1968 Alfa Romeo 1300 Junior
Coachwork by Pininfarina
Registration no. EHN 312H
Chassis no. AR1695021

A modern classic by Pininfarina, the simple yet elegant spider bodywork premiered on the 1966 Duetto would prove enduringly popular after a rather critical initial reception, lasting well into the 1990s. Under the skin, the Duetto's mechanicals were essentially those of the 105-Series Giulia saloon, featuring independent front suspension, a coil-suspended live rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes. The power unit was the 1.6-litre, 109bhp version of Alfa's classic double-overhead-camshaft four as installed in the Giulia Sprint GTV. Performance fully matched the Duetto's stunning looks, with 60mph reachable in around 11 seconds and a top speed of 116mph. The model achieved worldwide public recognition after starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in the film, The Graduate but was produced for only two years before being superseded by the 1.8-litre '1750' Spyder Veloce in 1967. A year later, Alfa Romeo took the opportunity to offer a version of the Spider powered by the 1.3-litre Giulietta engine: the 1300 Junior. Cheaper than the larger Spider yet only some 7mph slower, the 1300 Junior came with an 89bhp engine offering superior fuel economy and occupied a more favourable taxation category, thus extending the possibility of Alfa Romeo ownership to a wider market.

According to Alfa Romeo Automobilismo Storico, this Spider Junior was manufactured in right-hand drive configuration on 16th July 1968 and sold on the 1st August '68 to Alfa Romeo, London, UK. The original colour scheme was Bianco Spino with nero skai interior, the same as it is today.

During the previous owner's custodianship of 11 years, much restoration work was carried out on this obviously cherished Alfa. Some measure of this car's quality may be gained from its record in concours competitions, which includes class wins in the Alfa Romeo Owners' Club concours in 2009 and 2012, and being judged Overall Concours Champion by the AROC in 2015.

The current vendor bought the Alfa from Southwood Motor Company in May 2016; a full service, replacing numerous minor components, and fitting new front tyres being carried out as part of that purchase. The car is presented in outstanding condition both mechanically and cosmetically, and is said to drive beautifully too. Exceptionally well documented, it comes with a most substantial history file containing the aforementioned Alfa Romeo authentication, sundry restoration invoices and photographs, UK V5C document, MoT to May 2019, and details of all works carried out over the last 35 years. With only 179 right-hand drive Spider Juniors manufactured, of which relatively few survive, 'EHN 312H' represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire one of these rare and desirable Italian sports cars.