficult. Dangerous flaw or thrilling characteristic? You decide.
Judging by the examples we saw for sale, 147 GTAs can do the miles. However, if the work hasn’t just been carried out, they’re probably due a suspension refresh. The body is galvanised, so rust is mercifully rare. Any you do find is likely to be the product of a bad repair. Interiors preferably with leather seats, are surprisingly robust, but check it all works. The steering should be quick; in truth, quicker than the chassis can really deal with. The ride should be soft to firm; if it’s baggy, it’s time to fit some coilovers by Eibach or Bilstein.
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