Giulia (Type 105) 1962-1993

HYT21N is a 2000 GTV SE, first registered in April 1975.  I purchased the car in October 1985, when its mileage was just under 40,000.  The car was my only vehicle for around 18 months, when it started to show some significant rust issues.   I decided to buy another car for daily use and the GTV went in for a professional restoration carried out over several months in 1987. Since then it has always been a second car.  I drive it all the year round although I do my best, not always successfully, to avoid bad weather days.  After almost 40 years of ownership, it still remains great fun to drive with so much character compared to most modern machinery.

The Alfetta GT was announced in 1974 as the successor to the 105 series Giulia coupe.  With the new model about to appear on the UK market, Alfa Romeo GB needed to shift its remaining stock of the older model and decided to introduce an end of the line version including various items of additional equipment over the standard car.  As a result the 105 series 2000 GTV SE featured:

• Black vinyl roof with folding sunroof
• Black radiator grille, headlamp cowling, driver's door mirror and wiper arms (in place of the normal chrome items)
• Black rubber side strips
• Alloy wheels
• Radio/cassette player with rear parcel shelf speakers and roof-mounted aerial
• Rear fog lights
• Tinted glass

Unfortunately, the SE version had a mixed reception, with not everyone liking its looks.  As a result, of the one hundred or so believed to have made, HYT21N is one of the very few SE models (if not the only one) left on the road. My car retains all of the original SE features except the side rubber strips which were removed by a previous owner. I think it looks so much better without them.

If you want to read more about the SE, there is an excellent article by Richard Tuby on the www.aroc-uk.com/105register website.  HYT21N is pictured in the article.