At its 1954 introduction, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta signaled a new direction for the storied marque, one which would ultimately transform the company’s fortunes for the better. Until that point, Alfa Romeo had built large, expensive coachbuilt cars, which while glamorous, were difficult to sell in the austere early postwar years. If the company were to survive, it would need to change things and the Giulietta did exactly that. At 1300cc, it was smaller than Alfa’s typical cars, but still offered the technical sophistication and sporting heart that had always defined the company’s identity.
The new engine engine was very sophisticated, offering alloy head and block, dual overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, and forged crankshaft. This was placed in a unitary chassis, with the initial version being a coupe styled by Franco Scaglione at Bertone and given the name Sprint. Sedan (Berlina) and convertible (Spider) versions followed and hotter versions of the engine were offered with higher compression ratios, dual carburetors, better oiling, more aggressive camshafts, and a host of other changes. The car went on to become a tremendous success thanks to its combination of lively character, affordability, and design.
In 1957, a striking new variant of the Giulietta appeared. Also styled by Scaglione at Bertone, it was a futuristic and highly aerodynamic coupe called the Sprint Speciale. The production version arrived two years later and offered a shocking coefficient of drag of just .28. All Sprint Speciales were powered by Veloce engines backed by 5-speed transmissions. This allowed the car a remarkable 125mph top speed, despite having just 100hp. About 15% more expensive than the standard Bertone Sprint Veloce, the Sprint Speciale remains among the most striking cars of the era and just 1366 were made, ensuring their continued collectability.
This particular example comes from a longtime California owner and is a black-plate car which has lived in California for approximately sixty years. It has seen sympathetic restoration over the years and is a handsome driver level car, making it ideal for events like the Colorado Grand.
