The Giulietta, shown first in 1954 and known as the Sprint, was designed by Bertone to be a 2+2 coupe. The aim of the Giulietta was to introduce the public to Alfa Romeo as a midrange model manufacturer, extending beyond their renown reputation for expensive sports and racing cars. However, to invoke their pedigree within their present offering, the Giulietta Sprint was endowed with plenty of standard sports car modifications and materials, which helped to remind customers of Alfa’s performance-oriented prowess.
All Giulietta Sprint came equipped with a genuinely racing-inspired 1.3-liter inline-four cylinder engine with two camshafts and a block composed entirely of aluminum with a single Weber downdraft carburetor attached. Hemispherical combustion chambers with two valves per cylinder sat inside of an efficient crossflow cylinder head design. Altogether, the arrangement produced approximately eighty horsepower, making the Spider capable of around 100-mph. Further weight was stripped out by using aluminum to construct the four-speed manual gearbox casings and rear axle sections. The body was unified for rigidity, and the large drum brakes were finned to dissipate heat accumulation quickly. While the Sprints quotidian appearance belied its excitable nature, no model within the Giulietta lineup accurately aligned itself with Alfa’s performance credentials more than the curvaceously sculpted Giulietta Spider.
Graceful and gorgeous, Pininfarina hit a metaphorical home run after releasing the Giulietta Spider in 1956. To convert the coupe into a convertible, the roof structure was obviously removed, and in this case, the wheelbase was also shortened to restore proportional balance. In order to trim down the seating occupancy, the trunk lid was lengthened and to make this modification aesthetically appealing the quarter panel arches ascended to contrast the downward sloping decklid. The body tailoring transformed the Spider into a sleek, sporty roadster that was further emphasized up front by Alfa’s classic arrowhead cross-meshed grille flanked by two wide air ducts. A split chrome bumper below the ducts that gently folds around the front of the body and then beltlines back to the rear bumper is beautifully symmetrical. We had the privilege of selling such an iconic automobile early in 2018, and the final sale price of nearly $70,000 is a visible indicator of how prestigious owning one of these art pieces is within the car community.
The Pininfarina bodywork of our example was painted originally in Rosso Alfa. This color was confirmed by Alfa’s Centro Documentazione’s head archivist, Marco Fazio after a previous owner authorized a historical investigation. However, our example wore fresh paint applied after a bare metal stripdown by a previous owner giving the Spider a crisp, clean sheen despite some minor imperfections. The chrome brightwork was also original to the Alfa and presented clear indicators of its previously pampered lifestyle. Contrasting the vibrant red hue was a new black fabric top applied by the seller before our auction. At the bottom, 15” silver-painted with chrome hubcapped Fergat steel wheels wore Vredestein Sprint Classic tires.
The red and black exterior ensemble carried over into the spacious interior. Inside the cabin, the most conspicuous fixture was the black leather bucket seats outlined with red piping. Atop were period-correct seat belt buckles and below, to protect the black carpeting, were ribbed black rubber floor mats embossed with the Alfa Romeo coat of arms. To provide drivers with plenty of vehicle information, three elegantly stylized Veglia gauges sit nestled inside of the fiery red dashboard cluster together beyond the black twin-spoke steering wheel. Red and chrome accents abound the interior, especially noted at the base of the shift lever and across the dash. A radio blanking plate was also installed and featured an acrylic Pininfarina badge centrally mounted between faux speaker grilles. During the bare metal restoration, a protective trunk liner was also made to match the floor mats.
At the heart of this heartthrob was, as mentioned, a 1.3-liter straight-four aluminum block engine good for 80 horsepower. The motor installed was the correct factory-installed four-cylinder as confirmed by serial numbers on the block matching the hood mounted vehicle plate. As expected with any vehicle that underwent a bare metal breakdown, the mechanical maintenance of this Alfa was never neglected by any owner. Underbody components (exhaust, driveline, suspension) could be found in a condition similarly sublime to the topside elements.
Initially built in June of 1957, our Alfa was imported to the United States by Hoffman Motors. Unfortunately, its life from that decade until the nineties remains mysterious. In 1990, the Spider was resided in Vermont with the founder of IBM’s daughter after being sold to her. Vehemently committed to the upkeep of her Giulietta, she set a precedent of invoice retention that subsequent owners adhered to. However, it is easy to understand why these cars command the market prices they do since they convey such emotionalism among enthusiasts and owners. Their fabulous looks, competitive engineering, and hand-built craftsmanship each bestow exquisite amounts of personal and cultural significance to those fortunate enough to see one or sit behind the steering wheel. Simply put, they are a precious jewel.
See how this little Alfa finished here!
