THE HIGHLIGHTS
• Rare South Africa assembled car
• HSCC eligible car, once raced by Johan Denekamp
• Over £64k spent in the last 17 years
• Very solid and drives brilliantly
THE BACKGROUND
As a manufacturer, Alfa Romeo has many enduring qualities and its focus on driver experience has created a long and rich racing history. It also elicits feelings that are rarely felt in mass-produced cars, and, like all emotional relationships and endeavours, it overcomes its flaws and shortcomings.
The pert and elegant 105 Series GT coupes began life in 1963 and developed into the 1750 GT Veloce four years later. Defined by its quad headlamps and legendary five bearing four-cylinder 1779cc twin-cam engine, It inherited the previous models corning abilities and power delivery through one of the finest gearboxes of the era.
This 1969 Series 1 car, started life in dry humid climes of South Africa. It underwent a metamorphosis to become a historic race car when it was exported to the UK and now carries a provenance of track history. Furthermore, it comes with a considerable body of paperwork, covering mechanical, body and race expenditures to the tune of £64,000 pounds worth of work.
THE HISTORY
The car is one of 1138 right-hand drive South African built cars, one of only 240 first series 1750s, having left the Rosslyn plant in 1969. Imported into the UK in 1992, it initially served as a road car. Selected to be converted into a racing car by specialists Gran Turismo Engineering of Kent in 2004, it was built to FIA race standards and to compete in HSCC events.
In 2010 the car ended up in the hands of Johan Denekamp who competitively raced this GTV at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Castle Combe amongst many others. After seeing 10 years of track use, the car was placed for sale by Slades Garage, a Buckinghamshire prestige Classic car specialist and taken on by the current owner, he used the car on less demanding pursuits which included regular road trips as well as the odd hill climb and car meet.
The vendor is a self-confessed classic Alfa Romeo collector and simply bought the car to fuel his fond recollections of his younger days of owning a 105 Series Alfa. Because it would have been counterproductive to fettle or improve the engine after it had previously experienced so much work, he has resisted the temptation to upset the near-perfect state of engine balance and has simply kept on top of the maintenance. It has been dry stored during his ownership and over those four years has covered only about 1000 kilometres.
The car has seen the solid prop-shaft removed and replaced with a standard one, to make the car more drivable on the roads and he has replaced the race tyres with a set of road tyres. The car will also come with those lightly used race Yokohama Advans A048 as part of the sale. This deeply regrettable sale is due to freeing up funds for a house renovation and a recent lack of use. He's hoping that the car's next owner will put it to its full racing potential!
THE PAPERWORK
The car is backed up with over £64,000 worth of invoices, with additional spending in recent years. This initial expenditure includes bodywork, race preparation, engine tuning and rebuilds, storage and servicing. Much of the initial work was carried out by Gran Turismo, with ongoing work as the car was raced.
The company covered all of the mechanical and running gear aspects of the car, but also includes welding, glass and electrical work. Parts were sourced from Classic Alfa and Wren Classics, along with the additional engine, electrical and maintenance work by Connaught Competition engines and Day & Whites.
All of which helps paint a picture of how much time and effort has been spent on this car. Following each race outing, every necessity for the car was attended to and has all been documented in the paperwork. The most recent work was at Linstone Classics, which includes an engine and gearbox rebuild, along with a differential overhaul totalling £11,500 and the car has only covered 5,000 km since.
The paperwork also includes a 2012 dyno readout, helping to confirm that the car produced 145.3 BHP at 6467 rpm. Also included with the paperwork are a couple of original dealers sales brochures, the current V5 as well a previous V5 with Denekamp as a named owner.
THE INTERIOR
The car has seen much of its original furnishings stripped out and is now fitted with OMP TRS bucket seats with Willans/ Schroth harnesses. Both are in good condition and free from rips, with a l little wear noted on the inside bolster of the passenger seat. The car has rubber mats and a padded transmission tunnel, both show functional wear but are fit for purpose.
