Reader Ride: Gianni’s Turismo Veloce
Time for another edition of DT’s Reader Ride
feature, which keeps coming back like a bad case of scabies. This next feature comes
from reader Gianni who has had the pleasure of owning this Alfa Romeo GTV for 22 years. That is a long time to be steward of such a machine and if he ever feels the need to free himself of this considerable burden, we’d be happy to help.
Gianni answer the questions in our Reader Rides questionaire, but you can also read about the car on his blog here.
Year / Make / Model / Trim ?
1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GT Veloce
How long have you owned it?
22 years.
Why did you buy
it?
The family doctor in the small town I grew up in
always drove Alfas. I remember when he drove a GTV. I thought is was
the coolest looking car. It was always #1 on my Alfa bucket list.
What do you use it for (commute, fun, racing…etc)?
Fun.
Is it stock or
modified? If modified, please list some modifications.
Stock. Too many people modify Alfas and screw them up for the next generation.
What was the most
memorable day in your car (proposed to wife, 3rd child born in back
seat…etc)?
I bought it in Cupertino, CA on January 2nd,
1992 and drove it home to Seattle. Driving a 20 year old car that was
new to me over the Siskyous in the dark in the dead of winter was pretty
memorable. Luckily the snow held off until I made it to Grants Pass.
What was the most catastrophic failure of
parts/components?
Dead battery the next morning when I
went to leave the Super 8 in Grants Pass. Got a jump from the service
station across the street and was on my way. The rest of the trip was
uneventful.
What makes you want to keep owning this car?
It’s
lovely to look at and lovely to drive. They don’t make cars like it
anymore. New Alfas are a shadow of what they once were. The driving
experience is so much more fun than it is in a modern.
 |
| This is a photo from 1992 when Gianni first acquired this beauty. |
Will you
ever sell it?
Someday when I can’t drive it anymore I will sell
it on to the next caretaker. Hopefully, that will be quite a few years
from now.
EIC Vince — Thanks for the pictures and story on one of my favorite cars!
Got your own ride and want to share? Send us some pics. tips@dailyturismo.com You can just free form your words,
or follow this questionnaire.
Year / Make / Model / Trim ?
How long have you owned it?
Why did you buy it?
What do you use it for (commute, fun, racing…etc)?
Is it stock or modified? If modified, please list some modifications.
What was the most memorable day in your car (proposed to wife, 3rd child born in back seat…etc)?
What was the most catastrophic failure of parts/components?
What makes you want to keep owning this car?
Will you ever sell it?
Awesome car! Definitely gives the rest of us something to shoot for. I'm afraid that I'd have to drive it to work from time to time just to keep my attitude right. (Crap, I work from home! I guess I'd have to drive it around a couple of miles every morning instead of walking the dog).
22 years of ownership and the most catastrophic failure was a dead battery? That's some Camry-like reliability right there. Love the look of this car.
That makes for a very nice little weekend cruiser, definitely something you won't see on the streets or very rarely at a car show.