Cars that work without fault are sometimes construed as appliances. Efficient, robust, sometimes painted in shades of silver or white. Few cars today still have a soul that burns for something greater than A-to-B commuting and shuttling the family around, hence why a classic car is the best investment into your love for cars. Something with no traffic aids, no bings and bongs when a minivan is in your blind spot, no Bluetooth, navigation, or even a fully-operational powertrain. What better car to exemplify this than the Alfa Romeo GTV-6?The GTV-6 has similar qualities to a close friend. Especially if they have trouble with consuming fluids and aren’t terribly reliable. But when we find human qualities in inanimate objects, they become even more likable. These traits are exemplified in the Alfa Romeo we’d like to highlight for you, dear reader, and remind you of the GTV-6’s current stint in rehab as a recovering old Italian car. It needs staunch car nuts to love and preserve it for everyone to know what the epitome of occasional reliability and Italian craftsmanship is. Besides, someone has to accept its wrongdoings, otherwise it can’t move on from step five. Is the GTV-6 Divine Intervention? Bring A TrailerSigns point to yes. The GTV-6 was pulled together using the best bits from other Alfas at the time and sketched by Giugiaro’s newly-formed Italdesign, and by all accounts is one of Italdesign's greatest hits. Fuel injection was becoming the name of the game and Alfa Romeo needed something to stay competitive. Original Alfettas and GTVs packed four-cylinder motors, but the GTV-6 had, you guessed it, a V6 which it borrowed from the Alfa 6 sedan. The carburetors were hacked off and replaced with fuel injectors, though the GTV-6 still had a “choke” of sorts for colder mornings which increased the air-fuel mixture. Archaic in design and function, but modern enough to still compete with the Ford Capri, Porsche 924, and BMW 325i.The most famous recounts of the ministry of the GTV-6 come from the apostle Clarkson, who compared his ownership experience to being in a relationship with a drunken girlfriend. Sure, she’s disorderly and might lack a handful of redeeming qualities, but she has the face of an angel and knows how to show you a good time. Could any other car receive higher praise? All Alfas have this effect on their owners, but the GTV-6 is the capstone of this theology, which calls all able-bodied enthusiasts to the Mecca that is Alfa ownership. A feeling sits dormant inside us all—the need for the ultimate connection between man and machine. Some believe this is the car that does it, but if you asked them, they couldn’t even explain why.Maybe it’s the words they read in magazines, or the stories they were told by owners, but those words weren’t so kind in their day. The GTV-6 was written-off for having heavy steering and unsettling shifting, as well as being less refined than the Nissan 300ZX and Toyota Supra. Granted, comparison is the thief of joy, so when the Alfa is looked at sua sponte, it’s remembered for all the emotions it brings out of its pilot. One of the ways it did that was with its glorious engine note.Bring A TrailerThe legendary Busso V6 might have produced just 160 horsepower but did so with silky tenor vocals, paying homage to fellow Italians who also made glorious sounds. A rear transaxle and De Dion rear suspension helped the GTV-6 both on the road and on the track. It took home consecutive wins in the European Touring Car Championship from 1982-1985, further driving home the enduring spirit of this car despite its many faults. Thou Shall Fear No Alfa, But Be Warned... Alfa RomeoUnlike what we said about Alfa Romeos being reliable, the older ones certainly live up to their reputation for being occasionally dependable. A handful of things can go wrong, but proper maintenance and quickly addressing issues that arise will keep you and your Alfa simpatico. Remember the plastic cover on the hood? As far as we can tell, it isn’t for if the intake plenum or other miscellaneous bits of engine blows. It also has nothing to do with fitting the carbureted 3.0-liter V6 for South African models, since those hoods don’t have the plastic cover. Alas, we think it was just a design choice.Now that we’ve hopefully cleansed you of any worry about what might launch from the engine bay like a ballistic missile from a submarine, let’s discuss what you should be looking for when buying your GTV-6. Head gaskets and valve guides are weak spots, so be mindful of any smoke on test drives and other leaks when poking around under the hood. These also came with twin-plate clutches, which made shifting quite a chore, so chances are it’s been replaced with a newer, single-plate clutch. If not, we suggest making that modification. A slight buzz or whirring noise from the transmission is normal, but excessive clanking might be from worn mounts. Linkages are also to blame for vague shifting. Be sure to address those while the transmission is out, too.Bring A TrailerThe GTV-6 also has in-board rear brakes, which hopefully aren’t one grab away from cracking. Hard driving on the solid rotors wears them out a lot faster than normal cruising, but since spirited driving is the goal in your Alfa Romeo, new pads and ventilated rotors are available to resolve that problem. Mechanically, most things will be sound and previously addressed. As for everything else, it’s a different story.Rust will hide in places like the front strut turrets, wheel arches, door sills, A-pillars, and trunk area. Italian wiring is horrendous, in one word, but issues you might run into are just from old age and can be replaced or cleaned to get running again. Interior trim, like many old cars, will be worn or busted. Plenty of Alfa forums are out there to secure parts from and help point you in the right direction when restoring your car. Still, You Should Own One Bring A TrailerJust like any other old car you’re considering buying, it’ll be a good project. The Alfas get a bad rap for being relatively unreliable in their time, but they’ve aged quite gracefully into their golden years like their competition has. Small upkeep here and there will pay dividends, just like addressing some of the bigger issues after you’ve first secured one. Prices are pretty reasonable, too. Unfinished project examples can be found for less than $10,000, while running and driving examples are between $17,000–30,000 depending on their condition and mileage.Take a second to think about what your life would be like with an Alfa Romeo parked in the garage. No, an assortment of fluids is not spilled across the floor. And your significant other hasn’t left you for a Porsche owner. A gorgeous, 2+2 packing the legendary Busso V6 sits waiting to play its song for you from idle and up through the rev range. It looks like nothing else, sounds like nothing else, and thanks to Jeremy Clarkson, everyone knows what it is. You’ll be the King or Queen of your local cars and coffee, with all the others wanting to know what it’s really like. You hold the keys to what many now believe to be the epitome of Italian automobiles for a fraction of the cost of a classic Ferrari or Lamborghini. What’s not to love about that?