147 (Type 937) 2000 - 2010

Around 5000 147 GTAs were built between the end of 2002 and the start of 2005. Approx 4000 of those were the desirable 6 speed manual version as this one is. Always a rare car, there now only around 300 in the UK, approximately half of these are registered with the other half on SORN. A small 3 door front wheel drive hatchback with 3.2 litres of classic 250 BHP 24 valve Busso v6 was an insane concept but Alfa Romeo dared to be different. The most powerful hot hatchback in the world at its launch became an instant icon and is fondly remembered by most for its madness, wonderful engine and timeless design. R321 GTA is undoubtedly one of the best examples you will find. It was purchased by Paul Currie in 2015 who embarked on a mammoth rebuild and restoration taking around 6 years to complete for which he deserves all the credit. Paul wanted to retain the flavour of the original whilst improving many aspects of the car so this is, in effect, a restomod.  The car was stripped back to a bare shell with all glass removed before being professionally resprayed in  8c Competizione Red with added metal flake so it really pops on the sun. The underside was then stripped back to bare metal, all salt and rust removed, then treated and given 3 coats of 2 part epoxy before being finished with several coats of dinitrol. The engine was fully rebuilt including new gaskets, seals, bearings, oil pump, plugs, cambelt and water pump before being fully cleaned, painted and finished with powder coated rocker covers. This breathes through a custom made alloy induction system with heat wrapped CF2 catless manifolds, custom downpipes, alfaholics sports cat, and a stainless steel Regazzon quad exhaust. The gearbox was fully cleaned and painted after being fitted with a new clutch and a Quaife limited slip differential. All suspension components were cleaned and either powder coated or painted before reassembly using KW V1 coilover suspension, uprated thicker Eibach anti roll bars, Biscione Racing alloy strut braces front and rear, together with new bushes, poly where necessary and an aluminium under tray. New brake lines were installed with braided steel hoses used for brake clutch and fuel lines. Brakes were improved using larger two piece drilled discs with alloy bells and larger 6 pot front callipers, 4 pot at the rear, anodised in gold. Electrics were fully tidied and new sensors, meters, coil packs installed with the battery relocated to the spare wheel well in the boot improving weight distribution. Stainless steel and anodised fixings were used throughout wherever possible. The car sits on 18 x 8 OZ Ultralegerra alloys in race gold saving around 8 Kilos in weight. These are similar in design to those on the Ferrari 488 Pista. The interior is standard but features a custom retrim of the seats and door cards/pulls using black leather and red Alcantara. The new design closely resembles that offered on the Ferrari 458 Speciale. The gear lever gaiter is now in alcantara and the steering wheel slightly restyled before being refinished in black leather and alcantara with red stitching. Infotainment retains the standard Bose speaker system with an updated Sony head unit featuring Apple car play. Red seatbelts complete the transformation. Bodywork is standard except for the addition of a Maxton front splitter and a slightly darker tinted film for the side and rear glass. The car has won a number of awards, show and shine at National Alfa Day in 2019 and 2024 as well as car of the day at Mitcar in 2023. The car was also invited by the club and displayed on their stand at the Birmingham NEC classic car show in 2019. Although not eligible for concours events as it is far from standard, it is now an unbelievable experience to drive and far superior to how it left the factory. Unapologetically analogue and mechanical, quite a handful, but always exciting yet practical and usable.  I always dreamt of owning one of these cars and consider myself very fortunate to own such a wonderful piece of automotive history. I hope you enjoy the car as much as I do.