This Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV Is a Blast From the 1970s

My best friend in high school was obsessed with his grandfather's quirky Italian car: A 1974 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV. It was nearly identical to the car featured in the latest video from Harry's Garage, except it was blue, and left-hand drive. Eventually, his grandfather gave him this car, which became his pride and joy (unlike the one in that Hoonigan video). He even picked up an Alfa 164L daily driver to keep the miles off the GTV.

This video brings back a lot of memories for me. I remember that huge wooden steering wheel and the gearshift lever that almost pivoted on the firewall rather than the floor. When Harry pops the hood everything on that twin-cam engine looks familiar, particularly the "Alfa Romeo" script on the valve cover. But it's the growl of that engine that I remember most fondly of all.

An E21 BMW 320i is the closest I've ever come to owning a vintage car like this. I enjoyed my BMW, but it doesn't hold a candle to the class and style of the Alfa GTV.