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The 1954 introduction of Alfa Romeo's Giulietta ranks as one of the most curious in automotive history. Plans had been underway for some time to create a smaller companion for the 1900, with a berlina (sedan) being the first order of business. Unfortunately, Alfa was, as ever, short on development money, so a plan was conceived to sell securities that would carry the going rate for this type of investment. As an added inducement, it was announced that a drawing would be held among the shareholders; those with the winning numbers would receive a new Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Amazingly, the scheme worked and the needed capital was raised.
Alfa-Romeo was not a new concern but they were new to volume production and the problems that go hand-in-hand with it, so the development of the new Giulietta fell further and further behind schedule. Mechanical components were being made, but there was still no sign of a finished, saleable car. The lucky numbers were finally announced, company officials hoping this would ease the tension, but it only angered the winners, who wanted their prizes right away. Once the press started calling the scheme a scandal, government-owned Alfa knew it had to do something -- fast. That something turned out to be a contract with Nuccio Bertone Carrozzeria for a small run of 2 + 2 Giulietta-based Sprint coupes, with the first to be ready for the Turin show in the spring of 1954. That it was ready, and displayed, is a triumph over intrigue, egos, poor planning, and ordinary glitches that seem to plague any new design. Alfa initially ordered only a few hundred bodies from Bertone, to satisfy the winners of the drawing, then upped it to 1000, and finally 6000, when it realized that the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a hit.
The 1954 Giulietta was an important vehicle for the Alfa Romeo as it was the first offering since before World War II that truly resembled the racing-inspired vehicles the company was capable of producing. Though mass produced, a first for the company, the new Giulietta would come in various unique and finely crafted bodystyles including the Spider, Sprint, TI, and Veloce. Most used a four-speed manual gearbox with front and rear drum brakes with conventional worm-and-roller steering and a front suspension comprised of wishbones with telescopic dampers and coil springs and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension was simply that of a rigid live axle with telescopic dampers and coil springs. The first of the Giuliettas to be offered was the 2+2 coupe which featured a four-cylinder engine and bodywork by Bertone. With a 1290cc engine producing 65 horsepower, a respectable figure at the time for a small sports car, the Alfa outperformed most of that produced by Britain until a year or two later. By then, the Berlina version appeared, commonly referred to as a salon. This version brought a level of practicality, with its four doors and longer wheelbase. It featured the same mechanical components as the Sprint but the engine was not as powerful, producing a little over 50 horsepower.
With their feet moving in the right direction, Alfa-Romeo contracted famous coachbuilder Pininfarina and requested that they design a new prototype for 1955. What was created was the Giulietta Spider Prototype, first introduced to the public at the 1956 Turin Motor Show in production form. It sat atop a slightly shorter wheelbase than the Sprint but used the same mechanical components.
In 1956, the Veloce was introduced. This version was even sportier with its twin-cam 1300cc alloy engine and dual Weber DCOE carburetors and produced conservatively 90 horsepower. The gas tank was enlarged to better prepare it for endurance racing while the larger front brakes provided excellent stopping power. By using Plexiglas rear and side windows and aluminum alloy doors, hood, and trunk lid the vehicle was able to shed weight, ultimately improving performance. The Veloce version was available on the Spider and the Sprint.
Featured here is a fine example of a 1957 Giulietta Spider Veloce. Sold new in southern California, it was purportedly a SCCA regional champion in its day and has recently been the subject of a careful restoration. Originally white with a black interior, it was changed to red at some time in the distant past and continued to serve as a casual weekend competition car. The most recent owner and current vendor spent the past year and a half putting the car back right including removing later-add-on performance and safety equipment found on the car when he acquired it. Sporting a 1750cc engine with hot street camshafts, disc brakes all around a split-case 5-speed transmission, MarelliPlex ignition and 6" wide rims in addition to its all-original bodywork, this Spider is a reflection of the best classic styling combined with the best later mechanicals found in 1960s-era Alfa-Romeos for both comfort, speed, reliability and performance. The car also conveys with a driver's seat suspected to be a recovered original competition seat from Alfa-Romeo further lending credibility to its former competition origins along with its extensive preparation.
