While North American enthusiasts may think of Alfa Romeo as a manufacturer of executive sedans and sports cars, the Italian brand has long maintained a presence in the compact (C) segment. Over the years, they have produced some truly enjoyable compacts like this: the 147 GTA, a compact hatch with a big V6 under the hood.
(clockwise from top left) Alfasud, 33, 147, Giulietta, MiTo, 145
The 147 lived a long life, launched in 2000 to critical acclaim – it was 2001’s European Car of the Year – and surviving all the way until 2010 when it was replaced by the C-segment Giulietta and B-segment MiTo. Both are relatively competitive offerings but hardly class-leaders and according to the latest reports out of FCA, they are slated for discontinuation as Alfa Romeo goes upmarket and moves to rear-wheel-drive platforms. This will end a long tradition of compact, two-box, front-wheel-drive Alfa Romeos that started with the Alfasud of 1971.
As one would expect from Alfa Romeo, each generation of their compact range has featured numerous sporty models, generally wearing names like Ti and Quadrifoglio. But the wildest Alfa compact of all was the 147 GTA. Unlike the rival Ford Focus RS and Volkswagen Golf R32, there was no clever front differential or all-wheel-drive system. Instead, modifications were limited to the usual stiffer springs and dampers, thicker stabiliser bar and bigger (17-inch) wheels. The GTA’s lusty 3.2 V6 delivered power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, and it was even more powerful than its rivals with 247 hp at 6200 rpm and 220 ft-lbs of torque at 4800 rpm. The GTA hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
The 147 GTA, as you would expect, was both blessed and cursed by that big V6 under the hood. While Jeremy Clarkson panned the car’s wobbly chassis, constantly-engaged traction control and noticeable torque steer, he and his Top Gear compatriots all agreed the Alfa’s charm made it more desirable to them than the rival Golf and Focus. Among other reviewers, the general consensus was that the GTA rode a bit hard, but not unreasonably so. Torque steer was present, but not unmanageably so. Oh, and the turning circle and optional Selespeed clutchless manual were both crap.
Alfa Romeo had improved their quality and reliability by the dawn of the 21st century but they still weren’t at the top of JD Power or, indeed, very far from the bottom. But that’s the thing about Alfa Romeos, right? You may have to sacrifice some reliability and some build quality, and the dynamics might not be quite as well-sorted as a German car. But they inspire passion. You take one for a drive and you fall in love with it. The 147 GTA is bound to become a collectible with only 5,029 units produced, around 4/5ths of which were equipped with the superior manual transmission.
After all, how could you not be charmed by a sonorous Italian V6 in a 3146-pound body?
Related Reading:
Curbside Classic: Alfa Romeo 75 (Milano) – Alfa Romeo’s Swansong
Classic Curbside Classic: 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce – A Work In Progress, For Four Decades
Curbside Classic: 1993 Alfa Romeo 164 – Alfa’s American Farewell Present
Nice write-up William.
A friend has had one of these for years and adores it. Much less of a mechanical headache than they say according to him too. Only even been a passenger but still had plenty of grins put on my face…
Edinburgh’s home to a lot of 147s, still a very sharp looking car in my opinion. There are a few MiTos here too (which I shan’t mourn when they axe it) and Giuliettas (which I shall, it’s a gorgeous car) Kinda hoping FCA replaces them eventually.
Can a Yankee ask what seems like a silly question? I frequently read negative comments about the MiTo, but to my North American eyes, it looks rather desirable. What am I missing about it?
It seems to do nothing very well: it’s a bit mediocre for the risk asked of buyers. The demand has been slack. I see very few whereas 147s are still quite numerous. Personally, I feel the cabin of the Giulietta is oppressive and overwrought. Opel, Ford and VW all offer cars that trump most aspects of the Giulietta.
It might not come across in photos, but in person it’s quite an ungainly little beastie, the headlights dominate the front-end in a kind of surprised-guppy gawp and it’s lines are kind of bulbous looking especially alongside the Giulietta.
