Two Alfa Romeos kept on a farm in Suffolk were originally meant to provide spare parts for racing, but their owner ended up preserving them intact for more than 35 years. Off the road since 1990, the cars now feature in an episode of The Late Brake Show, where Jonny Smith meets Robert, a farmer and former privateer racer who bought them during his motorsport years.
Forgotten Alfa Romeo coupes found after decades in a British farm
One of the cars arrived at the property on a scrap dealer’s truck after Robert paid £150 for it. The other drove from Leicester to the farm and carried registration in his wife’s name. Robert initially planned to strip both cars for useful racing parts, but their condition persuaded him to leave them complete.
Robert had started racing with Alfa Romeo, building a collection of cars and spare parts around that passion. He balanced weekends at British circuits with farm work, while handling the kind of repairs that come with running a race car on personal resources. Honda CRXs later joined his competition career, but the Italian coupes kept their place in the workshop.
The cars belong to the Alfetta coupe family introduced in 1974, with Giorgetto Giugiaro responsible for the geometric bodywork and large rear hatch. The sporty shape accompanied a mechanical layout that set these Alfas apart from many contemporary rivals, particularly in the positioning of the drivetrain components.
Alfa Romeo mounted the engine longitudinally at the front while placing the gearbox and differential together at the rear. This transaxle layout helped distribute weight between the two axles and played an important role in the car’s handling. The two British examples reportedly use 1.8- and 2.0-liter engines, although documentation would need to confirm which version corresponds to each car.
Their long stay with the same owner also kept them alongside the parts and memorabilia Robert collected during his racing years. His account helps reconstruct how he acquired the cars and why they remained tucked away for so long.
The video documents their rediscovery but leaves their future unresolved. Any return to the road will depend on an assessment of their condition and the work required to revive them, followed by a decision on whether to restore, sell or continue preserving them.