From the 1980s Bertone GT to the trusty 75 still competing in 2026, Keith Waite has been a part of the championship for decades Alfa Romeo British with rare consistency. As a driver, team manager, and now the father of another competitor, Tom Waite, he embodies a different side of motorsports: that of the enthusiasts who keep a championship alive far beyond their results.
Keith Waite is an independent Alfa Romeo specialist and a veteran race car driver, best known for his Alfa Romeo 75 painted yellow and red in his garage's colors. He runs the garage K and L Autos in London, where he draws on more than 35 years of mechanical expertise with both classic and modern models of the Italian brand. His garage exudes passion, overflowing with spare parts, toolboxes, papers of all kinds, as well as collectibles and decorative items. Not a single square centimeter escapes the love of mechanics in what a YouTube report describes as a «cave of wonders,» in reference to Aladdin.
Keith and Alfa: The Result of Their Encounters
Around 1984, in an England reeling from the effects of the economic recession and the social unrest of the Thatcher era, Keith Waite spent a few months in a technical vocational program and discovered Alfa Romeo when he landed his first job at a garage. A man named Tim Stewart contacted him. He had just taken over an Alfa Romeo franchise after buying a Jaguar dealership located near the train station. Keith joined the company and gradually worked his way up from apprentice to shop foreman. The Alfa Romeo franchise eventually closed, and Keith went on to work for another well-known garage, Hazelmere Motor Company, run by Bob Buttery, one of the early winners of the Alfa Romeo IK Championship. That garage, in turn, was taken over a few years later by another company, prompting Keith to take the plunge and start his own business: K&L Autos. K, for Keith, of course, and L for Lynn, his wife.
Even today, Keith admits to working on a bit of everything when it comes to models, but since the pandemic, they’ve decided to refocus on classic models rather than modern ones. This is both to lighten the heavy workload a bit and because, in his view, modern models «are reaching a point where people no longer appreciate them.» When a problem arises, everything becomes very expensive. You have to invest a lot to get the modern equipment you need. His son works for a company called French and Italian Car Company, a few kilometers from K&L, and they have all the latest equipment. So, if a customer shows up with a modern car, Keith sends it there.
My first race car—and it broke down almost right away!
But let’s get back to the race, since Keith is signed up for his 39th season in the Alfa UK Championship this year! It all began in the mid-1980s, when some friends invited him to attend an Alfa Romeo club’s Track Days at Castle Combe. There, he had the opportunity to drive an Alfa Romeo 33 new, and then, shortly afterward, came across an ad for a coupe for sale Bertone GTV 2000. A blue coupe whose engine and brakes were seized, but the rest of which was in relatively good condition. He picked it up fairly easily for 300 pounds—people weren’t as fussy back then—restored it, prepped it for the race, but wasn’t its first official driver. He lent it to Paul O’Hallen, one of the top drivers in the Alfa Romeo championship. But at Mallory Park, during its debut race, the car was wrecked in a crash! So Keith Waite never actually drove the first race car he prepared… however, as compensation, he soon acquired another GTV 2000, this time a green one. Not bad!
GTV Bertone, GTV6, Giulietta—there's something for everyone
The British driver made his debut in the Alfa Romeo series in 1986–1987. At that time, the championship operated in a world very different from today’s. The paddocks were filled with cars derived from production models, the modifications were often done by hand, and the drivers maintained a close relationship with their cars that is less common in modern professional racing.
As early as 1987, Waite began appearing in the rankings behind the wheel of the’Alfa Romeo GTV Green. Standard transmission, old Pirelli P6s, no roll cage: it was all very «down-to-earth»! Around 1989, he switched to the Alfetta GTV6, a move that already hinted at his fondness for V6-powered Alfas. He alternated between different cars, racing a Giulietta in the mid-1990s and then reappearing in 1998 in a three-liter GTV6 at Croft, where he finished eighth overall.
In the mid-1990s, Keith Waite raced primarily in a Alfa Romeo Giulietta Type 116, in partnership with Paul Legge. Their crew is participating as part of the Shared Drive, which allows multiple drivers to share a car. In 1994, the two men finished third in that competition and went on to win it in 1996. This Giulietta Type 116 was then sold to Andy Page, who still races it in the Modified class!
