Another one to keep me busy!

[Alfamet]

Deal done. Deposit paid. Delivery very soon!

[Kegsti66]

Nice one Colin, I had seen this advertised.
SA spec , am i correct in saying a cloverleaf in a four door shell as South Africa only produced the four door shell?
Good to hear you are in good health now.
Keith

[Alfamet]

Cheers Keith.
Yeah. It’s good to be back to full health. Thank you and you’re right. It’s basically a five door S3 Ti in Green Cloverleaf 105bhp specification.

All Alfasuds from South Africa were designated Export and not Alfasud and intended for their home market only.

They were assembled at Alfa Romeo’s South African plant in Brits from CKD (Complete Knock Down) kits delivered from Italy but with a large proportion of locally supplied components to satisfy trade agreements at the time.

Thus, all SA-made Exports (Alfasuds) contained unique content, such as seats, interior trim, paint colours and even door mirrors.

Sorry to be such an anorak but these little cars have always fascinated me!

My first Alfasud was a red 1981 four-door (booted non-hatchback) South African Alfa Romeo Export 1.5 (same as an S3 Alfasud SC) way back when so we've come full circle with my latest purchase.

I’d been following this particular car for ages but I couldn’t really progress with purchasing it due to poor health but now that I’m fit again I’m very pleased to have secured it.

There were only fifty Export GTAs made as a run-out model prior to the SA plant starting production of the 33 and it is believed that there are only seven GTAs remaining worldwide. There is another one in this country but it’s whereabouts is unknown. Mine is documented as being the last but one ever made.

[Gary Orchard]

Hi Colin
Is that the car that featured in Autoitalia magazine with the Giardinatta a while ago ?
Do you or anyone else know how much assembly was done in South Africa e.g. were complete body shells built there or where they shipped out there as pre built body shells and just assembled out there.
Looks like it’s in great condition from your picture - I’m sure you will enjoy it when it arrives

[Alfamet]

Hi Gary.

I was able to do a bit of research before I bought the GTA, predominantly to establish that this was a genuine and authentic Brits-built vehicle.

I saw the actual car as it'd appeared on a South African auction site so knew of it's history and provenance before it was imported into this country. Here it is:

https://auction.oldjwauctioneers.com/lo ... lfasud-gta

It had also appeared in an article on a South African website:

https://www.drivenmag.co.za/the-forgotten-gta/

So mine is not the other Auto Italia-featured GTA that you're referring to although that one was also subsequently imported to the UK. Along with the Giardinetta, here they are while on SA registration plates:

https://drives.today/articles/309/compa ... ucock.html

[Alfamet]

Do you or anyone else know how much assembly was done in South Africa e.g. were complete body shells built there or where they shipped out there as pre built body shells and just assembled out there.

Definitely CKD kit from from Italy Gary. A bit like a big Airfix kit! So, engine, transmission, running gear and bare body shell arrived at Brits (none of the body panels were manufactured in SA) with final assembly by local labour at the plant completed with locally supplied components.

Cars were finished in colours and paint codes unique to and sourced from South Africa at the Brits factory.

Only very early (S1) Export models had the quad headlight Ti front grille, all later models having a pair of rectangular lights.

[Gary Orchard]

That’s really interesting to know how they arrived into SA
I wonder what sort of protection the body shells had during transport if they were painted once they arrived at the SA factory?
Maybe they were painted in primer in Italy before being shipped as otherwise I guess the corrosion issues would have been worse than usual !
A very rare car you have there and I am looking forward to seeing it

[Kegsti66]

Thanks for the update and info Colin.
Super car and i hope you enjoy your future journeys.

[Alfamet]

That’s really interesting to know how they arrived into SA
I wonder what sort of protection the body shells had during transport if they were painted once they arrived at the SA factory?

I read a long time ago that apparently the body shells and metal panels were hot dipped at the factory in Italy before being shipped out in CKD kits to the Brits plant in SA.