Alfa GT Limited Edition: No need to rush, though.

For a company that struggles to achieve double digit sales figures on a monthly basis the idea of launching an overpriced limited edition to celebrate its centenary looks like a gunshot to its own foot. Limited editions should sell out before they become available and to be honest, Mr General Public has lost confidence in Alfa Romeo.

As far as ugly cars go, the GT is definately not one of them

Historically, Alfa’s strategy of developing sporting cars from their conventional saloon car offerings has found much favour among traditional Alfisti and ensured good sales. But as the Alfisti die or retire to old-aged homes, there are very few buyers in South Africa filling their shoes. This in itself is a great pity.

Alfa Romeo does not make a bad product: never has (apart, perhaps, from some misguided time during the ‘70s). Their reputation for oil leaks and dicky electrics from the 50s, 60s and 70s does not apply today. In fact, it ceased to apply from the 90′s era 155, 145 and 146 models. However, a bad reputation is difficult to fix. Human nature dictates that we remember the bad stories despite all the good that may have been done since.

Ever since the 156 and 147 (with the exception of the Selespeed that seems to have been dogged with problems) Alfa has produced good, stylish cars with glorious engines built on sound (take that fundamentally or aurally) principles. Both those models brought success for the company in South Africa, sales outstripping demand. Both cars also won the hallowed Car of the Year award – the 156 in South Africa and 147 in multiple territories abroad.

Those that drive them, love them, but unless Alfa is able to get bums into seats, those bums will gravitate to other brands. I drive an Alfa and I love it to bits (Which it is usually in – Ed.), but at this stage I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone who asks; not because of the car, but because of the dealer network.

I think this is the problem that has led to the poor sales in South Africa – and not because of the product offering.  We will publish reviews on the Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) and MultiAir soon – probably two of Alfa’s nicest vehicles of late – but the reality is that, these models will struggle to compete against the MINI Cooper [Cooper S] and Citroen C3 [DS3], cars the Alfa trumps in Europe deservedly because it is that good.

Soon all cars will be eco friendly and too boring. But the GT is by no means close to fitting into this category. In its normal guise, it is a fantastic car: a proper grand tourer. With a brilliant engine that is based on the original Giuseppe Busso-designed V6, it sports 177kW from its 3.2 litres, while a slightly more sensible 1.9l turbodiesel is also available.

Let me reserve my comment on another brand, Renault, that once shared Alfa Romeo’s poor service woes for another column. But suffice it to say here that the French brand is an example of what Fiat Auto South Africa should have done to its Alfa Romeo and FIAT brands five years ago to improve its standing in the motoring industry. If it had done, there might be a chance for these limited edition Alfa Romeo GTs of which only 30 will be made available. Sadly I think they’ll be confined to demo lots until they get sold at dramatically reduced prices.

The Alfa Romeo GT Limited Edition is white, a very unusual colour for this car and absolutely striking when seen in the flesh.  It is now bedecked with satin-silver finishes on the grill, side mirrors and the interior similar to the new MiTo QV. It also features freshly designed five spoke 18-inch wheels and, most critically, that glorious 3.2l V6.  Alfa Romeo says only 13 of these masterpieces are left, but at an asking price of R395 000 (R400k will buy you a nearly new BMW 3-Series six cylinder Coupe or Renault Laguna Coupe) I think they will be left there for a long time to come.

This brings me back neatly to the brand reputation issue Alfa faces in South Africa and the problem of the dying Alfisti.  There is a younger generation of individuals who know and love the brand. Unfortunately, they also know not to buy an Alfa brand new. Instead they wait for these cars to be bought by other people who, typically because of frustrating dealer service, choose to sell them and do so at ridiculous prices. It remains the best way of getting into such a great car. Shortly after doing so you divorce yourself from the dealer and make use of an independent Alfa specialist and you will have bought yourself into the cheapest life-altering experience: that of Alfa ownership, where driving is an adventure rather than a chore; where an exhaust is not simply there to expel spent gasses from the engine, but rather sounds like pipe ensemble in an orchestra; it is the time that you decide that the inside of your car is a good place to be; and you look back at the car every time you lock it, just to admire the design. Alfas really are that good.

So, while this limited edition GT is quite possibly one of the best looking cars the company has ever sold in recent times, and has the drop-dead looks to match the aural pleasure of the engine, I don’t think they’ll be rushing off the showroom floors. Instead, those that want one, those people like me, will wait to get their hands on one from some disappointed-never-to-return-to-Alfa seller, or an Alfa dealer trying to offload their demo in a year’s time. By then they will have halved in price and become the performance bargain of a lifetime. Perhaps if Alfa pulls its socks up now to get its dealer network act into gear, these will truly become highly sought after and desirable grand tourers that hold the key to re-instilling brand confidence and the desirability that Alfa Romeo so sorely lacks in South Africa. They are, after all, well so much less wankerish than (E92) 3-Series BMW coupes.