2003 Alfa 156 GTA Sportwagon

Highlights

• Lovely Busso-engined GTA in arguably the best colour
• Six-speed manual
• Lots of history
• Well maintained and very smart example
• Great soundtrack and performance

Overview

Charisma. No, we’re not talking about a 1990s Mitsubishi saloon car that’s completely devoid of the one thing its name suggests, but instead, of the one thing that car nuts around the world will confirm is a defining factor in what makes the difference between a technically brilliant car and a truly great one.

Alfa Romeo is a brand so truly dripping in the stuff that it can build a decidedly average car and still make the heart rule the head – at least if you’re cut from the same cloth as the majority of PHers. Even the humdrum four-cylinder models in the company’s back catalogue have soul.

So, when Alfa hits the bullseye, what you end up with is a car that’s wonderful in every respect. Hear us out here, but we think the 156 GTA Sportswagon is the ultimate definition of that.

Let’s break it down piece by piece. We’ll start with the 156 part. European Car of the Year 1998 – and for a very good reason. Car people have always loved Alfas, but fleet managers and non-petrolheads haven’t. The 156 kicked that one into the weeds, because here was an Alfa that – at launch, at least – was every bit as appealing as its German rivals. Seemingly well-made, stunning to look at and terrific to drive, it could do almost everything a BMW 3-Series could but with far more character.

Except, maybe, the turning circle – but we’ll ignore that, as it was the trade-off you had to make for the most responsive steering responses of any front-wheel-drive car at the time.

Then there was the Sportwagon. While the premium brands went about creating estate cars with capacious load bays and filled their press releases with statements about how they still looked pretty good despite the long roof, Alfa went Full Metal Jacket and created the prettiest estate car it could. In true Italian style, the cargo space was actually smaller than that of the saloon, but they handled that with an Italianate shrug and pointed out that if you wanted a good-looking estate car, this one couldn’t be beaten. They weren’t wrong.

Still with us? Great. Then let’s move on to the Busso V6. If you don’t know what one of those is, then we might question what you’re doing here, but in layman’s terms it’s one of the most iconic V6 engines ever produced, used in Alfa Romeos from 1979 to 2005 and presented here in its finest form – all 3.2-litres and 250bhp of it.

This one is an absolute gem in terms of specification – a pre-facelift car with a six-speed manual transmission finished in Brilliant Blue with Nero leather trim. If you try to tell us there’s a better spec, we’ll just ignore you, because it’s truly, truly gorgeous.

Okay, so it’s not perfect. The odometer has tipped over six figures (albeit not by a huge amount) and it has a few minor imperfections, but they’re pretty trivial and you’ll forgive the lot of them when you drive it. We know you will. So, what are you waiting for? This is a PH car you can even justify to the family – just don’t tell them that the saloon has a bigger boot. Your secret is safe with us.

History and documentation

• UK V5C in the name of the vendor
• Three owners, current for nine years
• MOT February 2025
• Large file of invoices pertaining to servicing and maintenance all the way back to when the car was new, most recently in the summer of 2024 at 106,000 miles
• Proof of recent cambelt replacement
• Original bill of sale from Bishops Alfa Romeo of Guildford
• Two sets of keys
• Garage stored for the past four years while the owner carried out home improvements, and recommissioned last year

Interior

• Original black and grey leather GTA sports seats in good order, with some visible wear to driver’s side bolster but no holes or tears
• Aftermarket Bluetooth head unit
• BOSE surround sound speakers
• Heated seats
• Digital climate control
• Genuine Alfa floor mats
• Original tool kit
• Good headlining, carpets and leather door trims

Exterior

• Stunning Brilliant Blue
• Pewter Grey Quadrafoglio alloys, refurbished and in good condition
• Pirelli P-Zero tyres all-round
• Mostly original but front wings were painted in 2019 to rectify rust bubbles, which are starting to reappear slightly on one side
• Rear tow bracket/crash bar previously repaired but no history of any other underbody welding
• All panels are straight with no major damage, other than the usual minor chips and marks commensurate with age and use; for a 21-year-old Alfa, it’s superb
• Small scuff on rear bumper

Mechanical

• 3.2-litre Busso V6
• Six-speed manual transmission
• 0-60mph in 6.9 secs
• 250bhp
• Cambelt replaced in July 2024
• Rebuilt gearbox and clutch in 2015
• Harvey Bailey handling kit
• Q2 differential
• Alfaholics downpipes
• Supersprint exhaust
• Aftermarket inlet manifold hose – vendor is trying to source a replacement
• Described by the vendor as great to drive, with a beautiful engine and exhaust note

Summary

You want this car, don’t you?

Please tell us you do, because if so, you’ll save us from ourselves. It’s a rare and fabulous piece of 2000s Alfa Romeo iconography that will never fail to delight you every time you drive it, even if you just start it up to move it around the garage and listen to those six cylinders popping away through the Supersprint exhaust system.

Also, this is a really sensible, practical family estate car. It’s an argument you must use and project with all the effort you can, because it’s both cheaper than and a whole lot more soulful than a modern SUV. You see – unlike with most Alfas, you don’t even have to let your heart rule your head. Well, not as much, anyway.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Sussex.