As Richard says the MiTo does nothing very well, it’s based a little too closely on the Punto which is a perfectly fine cheap B-Segment hatch, and an engaging drive in its own right… but even when new the Punto was criticised (fairly) for feeling a bit cheap for what it cost and which has soldiered on too long (it was hardly new when the MiTo was spun off from it).
I think being B-segment (the others are all C) hurts the little MiTo too as it’s hard to get a suitably big car feel out of something that small and FCA didn’t manage it with the MiTo, unlike the 147 it just doesn’t feel like an Alfa. Ultimately you’d be better off buying a sporty spec’d Punto and pocketing the (substantial) change.
Just came back from test driving a new Alfa Giulia this morning. I was very pleasantly surprised. It’s a very nice car, appears to have good quality, and is very much a driver’s car. We never got the 147 here in the state, so I can’t comment on them, unfortunately, except to say that it’s obvious that Alfa has always stayed focused on building cars for people who enjoy driving.
I’d love to get a chance to drive a 147GTA … hopefully they won’t have become too valuable by the time they can come to the U.S. under the 25 year rule.
They seem to start at 4.5k for a tidy manual here and plenty of choices currently on trademe, both manual and automatic, I do see quite a few about on our roads.
geozinger:
From what I gather after reading a few tests in British magazines, the “problem” with the MiTo is that it debuted to a decent start but was never a great car….it has/had A LOT of competitors that are better overall.
To quote CAR magazine:
“Decent engines but generally rubbish to drive. Alfa’s soggy-handling, hard riding premium mini is crucified by the real thing and Audi’s A1.
VERDICT: At least it’s got its looks. No, wait. It’s an ugly Alfa. It’s got nothing.”
(They gave it 2 out of a possible 5 stars.)
@Howard Kerr: OK, thanks. We (obviously) don’t get those here, or their competition, so there’s a lot of context I’m missing. I find the package appealing, but I’ve only seen it pictures. Of course, as the previous owner of three Pontiac Azteks and two Yugos, maybe my aesthetic sense is a little off…
You seem to be the perfect guy for the new Citroën C3. Just like the Alfa Romeo MiTo it’s a B-segment hatchback.
Naturally you don’t want one in some shade of metallic gray / silver.
GTA 147 giant killer.
A remarkable car to drive.
I used to drive 147s at work and they were fantastic to drive – and seemed a good all round package too. Never drove a GTA but I remember thinking they were a daft idea, putting all that weight & torque in a FWD car.
Coincidentally I’m looking for a car and saw an abused, rusty 147 at auction the other day. Went for 60 quid!
The Dodge Dart was based on a widened Guilietta platform. They should have saved their millions and just federalized a Guilietta and put a Dodge face on it. It wouldn’t be wider inside like the Dart but about the same as the actual competition – Foci and Golfs. For a little more they could have done a trunk version and competed with the Focus sedan and Jetta and other non-hatchback subcompacts. But no, they spent a whole lot more for a whole new car, which failed.
I have a 3 door 147 and have loved it! Just bought a 147 GTA in Nero Matelico, fitted with a Quaif diff. Handling is in another league from my 2.0 twinspark . Awesome car, best I’ve had the pleasure to own. The manual box has very close ratios and just seems to be torque everywhere .
Isn’t it actually a Holden V6 thats been given an Alfa tickle up?
You’re thinking of the later 3.2 JTS V6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JTS_engine#3.2
This one is the last iteration of the glorious “Busso” V6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_V6_engine
The C-segment hot hatch has really gained power in the past decade. Somewhere between 250 and 300 hp is the norm now, and a few are way over 300 hp.
The current C-segment Alfa Romeo hot hatch is the Giulietta Veloce with the 240 hp 1750 TBi engine (Photo courtesy of Laurent Sanson).
I always thought that Clarkson’s Top Gear review was pretty ridiculous; holding full throttle through the corner and complaining there was wheelspin and understeer. If it was a high-powered rear drive car it would be smoky oversteer and he would be delighted! Surely a car being too powerful to go full throttle through a corner is a good thing not a bad thing?