2nd Series 156 in GTA Spec?

[Gotta B Red]

Hi All,
Did the second series body of the 156( the last shape) introduced in 2003 (according to wikipedia) and in GTA spec, ever get imported to Oz? I'm still looking for my first Alfa( about 45 years 6 months and counting.... I don't want to make a rash decision!) but I can't say I've seen one of these. The earlier version (pre 2003 series 1) are a lttle easier to find but are by no means commonplace. I understand the time lag between model release in Europe and seeing that model in Oz has a role.

The GT with the 3.2 Busso is significantly easier to find, almost 10:1 so I was wondering if that model was somehow or for some reason preferred by either the marketplace or the importer or is there another reason for the prevalence of one over the other when they are very similar spec (engine wise) and not too far from one another as 'New Car' prices. I suppose a couple of extra doors does cost( as it should).
I guess, one good reason I can think of, might be that they are just fantastic cars and their owners quite rightly want to keep them ....that I DO understand.
Perhaps the 147 GTA has played a role in some way? But as it and the GT are essentially 2 doors .... OK 3 doors, that places them in a somewhat different marketplace.
The 2.5L is seen as a 156 2nd Series, but still not as common as the GT with the 3.2L. Could there be a reason that I'm just not seeing?
Did the dealers stream or direct customers wanting the 3.2L Busso performance into the 2 door cars or was it at the production/manufacturers end and a directive of Alfa or Fiat. Perhaps the market's taste changed.It puzzles me that a 156 2nd Series GTA is a rare beast indeed. if in fact it was ever made or more's the point, saw the light of day in this country in any significant numbers.

I defer to the Illuminati and will be grateful for your help,info and comments.

Cheers,
Andy

[Sheldon McIntosh]

The GTA didn't get the facelift.

[Evan Bottcher]

Agreed with Sheldon.  The 156 GTA never received the exterior update, in any market.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_156_GTA

[Gotta B Red]

Thanks Sheldon & Evan,
So they kept making them, past 2003? and if a hypothetical 2005 model were to be found, it would by definition, be a pre 2003 facelift body with a 2005 build date?
Did Australia ever see any of these later chronologically but earlier body style models of the 156 GTA?

Cheers,
Andy

[Davidm1600]

I may well be incorrect and please correct any of my comments, but I would hazard a guess that the GTA probably wasn't made post 2003, and/or especially after the update version was released.  I am not sure they were even made following the release of the JTS which correct me if I am not wrong, was around late 2002 early 2003.

The reason I say this is that the information pod on the dash top of the GTA is like those (not sure if exactly the same), as the Twin Spark 156. Whereas the JTS has the later style pod.  Externally the JTS model gained the side skirts, and the bumpers were fully painted rather than having the black trim on them, but retained the original style grill, rather than the deeper later style grill.  Mind you 156 2.5V6 and I think GTA grills are slightly different again with the chromed horizontal bars within the shield. 

[Gotta B Red]

That seems more plausible. Unless they built or had a stock of the older bodies to accommodate or supply a special line or build shop that continued to make 156 GTAs beyond 2003. It seems a bit of a long bow to me, far more logical to have the GT just eclipse the 156GTA in the model line-up.
So for buyers from the performance 'Top-Shelf' "This is our offering the 156GTA is no more if you really have to have a Busso 3.2L (and some do!) then a two-door is all we have to meet your needs sir"
I have read that an excess stockpile of the 3.2 engines were built with just this strategy in mind.

Cheers,
Andy

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Wikipedia seems to believe that they were made until 2005, and my infrequent roaming of the British Alfa forum would certainly back that assertion up.  I also once saw a 2004 GTA wagon for sale in NZ.

I had a quick look at the ATECO press site, and they only list them for 2002-3, so it looks like they were available in other markets post-2003, just not here.

As far as I'm aware the GTA only had different guards and bumpers (but happy to be corrected), so I wouldn't imagine they would need a special line or shop to accommodate them.  I would imagine this is also why they didn't facelift them. For such a niche product, why bother tooling up for new parts when the 159 is only 2 years away?

[AGM155]

156 GTAs were built post 2003, I even know of a 2004 built car in Australia.

Locally the arrival of the $20k cheaper 147 GTA sort of signalled the end for the 156 version - I believe it became special order only before being completely dropped from the range, so high price price new and short amount of time spent on the market are the best expanations for the 156 GTA's rarity.

As others have said, the GTA never recieved the Giugiaro restyling.

