Never mind that Alfa’s Mario Andretti editions manifested mostly as a trim package: this is one very clean Alfetta. Offered here on craigslist for $23,500 is a 1977 Alfetta GT, located in Orange County, California. Alfa had a habit of producing similar cars in many different flavors simultaneously – variances in engines, body styles, and even designers effectively embraced the needs of a variety of buyers. In the US, we received the Alfetta sedan by Bertone, and this beautiful fastback coupe by Giugiaro. Each was fitted with a fuel-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder through the 1970s. Thanks, Tony Primo, for the excellent tip!

Spica fuel injection suffers a bad rap in the US, where expertise around rebuilding the units is often lacking. A swap to Webers, like we see here, is a common alteration. In factory form, the lovely twin-cam engine would produce 122 hp, though as it was tasked with hauling around 2500 lbs, performance wasn’t exactly sparkling: about 11 seconds to 60 mph. (The performance deficit was cured in 1981 when the GTV6 arrived, with two more cylinders and a seven-second romp to 60.) On the other hand, Alfa placed the gearbox at the back axle to enhance balance and gave it five speeds. Four-wheel disc brakes were still uncommon on production cars in the late ’70s, but Alfa gave us discs all around starting in the 1960s. Yay! The seller provides a long list of new and rebuilt components – water pump, lines and hoses, master and clutch cylinder – and notes that the car runs, shifts, and brakes well.

Alfa didn’t lavish money on its ’70s interiors, where cloth and plastic dominated. But this cabin has escaped the ravages of sun, heat, and time – it’s in great condition: the carpets are clean, the steering wheel has been polished, the dash is almost free of cracks, the door panels are decent, and the nearly-always sagging headliner is tight. The front seat upholstery was replaced in 2024. The hatchback opens to provide access to a cargo area as well as a cubbyhole beneath. I like the Cromodora turbine-style wheels too, and they’re wearing new tires. This Alfetta was fitted with air conditioning, but the compressor was removed; it is included with the car. The original Blaupunkt AM/FM, Veglia gauges, and all lighting function properly. The seller notes that the jack remains strapped in the engine bay.

How many times have we seen Andretti versions with patchy, faded striping? This car was apparently stored for over thirty years in dry California, minimizing rust and preserving the paint and “flag stripes”. No one cares for the federalized bumpers, but at least the rubber looks lustrous, rather than cracked and crumbling. As nice a car as this one is, the asking price is all the money for a four-cylinder Alfetta. I saw this ’77 Alfetta in person at Bonham’s Scottsdale auction last weekend, and it was very tidy; the sales price was around $20k. I’d pay that for this white example, but not more; what do you think?