The Dulux Alfa Romeo GTV6 is an important piece of Australian Alfa Romeo motor racing history.  The car was one of the many Alfa’s campaigned by long time Canberra Alfa Dealer Ray Gulson in the heyday of Australian motorsport.

This is the only GTV6 to compete in the magnificent Group C era (in 1982 and 83) and 1 of only 2 surviving Group A Alfa GTV6’s to compete (in 1984, 85, 86 and 87) in Australia, and remains in original, as raced condition.  


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The car has been a regular competitor in the wonderful Heritage Touring Cars historic Group C/GroupA racing category, competing with many of the legends of Australian motorsport.  See the Heritage Touring Cars web site http://www.heritagetouringcars.com.au/ for more info on this great category.

The car competed in ATCC and NZ Endurance races over six years, including five years and over 650 race laps at the Bathurst 1000 (82-86), the Sandown 500, Amaroo, Surfers Paradise, Wellington and 500 in 1985, 86 and 87, the 1986 Australian GP and many more. 

This car was also the first GTV6 imported to Australia in 1981 as the pre-release Alfa Romeo Australia press car.  Upon finishing its role as a press car, the car went to Gulson’s Alfa Dealership in Canberra where it was readied for the 1982 Bathurst 1000. 

It has competed in Historic Group C and Group A racing for the past 20 years.  In 2003 the car was issued with CAMS Historic Logbook and Certificate of Description (Group C) but still retains all original CAMS logbooks.  It is planned to redo the Certificate of Descrption to represent the car as at Bathurst 1986 and Group A given it has retained it Group A livery and specification.

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Brief History

The Dulux GTV6 was Australia's first GTV6 being imported in 1981 by Alfa Romeo Australia as a press and demo car.  The car was used by the press for road tests and can be seen in Modern Motor and Wheels articles in 1982.

Ray Gulson (the Canberra Alfa dealer) purchased the car at the completion of its press car duties and readied it for Bathurst 1982.

For both 1982 and 1983 the car ran in Group C trim although not built or developed anywhere near the extent allowed by the Group C rules of the period.  

In 1984 and the start of the Group A era Ray decided to put more into developing the car.  The engine was rebuilt and Ray sourced factory (Autodelta) Group A components through sources in Italy and the USA.  

For 1985 the car underwent a full rebuild and weight reduction to bring it closer to minimum allowed weight.  It continued to be improved in 1986, and with some assistance from Alfa, it ended up very similar to the factory car in specification.

The car competed in Group A endurance races through 1985, 1986 and early 1987 before being retired after the Wellington 500 street race in NZ to the Bathurst Race Museum.

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Above: Bathurst 1986 through Murrays Corner

Today - Historic Group A (Heritage Touring Cars)

After Ray retired the car at the beginning of 1987 the car was unused and spent a long stint in the Bathurst Museum in as raced condition coming straight from the 1987 Wellington 500.  

The car was then purchased from Ray Gulson in 1990 by a long time Victorian Alfa Club member who campaigned the car in mainly Alfa Club events, the occasional Winton 6hr and later in what was the emerging Historic Group C racing category.

Fortunately, the car was left in its original (1987) state with minimal modification, this isn’t a “restored” car, most of the car is original and in as raced condition.

In 2001 the car was purchased by the third and current owner.  

With the Group C category moving to become a bone fide 5th (historic) Category, the current owner set about making sure the car was prepared to meet the Historic Group C/A regs.  

Originally, 1984 was the year selected for the Historic Logbook and Certificate of Description, the last year for the magnificent Group C category.  The application was submitted and the Historic Logbook and Certificate of Description issued in December 2003.

Given the world wide interst in Group A cars, we are currently readying the car to Bathurst 1986 trim and will have the Certificate of Description re-issued as Group A.  (See The Dulux Files)

Above: Dicing with the JPS BMW of David Towe at Eastern Creek in 2004

Logbooks and C of D

The car has full CAMS Historic papers - Historic Logbook and Certificate of Description. 

As the car was the only GTV6 ever to compete in the Group C era it was originally decided to Log Book/CoD it as a Group C car.  It does however retain the livery from the 1986/87 Group A season.

We are currently readying the car for being log booked/CoD as a Group A car in Bathurst 1986 trim.

It is eligible for all 5th Category/Historic events in the Group C/A Category.

Above: The original CAMS Log Book

Above: Dicing with the Murray Carter XE at Sandown in 2004.

© Scott Farquharson 2014