[L4OMEO]

The 156 GTA was dropped from the range in Australia at the same time the 147 GTA was introduced here. It wouldn't surprise me if the odd one wasn't registered until 2004, but anything with a build date after 203 is more likely to be a personal import (there is a GTA Sportwagon in the country which I believe may be a 2004 build) or, as AGM155 says, perhaps a special order. Officially, 126 156 GTA sedans were imported by Ateco between 2002/2003.

Neither the 156 GTA nor 147 GTA received the same face-lifts (interior or exterior) with the rest of their respective ranges as, according to Alfa Romeo, the GTAs were apparently viewed as stand-alone models. Or perhaps this story was simply conjured up because they were introduced too late in the model life-cycles and effectively missed the boat. Who knows. The GT was seen as a separate model again. Ahh, the Italians.

As Sheldon states the front and rear guards on the GTA were flared in comparison with the standard shell.

BTW the 2.5 V6 was available from the model's introduction overseas from late 1997, but in Australia it was introduced around 12-18 months after the 4-cylinder versions. A 6-speed manual variant was imported during 2002/2003, some in pre-facelift and some in post-facelift form. There were around 100 imported in total, making this rarer than the 156 GTA. Even rarer now I wrote my 2.5 V6 manual off.


Hello? Anyone still awake out there?

[Gotta B Red]

Thanks Sheldon and Others,
I think we're getting closer, for similar reasons and info paths, personally I've never seen a 156 wagon (early shape) GTA or otherwise, but have no doubt they exist. Although not as common as other body variants, the 156 wagon (as the later body) I have seen in the flesh and in many images, but not in GTA spec.
It appears to me (from images only) as I've never actually seen and compared the two bodies side by side that almost every external skin is different, save perhaps the roof. As you say the guards are different (all four of them) the bonnet,the boot lid, the bumpers front and rear (almost certainly plastic but still needs a new die) and the panel below the bumpers front and rear (not sure what they are called,but I know they have specific names) perhaps the external sills too and maybe the door skins although that's harder to pick.
The second or rather last revision of the 156 body seems to have required a re-tool of at the very least the press dies for many external skins and likely other elements of production.Where in contrast, the first facelift needed little more than a chisel and a spray-gun.

The reference to a special line or shop was IF they had produced surplus bodies to allow continued production of the previous model(in GTA form)  it would be a monumental headache to have different bodies flowing down a line designed and optimised for an essentially different model albeit not much different, but different nonetheless.
As you have identified the model seemed to drop off the ATECO radar and others around 2002~2003 perhaps the directive had it's genesis there,with ATECO and not Italy.
Cheers,
Andy

[colcol]

I heard a story that all the 156 GTA's were brought in on the same ship, and 2 were written off after the ships hold blew a pipe in the hold and the 2 cars were steam damaged, and ATECO people removed the 2 compliance plates, so they couln't be sold, as they couldn't be fixed and have a warranty, so the 2 cars were used as race cars, i have not seen any Guigarro 2005 on GTA's in Australia, but i beleive 1 could be made if you had nothing better to do, the 156 GTA's have the improved aircon vents and climate control, centre dash information display, painted mirrors and color coded bumpers deleting the black rubber strip on the front and rear bars, they also got the radio controls on the steering wheel off the 147, the prices of used GTA's has to be bargain of the year, and they have a proper Alfa Romeo motor, Colin.

[Neil Choi]

the 156 GTA's have the improved aircon vents and climate control, centre dash information display,

You reckon!!!!!

[colcol]

The airflow in the centre vents go from woefull to pathetic on the 2002 models compared to the 1998-2001, as they are bigger so they must be better, then on the Guigarro facelift, they changed the vents to look different, without being any better as i know someone who did the conversion and didn't make any difference, but he did learn how to take the dash apart, Colin.

[L4OMEO]

There are a few different stories regarding 156s damaged in transit to Australia. The one I've heard is that they were 4-cylinder models and that there were a lot more of them than two, although exactly how many I can't recall. How did I hear this? From Ateco - I was in the AROCNZ committee at the time and they phoned me to discuss the feasibility of the club's support in turning them all into race-cars for a one-make series. Never happened, although the NZ division of Ateco had an 'AlfaSport' arm that built a Group-N spec 156 and entered it in endurance racing along with the local AROCNZ race series. This could have been one of the damaged cars, don't know. Sure went ok (gutless, but man it handled).

[aggie57]

Side comment - the very first RHD (may well have been the very first of any) production selespeed Alfa's were a batch of 156's built for Australia. Several club members bought cars from that first shipment. Lucky or.....?!