The dashboard is in good condition, with no significant damage or scuffs noted. Along with the standard binnacle and instruments, the car has Racetech gauges and a Branz Retrotrip meter. All the switches, controls and dials are both functional and in good condition. The rocker switches, Momo steering wheel and hand brake are all in good shape, the gear stick gaiter has a small rip.
The car is fitted with a full roll cage and extinguisher but along with the seats and harnesses need to be verified for current FIA guideline requirements. The headlining is tidy with no significant damage. The door cards are in good and are well-fastened to the car. The boot has also been completely stripped out, with no issues to report in regards to damage or wear.
THE EXTERIOR
The car was created to compete within the HSCC guidelines, so therefore a stringent level of structural integrity can be expected. The body and structure are in very good order, with no notable issues in regards to integral corrosion issues. The floor pan, engine bay, boot well and bulkheads are solid, much of the interior metal is easy to inspect and offers any potential buyer a high degree of reassurance.
The panel work is good, with no notable dents or damage. The car has seen at least one high-quality rebuild, as this is part of the parcel of competitive motorsports, but there are no suggestions of costs being cut. The passenger doors are not quite flush but the shells integrity is positive and this should not be seen as a significant drawback.
All of the doors open and close with no obstructions with the door rubbers in a good state. The bonnet and boot have manual fasteners and both stay open without manual aid. The panels are in good shape, and the off-side front wing was recently replaced at a cost of almost £1000. It should be noted that the rear boot lid is also a relatively recent fitting, and is a near unobtainable NOS panel. The Rosso Red finish is good, with suggestions that paint has been applied over different time scales, but overall the finish is cohesive with a good lustre.
There are a handful of minor chips and blemishes scattered on the car. The most noticeable is on the front edge and valance, a blemish on the corner of the nearside door and some light peeling around the passenger door handles but nothing that distracts. The car is fitted with 2016 Yokohama road tyres, all have good tread. The attractive GTA replica alloy rims are in good condition, with minor signs of road wear but are undamaged.
The off-side main headlamp has a small break on the glass lens, the rest of the lights are all good and functional. The glass and their respective rubbers are good, with no issues regarding wear or significant damage. The chrome trim is good, with signs of age on some of the stainless steel trim.
THE MECHANICS
The Day and White rebuilt race engine is in excellent condition, with a visual check of the ancillaries, hoses, wiring and components all looking fault free with very little evidence of wear. The engine fired up instantly with no hesitation, the warble from the twin-cam block, combined with the twin Dellorto DHLA40 and induction combined with raspy exhaust tone is close to automotive perfection.
The engine had been started from cold, after a week or so of rest and soon settled down after the engine warmed up. No warning lights remained on with no rattling or tapping coming from the engine. The oil pressure reads correctly at over 60psi, which drops to 40 when hot. There are no issues with the engine temperature and once the car settled, the exhaust was smoke-free.
The car drives well on the move. Its flexibility through all of the gears makes it a satisfying drive, and it’s happy up to be taken up to maximum revs in each ratio. There are no reported issues with the Alfaholics suspension and no knocks or vibrations coming from the steering.
Overall the gearbox is slick, with a well-weighted clutch. As hoped with a race car, the brakes are in excellent order, with no problems noted with squeals or juddering. The exhaust is in good condition and there are no signs of damage or blowing.
The car is fitted with a full race fire-extinguisher system with external release and external ignition cutoff, electronic ignition, flamethrower coil and a Mocal oil catch tank. The FIA standards for the extinguisher and cut-off may have become out of date since the car was last competitively raced in 2014, and may require upgrading.
The car retains its original series engine ,engine number AR 00548 83392
THE APPEAL
In an age when the fundamental essence of the car is diluted into anonymity, classic Alfa Romeo’s retain a definable ability to convey a genuine character and verve. There’s a reason why almost every model from the brand resonates with the petrolhead.
This GTV has seen a substantial amount of effort, time and money poured into it, and it’s all ready to present its next owner with an undiluted raw and visceral experience. Knowing that the car can be fully unleashed within the confines of the racetrack or that it can deliver a unique experience while being used on the road is only half of its many talents.
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