The Alfetta GTV 2000

Sir,

Whilst I found your Road Test of the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 2000 entertaining in general, I did think that you were unduly critical of Alfa Romeo (GB) Limited in your opening paragraphs.

The Company had every right to be apprehensive about submitting the car for further journalistic appraisal, following the publication of the Road Test of the 1.8 GT in the Motor on January 3rd, 1976. In case it escaped your notice, that Road Test awarded the somewhat puerile and completely arbitrary three star accolade to the GT for handling and even featured an inverted photograph of the speedometer. Notwithstanding the fact that the Autocar, in its Road Test of the previous October, had described the handling as superb, it subsequently began equivocating in support of its sister journal. This led me to abandon these periodicals in favour of the Car magazine, which describes the GT as having a “superb chassis” and, together with your own Road Test, gives me some hope that Alfa Nord are not persona non grata. If Motor Sport could have sold Mr. Needham a few more cars then you must allow that it could also have sold him a few less. Confidence in the product must be matched by confidence in the Press.

Incidentally, I think that you will find that the roll experienced in cornering in the GTV can be attributed merely to the initial movement of the variable rate coil springs at the rear end, which you do not appear to mention specifically as such.

My only connection with Alfas is as the contented owner of an Alfetta 1.6 saloon and a well-satisfied customer of Aylesford Motors Limited.

Maidstone K. E. MOORE