Gorgeous Alfa Romeo GT Junior breaks auction history

An Alfa Romeo GT Junior has bought for £50,000, smashing the auction earth file for this model. 

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Alfa Romeo GT Junior

The attractive traditional coupe, initially exported to Australia in 1971, captivated 261 bids in the course of a seven-day online sale.

The document value is more evidence of a robust collector car or truck sector, which has so considerably resisted the creeping Covid malaise. On-line auctions in distinct are booming, as our interview with Car or truck & Classic CEO Tom Wooden unveiled last thirty day period.

More cost-effective thrills

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Alfa Romeo GT Junior

Ironically, the GT Junior was conceived as a much less expensive route into Alfa Romeo possession. Released in 1965, it traded the 109hp 1.6-litre engine of the Giulia Dash Veloce for a 90hp 1.3 with twin carbs and twin cams. 

It was significantly well known in Italy, exactly where the tax regime penalised larger sized engines (therefore other ‘downsized’ classics, these kinds of as the Ferrari 208 GTB). 

General performance was regular (-60mph in 12.6 seconds), but the GT Junior’s gutsy willingness to rev – coupled with a sweet gearshift and balanced, rear-driven chassis – built it splendidly partaking to push. You’ll be outgunned by a family members-spec Ford Concentration, but who cares? 

Flavor of Italy

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Alfa Romeo GT Junior

Then there is how the GT Junior appears to be like: pert, pretty and brimful of Italian brio. Frankly, it could travel like a Routemaster bus and we’d however want just one.

The most exclusive element of early 105-collection coupes was the scalino ‘step front’, where the foremost edge of the bonnet sits 10mm proud of the bodywork. Afterwards autos, such as this just one, have a flush entrance close.

Flared wheelarches, a flowing roofline and a chopped Kamm tail also trace at refined sportiness, when the period of time-seem 15-inch Alfaholics alloys equipped right here are just attractive. 

Better than new

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Alfa Romeo GT Junior

Other modifications for this distinct GT Junior include things like fitment of the 1,750cc motor (utilised in the common GT Veloce from 1967) with new Weber carbs, Pipercross filters and electronic ignition. 

The uprated suspension works by using Koni dampers and 40mm lowering springs, and the brakes have been bolstered with a twin-circuit stability box.

The automobile is or else conventional, but restored to in the vicinity of-concours issue. Next a bare-shell respray with Glasurit paints, each chrome element has been re-plated or changed, with every single rubber seal also new. Safe to say, this Alfa Romeo is smarter than when it left the factory (and undoubtedly fewer likely to rust).

Alfa bravo

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Alfa Romeo GT Junior

The GT Junior has brought on a stir amid Alfisti (Alfa Romeo’s fanatical fans) and significantly exceeded Hagerty’s industry price for a very similar product in excellent affliction, which stands at £30,900. 

It also impressed Chris Pollitt, head of editorial at Car or truck & Basic. “I’ve in no way viewed a restoration that had been carried out with this sort of care and outstanding awareness to depth,” he said.

“Going up and down the state to photograph automobiles for our auction system means I get to see some remarkable motor vehicles. Even so, this Alfa Romeo continues to be firmly at the prime of the list.”

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