If you've been looking for a drivable classic Italian sportscar that all the right work has been done to by experienced enthusiast owners, this Giulietta may appeal to your sense not only of style but also substance.
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Alfa-Romeo was not a new concern but they were new to volume production and the problems that go hand-in-hand with it, so the development of the new Giulietta fell further and further behind schedule. Mechanical components were being made, but there was still no sign of a finished, saleable car. The lucky numbers were finally announced, company officials hoping this would ease the tension, but it only angered the winners, who wanted their prizes right away. Once the press started calling the scheme a scandal, government-owned Alfa knew it had to do something -- fast. That something turned out to be a contract with Nuccio Bertone Carrozzeria for a small run of 2 + 2 Giulietta-based Sprint coupes, with the first to be ready for the Turin show in the spring of 1954. That it was ready, and displayed, is a triumph over intrigue, egos, poor planning, and ordinary glitches that seem to plague any new design. Alfa initially ordered only a few hundred bodies from Bertone, to satisfy the winners of the drawing, then upped it to 1000, and finally 6000, when it realized that the Alfa Romeo Giulietta was a hit.
The 1954 Giulietta was an important vehicle for the Alfa Romeo as it was the first offering since before World War II that truly resembled the racing-inspired vehicles the company was capable of producing. Though mass produced, a first for the company, the new Giulietta would come in various unique and finely crafted bodystyles including the Spider, Sprint, TI, and Veloce. Most used a four-speed manual gearbox with front and rear drum brakes with conventional worm-and-roller steering and a front suspension comprised of wishbones with telescopic dampers and coil springs and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension was simply that of a rigid live axle with telescopic dampers and coil springs. The first of the Giuliettas to be offered was the 2+2 coupe which featured a four-cylinder engine and bodywork by Bertone. With a 1290cc engine producing 65 horsepower, a respectable figure at the time for a small sports car, the Alfa outperformed most of that produced by Britain until a year or two later. By then, the Berlina version appeared, commonly referred to as a salon. This version brought a level of practicality, with its four doors and longer wheelbase. It featured the same mechanical components as the Sprint but the engine was not as powerful, producing a little over 50 horsepower.
With their feet moving in the right direction, Alfa-Romeo contracted famous coachbuilder Pininfarina and requested that they design a new prototype for 1955. What was created was the Giulietta Spider Prototype, first introduced to the public at the 1956 Turin Motor Show in production form. It sat atop a slightly shorter wheelbase than the Sprint but used the same mechanical components.
In 1956, the Veloce was introduced. This version was even sportier with its twin-cam 1300cc alloy engine and dual Weber DCOE carburetors and produced conservatively 90 horsepower. The gas tank was enlarged to better prepare it for endurance racing while the larger front brakes provided excellent stopping power. By using Plexiglas rear and side windows and aluminum alloy doors, hood, and trunk lid the vehicle was able to shed weight, ultimately improving performance. The Veloce version was available on the Spider and the Sprint.
Featured here is a fine example of a 1957 Giulietta Spider Veloce. Sold new in southern California, it was purportedly a SCCA regional champion in its day and has recently been the subject of a careful restoration. Originally white with a black interior, it was changed to red at some time in the distant past and continued to serve as a casual weekend competition car. The most recent owner and current vendor spent the past year and a half putting the car back right including removing later-add-on performance and safety equipment found on the car when he acquired it. Sporting a 1750cc engine with hot street camshafts, disc brakes all around a split-case 5-speed transmission, MarelliPlex ignition and 6" wide rims in addition to its all-original bodywork, this Spider is a reflection of the best classic styling combined with the best later mechanicals found in 1960s-era Alfa-Romeos for both comfort, speed, reliability and performance. The car also conveys with a driver's seat suspected to be a recovered original competition seat from Alfa-Romeo further lending credibility to its former competition origins along with its extensive preparation.
If you've been looking for a drivable classic Italian sportscar that all the right work has been done to by experienced enthusiast owners, this Giulietta may appeal to your sense not only of style but also substance.
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