A superb and rare photo of Yves Loubet in his Alfa Romeo GTV6 during the
extraordinary heavy 1984
edition of the Tour de Corse - a.k.a.
the Rally of Corsica, which was ridden between
May 3 and May 5, 1984. Loubet’s co-rider
during the rally was Patricia Trivero,
they finished 10TH.
The Alfa Romeo Alfetta was the base for the Alfa Romeo GT and the Alfa Romeo GTV.
The four-door Alfetta was sold in the USA from 1975
through 1977 under the name Alfetta Sedan. From 1978 to 1979
a mildly restyled version was sold under the name
Sport Sedan. The four-cylinder coupe was available from 1975 to 1977 under the
moniker Alfetta GT . Finally, the V-6 version was marketed from 1981 to 1986 as
the GTV-6. Back to the GTV, it was a fastback coupé version of the Alfetta,
introduced in 1974 as Alfetta GT, initially available only with the 1.8 litre (1779 cc) version
of the Alfa DOHC four. For 1976, with the final phasing out of the earlier 105
Series 1.3 and 1.6 litre coupes
(GT 1300 Junior and GT 1600 Junior) and the 2.0 litre 105 series
2000 GTV, the Alfetta GT became a range, also available with the 1.6 litre (1570 cc) and 2.0 litre (1962 cc) versions
of the same engine as the Alfetta GT 1.6, Alfetta GT 1.8 and Alfetta
GTV 2000. The GTV designation was initially reserved for the 2.0 litre top version. In 1979,
some minor revisions, including a revised engine with new camshaft profiles and
a change to mechanical-and-vacuum ignition advance, saw the 2.0 litre redesignated the
Alfetta GTV 2000L. Autodelta also produced a limited edition turbocharged
model, named Turbodelta, for FIA Group 4 homologation. This version used a KKK
turbo which pushed power up to 175 PS (129 kW). The car also received
a modified suspension layout. This was first Italian production car with turbocharger.
The styling of the GTV, while distinctive, can be seen to share many design
features derived from the Montreal supercar, as
translated down to a simpler and thus more marketable vehicle. Examples of this
are the bonnet line, which while briefer, still has 'scallops' for the
headlights, and the tail light clusters which resemble those of the Montreal. The door
shape is similar, and in a sharing of parts, both vehicles employ the same door
handles. In 1981, the GTV received a restyling, with grey plastic bumpers and
all matt-black trim replacing bright stainless steel, the 1.6 litre and 1.8 litre versions were
discontinued and the Alfetta 2000 GTV became the base coupé model as the
Alfa GTV 2.0. The Alfetta name was dropped, but the two-litre coupé retained
its type designation of 11636 for left hand drive and 11637 for right hand
drive. 15 inch alloy wheels
were now standard, as opposed to the earlier cars' 14
inch pressed steel or optional 14
inch alloy.
Later in the same year, the GTV-6, a version of
the GTV with the SOHC V6 2.5 L engine from the Alfa 6 luxury sedan, was
released. As a result the hood received a bulge to clear the top of the intake
and became its most pronounced feature. With Bosch fuel injection instead of
the six downdraught Dell'Orto carburetors in the early Alfa 6 installation, the
V6 was much easier to start and retained its state of tune much better. The V6
received rave reviews from the motoring press, which had previously lambasted
the same engine in the Alfa 6 because of the carburetor problems. It found its
true home in the GTV-6 where it could stretch its legs better than in the less
sporting Alfa 6 sedan, including winning the European Touring Car Championship
an unprecedented four years in succession (1982-85), the British Touring Car
Championship in 1983 at the hands of Andy Rouse, as well as many other racing
and rallying competitions. The fuel injection installation eventually made it
into the second series of the Alfa 6 as well. The GTV went through a number of
revisions, including a new gear ratios and an updated interior in 1984.
A grey GTV6 is featured for a short period in the
James Bond movie Octopussy. Bond steals the parked car while its owner uses a
pay phone booth and makes haste towards Octopussy's Circus. The GTV6 was driven
to victory by Greg Carr and Fred Gocentas in the 1987 Australian Rally
Championship. South African models were first assembled at Automaker's Rosslyn
plant, located outside Pretoria. These
early, 1973 models, were manufactured alongside Datsuns. From 1974 South
African Alfetta's were manufactured at Alfa Romeo's own Brits plant. South
Africa was one of two markets
to have a turbocharged GTV6, with a Garrett turbocharger and a NACA intake. An
estimated 750 were assembled before all production ceased in 1986. The South
African market also introduced the 3.0 L GTV-6, predating the
international debut of the factory's 3.0 L engine in 1987. Approximately
200 were built in South Africa for racing
homologation. To this day, the GTV-6 remains the quintessential Alfa Romeo for
South Africans. For the U.S. market two
limited production GTV-6 models stand out. The Balocco (named after the famous
Balocco race track in Italy) in 1982
with a production run of only 350 cars. And the GTV-6 2.5 Maratona, of which
only 150 were built. The Maratona model included a more aggressive aerodynamic
trim package, lightweight Speedline wheels, clear engine view port, sunroof,
wood steering wheel, rear louvers and fog lamps. All 150 cars were painted only
in Silver. Callaway Cars, famous for their modified Camaro, Impala SS and
Corvette offerings modified about thirty GTV-6s between 1983 and 1986.
In addition to numerous small component upgrades,
the Callaway GTVs included a much revised suspension, larger brakes and a twin-turbocharger
system, boosting performance to near-exotic levels. A different twin turbo GTV
was also built briefly for the Australian market.
