The Bid is Right

Guess the final bid on this modified Alfa Romeo, and you could win $500 [Guessing Closed]

by Conner Golden
23 November 2022 3 min read
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Do modifications ever add value? Rarely, but a distinction should be drawn between “modifications” and “builds.” With enough attention to detail, the latter can transcend the sum of its parts; serialize it, and you’ve got the makings of a cult following. Projects from ateliers like Singer Vehicle Design and Icon 4×4 not only retain invested value, but sometimes will handily outstrip values of their clean, unmodified counterparts.

Of course, not all restomods hit this lucrative chord—and it’s up to you to decide if the price on this Alfaholics-fettled 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV is lunar-bound. If you cast a guess closest to what this incendiary Italian sells for on Bring a Trailer, you’ll pocket $500 for your hard work. We’ll talk about that later; we first have to discuss just what the heck an Alfaholics build is, and why bidding is already lofty more than a week away from the sale’s close.

Bring a Trailer | Jeff_hughes

In essence, Alfaholics is the end-game for Alfa enthusiasts seeking the superlative GTV experience. The core of the U.K-based outfit is a parts supply business that offers componentry ranging from sleepy to spicy, with enough Alfa accoutrement to build any type of car from the wheel lugs, up.

Then, you have Alfaholic’s full-scale restoration and customization programs running the gamut between factory-fresh resuscitations, competitive FIA-spec race conversions, and hi-po road-rocket builds of all levels.

BaT’s ’74 GTV is the product of Alfaholic’s intensive GTA-R program, an reserved moniker earned only by the shop’s most comprehensive performance builds. The mechanical differences between a standard GTV and a GTA-R are far too numerous to list here in totality, but Alfaholics claims over 3000 build hours go into each full GTA-R project.

Bring a Trailer | Jeff_hughes

The headlines are fantastic. No two GTA-Rs are the same—all are bespoke specs for the folks signing the check—but the gist carries over. Each GTA-R undergoes a rigorous rebuild that includes extensive lightweighting, top-spec performance engine rebuild, and serious chassis fettling that’s tuned to the new owner’s preferred driving character.

Carbon fiber hood and trunk panels, lightweight polycarbonate windows, 230-hp 2.1-liter four-cylinder, titanium suspension componentry, and a race-spec close-ration five-speed manual are just some of the many, many highlights to this little Alfa. An accompanying build sheet from Alfaholics indicates a final tally north of £202,000–or $240,000 at the time of this writing.

Bring a Trailer | Jeff_hughes

Of course, this doesn’t include the cost of the donor car, which was previously purchased on BaT in early 2020 for $52,500. And, with eight days to go, the top bid already sits at $110,000—or squarely between the Hagerty Price Guide’s value for a 1974 GTV 2000 in Condition #1 (Concours) and Condition #2 (excellent).

Bidders are excited. Commenters are excited. Heck, we’re excited just to see how high the bidding climbs. As to where it lands, that’s up to you to figure out; you should have this figured out by now, but throw your best guess for the final price in the comments below, and if you’re the closest to the pin without going over, we’ll line your pockets with a neat $500.

Bring a Trailer | Jeff_hughes

It’s not enough to place a competitive bid on the next GTA-R to hit BaT, but maybe Alfaholics has some keychain or something to keep your fantasies alive. Whatever the case, make sure you catch up on the house rules below, and as always:

Get guessin’.

House rules:

  • The commenter who guesses closest to the hammer price without going over wins. (Hammer price excludes auction house fees).
  • One guess per commenter.
  • If two people guess the same amount (within a dollar) the earlier guess wins.
  • Commenters must provide first and last name in addition to email address.
  • We will close the guessing on Nov 29 2022 at 12:40 pm est.
  • Your privacy is important to us, and we’ll never sell your information. By providing your email you will receive the weekly Insider newsletter, and you can opt out at any time.
  • You can read the full rules here.

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