“A high-quality restoration, and one worthy of the Mille Miglia!”
The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is the very embodiment of la dolce vita. It places the Arese-based brand firmly amongst the ranks of ‘affordable’ sports car manufacturers. An aesthetic masterpiece, it combines lively performance with a lightweight, elegant and sporty body, bringing together all the ingredients for irresistible appeal.
Developed in 1952 under the code name 750, the Giulietta was first marketed as a coupé, named the Sprint; the Spider version was launched on the initiative of Max Hoffman, who set out to sell it to American customers. Both Bertone and Pininfarina proposed their own versions of the Spider, and it was Pininfarina’s design that was chosen.
The technical improvements made to the Giulietta and its 1,300 cm³ engine enabled it to deliver strong performance, even outperforming larger-capacity engines of the time. Its twin-cam four-cylinder engine and twin-barrel carburettor delivered 65 ch, a respectable figure given its modest weight of 885 kg. In total, nearly 36,000 Giulietta Sprints and derivative models such as the Spider were produced – a resounding success that contributed significantly to the Milanese manufacturer’s reputation.
The example featured in these pages comes with its original Alfa certificate, which tells us that the car rolled off the production line in the attractive Celeste blue colour. An amusing detail is that, although it was completed on 13 June 1957, it was not sold until exactly one year later, to the day, in Milan. Perhaps a demonstration car? Its file also includes its 1965 carta di circolazione, listing its various Italian owners up until its importation into France in 2008.
Having been involved in a minor collision during a transalpine rally, this Giulietta underwent a very costly restoration in Italy between 2017 and 2021, whilst its file contains numerous maintenance invoices from both before and after this period, including the very recent replacement of the drive shafts and transmission shafts. Please also note that the car is fitted with a 5-speed gearbox. It’s hard to find a 750 D in such fine condition on the market…