The racing
versions of the Alfetta GT and GTV were built by Autodelta, initially with the normally aspirated engine from
the earlier GTAm racer based on the 105 series coupe, for homologation under
FIA Group 2. In this form
they were rallied with moderate success in 1975, winning the Elba and Costa Brava rallies
overall, as well as winning the Group 2 category in the World Rally
Championship's Corsican event. The next year Autodelta shifted its focus to
circuit racing the Alfettas, which won the under 2.5-liter Group 2 division of
the European Touring Car Championship, scoring a remarkable second place
overall at the 24 hour race at Spa-Francorchamps, as well as an overall win in
the ETC race at Vallelunga. Despite such results, Autodelta's efforts with the
Group 2 Alfetta were desultory, and ended prematurely. At a single rally at the
end of the 1975 season, Autodelta also rallied an Alfetta GTV with a 3.0 litre V8 engine, derived from
the 2.6 litre V8 of the
Alfa Romeo Montreal coupé and sharing the same mechanical fuel injection by
SPICA. It had been suggested to produce 400 roadgoing versions of this model
for homologation but this plan was abandoned as well. In 1980 the Alfetta GTV
Turbodelta was already homologated in FIA Group 4, since the required number of
production cars had been built. A racing version was campaigned in rallies, but
once more the effort was abandoned after a single season, despite scoring a win
at the Danube Rally. In 1986 the Alfa Romeo GTV6 was one of the fastest Group A
rally cars. However FIA put it to Group B in the end of 1986, this made if from
winner car to a car which was drawn away from rallying. The GTV6 placed 3rd in
1986 Tour de Corse.
The Tour de Corse
, or Rally of Corsica , is a
rally race first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica . Currently
it is part of the World Rally Championship. The name "Tour de Corse"
refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island;
nowadays it only features roads around Ajaccio. The rally
is held on asphalt, and it is known as the “Ten Thousand Turns Rally” because
of the twisty mountain roads. The first running of the rally was won by the
Belgian female driver Gilberte Thirion in a Renault Dauphine.
The company that became Alfa
Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by
Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan, in
partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. The firm
initially produced Darracq cars in Naples, but after
the partnership collapsed Stella and the other Italian co-investors moved
production to an idle Darracq factory in the Milan suburb of
Portello, and the company was renamed A.L.F.A.
(Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). The first non-Darracq car produced by
company was the 1910 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi. Merosi would go on to
design a series of new ALFA
cars with more powerful engines (40-60 HP). ALFA also ventured into motor
racing, drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with
two 24 HP models. However, the onset of World War I halted automobile
production at ALFA for three years. 1916 saw the company come under the direction
of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo,
who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and
Allied war efforts. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components,
compressors and generators based on the company's existing car engines, and
heavy locomotives were produced in the factory during the war. When the war was
over, Romeo took complete
control of ALFA and car production
resumed in 1919. In 1920, the
name of the company was changed to Alfa
Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP becoming the first car to be badged as
such. Their first success came in 1920 when Giuseppe Campari won at Mugello and
continued with second place in the Targa Florio driven by Enzo Ferrari. Giuseppe Merosi continued as head designer,
and the company continued to produce solid road cars as well as successful race
cars (including the 40-60 HP and the RL Targa Florio). In 1923 Vittorio Jano
was lured away from Fiat, partly thanks to the persuasion of a young Alfa
racing driver named Enzo Ferrari, to replace Merosi as chief designer at Alfa
Romeo. The first Alfa Romeo under Jano was the P2 Grand Prix car, which won
Alfa Romeo the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. For
Alfa road cars Jano developed a series of small-to-medium-displacement 4, 6,
and 8 cylinder inline power plants based on the P2 unit that established the
classic architecture of Alfa engines, with light alloy construction,
hemispherical combustion chambers, centrally-located plugs, two rows of
overhead valves per cylinder bank and dual overhead cams. Jano's designs proved
to be both reliable and powerful. Enzo
Ferrari proved to be a better team manager than driver, and when the
factory team was privatised, it then became Scuderia Ferrari. When Ferrari left
Alfa Romeo, he went on to build his own cars. Tazio Nuvolari often drove for
Alfa, winning many races prior to WWII. In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa
going broke after defense contracts ended, and in the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo
was rescued by the government, which then had effective control. Alfa became an
instrument of Mussolini's Italy, a national
emblem. During this period Alfa Romeo built bespoke vehicles for the wealthy,
with the bodies normally built by Touring of Milan or Pininfarina. This was the
era that peaked with the legendary Alfa Romeo 2900B Type 35 racers. The Alfa
factory (converted during wartime to the production of Macchi C.202 Folgore
engines) was bombed during World War II, and struggled to return to
profitability after the war. The luxury vehicles were out. Smaller
mass-produced vehicles began to be produced in Alfa's factories beginning with
the 1954 model year, with the introduction of the Giulietta series of berline
(saloons/sedans), coupes and open two-seaters. All three varieties shared what
would become the classic Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, initially in 1300cc form.
This engine would eventually be enlarged to just under 2
liters (1962cc) and would remain in production through
1995.
This is a very nice and very rare non period photo that reflects a wonderful era of
Alfa Romeo ‘s and Tour de Corse ’s automotive history in a wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this
photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 12"
(ca. 20 x 30 cm). It makes it perfectly suitable for framing.
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on
photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright
expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our
archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well
protected in PVC clear files and board backed
envelopes.
We have
photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the
original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and
excellent quality.
After many decades
of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our
archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They
will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a
border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace,
restaurant, bar or club!
First come -
first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any
questions before the auction ends.