The 75: A Car, A Signature
In the early 2000s, the Alfa Romeo 75 gradually emerged as his signature car. He purchased a 75 2.4 with a five-speed automatic transmission; the body and chassis were in good condition, but the engine was inoperable. So Waite salvaged the engine, transmission, and everything else from the GTV6 to install them in the 75. He widened the fenders, installed larger wheels and bigger brakes, and added a «K+L» rear license plate—a romantic tribute to this passionate couple. And ever since, this 75—whose colors are reminiscent of a famous fast-food chain (or a famous oil tanker, which makes more sense)—has barely moved.
It thus appeared around 2002 in the category of Modified Sedans. In 2004, he finished second in the season opener at Castle Combe. The following year, his 75 3.0L helped him achieve several notable results. At Croft, he finished third in the first race before winning the second, marking an overall victory across all categories. He also added a class victory at Brands Hatch. Over the seasons, the car evolved and the classes changed: Class A, then Modified or Power Trophy. The years went by, but the 75 remained.
Castle Combe 2016: The Tank of Diesel That Could Have Ruined Everything
Mechanical mishaps are a dime a dozen in the paddocks, but some are truly memorable. The one at Castle Combe in 2016 ranks among the most entertaining of Waite’s career. Following a fuel mix-up, the No. 75 car ended up with diesel in its tank. For a race car that runs on gasoline, this was a serious problem.
Keith, his son Tom, and Paul Legge then sprang into action to try to salvage the situation. They had to drain the tank, refill it with the correct fuel, and hope that the diesel hadn’t contaminated the entire fuel system. The operation was completed in time. The V6 eventually restarted—not without some smoke and anxiety—and then ran well enough to allow the car to take to the track.
What followed was almost too good to be true: Waite finished second in both races. He didn't win the overall standings, but he did take first place in the Power Trophy twice.
The next generation is ready
In 2018, Keith Waite found another bright green Alfa Romeo 33 while searching for a 1750 Duetto for a client. While browsing classified ads and auction listings, he discovered this small sedan and showed it to his son Tom. The story published by the championship adds a touch of family humor. Keith and Tom told Lynn, Keith’s wife, that they were simply going on a round trip to Norfolk to look at the car. However, they had packed everything they needed to make a purchase, including the tools and parts necessary to drive the car home.
Keith first got behind the wheel of the green car, equipped with a 1.5-liter engine. The championship, accustomed to seeing him behind the wheel of his V6-powered Alfas, found this detour amusing. But the purpose of the little 33 is clear: it’s meant to serve as Tom’s primary car. In 2019, the father kept the large rear-wheel-drive sedan while the son discovered motorsports behind the wheel of the lighter, less powerful 33.
Thirty-nine seasons, and still eager to come back
Waite's career has seen a few hiatuses, and his races have become less frequent, but he hasn't retired for good. He recently stated in a report by Alfa Classic Ltd: »I didn't race much last year—just one race. I went to race at Donington, mostly to see if I could still do it. So as long as I'm enjoying it, I'll keep going.»
That’s the simplest answer. And in 2026, Keith Waite’s name still appears on the championship rosters. He isn’t chasing fast times and may be driving well off the pace of the other «Modified» cars, but that’s not what matters. At Donington Park, he finished sixth in the Modified class in both races of the meet, then competed at Outlon Park for the most recent round of the championship. Of course, his lap times are a far cry from those of Barry McMahon’s Giulia QVs or Jon Berry’s 500 CV 4Cs, but that doesn’t matter. Like a mascot, the veteran’s two-tone ’75 continues to bridge the gap between eras.
Keith Waite’s career is not that of an international star. His name does not appear among the great world champions of touring car racing, and it would be misleading to judge his career by the statistics of a professional driver. The common thread remains loyalty and passion: loyalty to Alfa Romeo, to the 75 he’s been driving for nearly a quarter-century, to the friends he’s met in the paddocks, and to a sport that continues to draw him back. In 2026, forty years after his debut, Keith Waite is still going strong. The 75 may no longer be the newest or most spectacular car on the grid, but it represents something that regulations and stopwatches cannot measure: a lifetime spent racing.
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