1961 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SS
Only in Italy could a nationalized company, Alfa Romeo, conceive a new medium-priced sedan, then adapt its platform chassis, four-cylinder dual overhead camshaft engine and suspension to a coupe designed by Bertone to satisfy the parent company's need for sweepstakes prizes awarded to buyers of the company's bonds. But in Italy that company also designed, built and campaigned the multiple world championship winning 158 Alfetta grand prix cars. The Giulietta, like Jaguar's XK 120, was intended as a 200-unit promotion. It proved so popular production of the Giulietta Sprint coupe and Pinin Farina designed Spider eventually exceeded 44,000 units and was capped by production of the Bertone-designed Sprint Speciale, a concept car built in limited quantity of only 1,366 units over a five year life. The Sprint Speciale's design carried through to production quantities concepts first expressed in the early Fifties by the Bertone BAT concepts of Franco Scaglione and the Disco Volante sports cars. Based on the lightweight, nimble Giulietta chassis with high performance 100hp 1,290cc Veloce engines and 5-speed gearboxes, the Sprint Speciale weighed only 1900 pounds. Its sleek aerodynamic lines, low frontal area, trim fastback greenhouse and a cheeky Kamm-style truncated tail gave it a top speed of 124 mph, unprecedented in a 1.3 liter car. Overlooked for years by collectors, the Giulietta Sprint Speciale recently has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, belated recognition of its unique style, performance and rarity. This 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale has recently been comprehensively restored to unmatched standards of fit, finish and function. Manufactured on the 27th November 1961, the car was sold new on the 29th January 1962 to Régie Nationale Usines, Billancourt, France. Every detail, from the meticulously finished and fitted bodywork through the show quality black leather upholstery with red piping matching the exterior color to the highly detailed engine compartment, engine, chassis and instruments, has been treated with care and respect for accuracy and quality.Only in Italy could a nationalized company, Alfa Romeo, conceive a new medium-priced sedan, then adapt its platform chassis, four-cylinder dual overhead camshaft engine and suspension to a coupe designed by Bertone to satisfy the parent company's need for sweepstakes prizes awarded to buyers of the company's bonds. But in Italy that company also designed, built and campaigned the multiple world championship winning 158 Alfetta grand prix cars. The Giulietta, like Jaguar's XK 120, was intended as a 200-unit promotion. It proved so popular production of the Giulietta Sprint coupe and Pinin Farina designed Spider eventually exceeded 44,000 units and was capped by production of the Bertone-designed Sprint Speciale, a concept car built in limited quantity of only 1,366 units over a five year life. The Sprint Speciale's design carried through to production quantities concepts first expressed in the early Fifties by the Bertone BAT concepts of Franco Scaglione and the Disco Volante sports cars. Based on the lightweight, nimble Giulietta chassis with high performance 100hp 1,290cc Veloce engines and 5-speed gearboxes, the Sprint Speciale weighed only 1900 pounds. Its sleek aerodynamic lines, low frontal area, trim fastback greenhouse and a cheeky Kamm-style truncated tail gave it a top speed of 124 mph, unprecedented in a 1.3 liter car. Overlooked for years by collectors, the Giulietta Sprint Speciale recently has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, belated recognition of its unique style, performance and rarity. This 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale has recently been comprehensively restored to unmatched standards of fit, finish and function. Manufactured on the 27th November 1961, the car was sold new on the 29th January 1962 to Régie Nationale Usines, Billancourt, France. Every detail, from the meticulously finished and fitted bodywork through the show quality black leather upholstery with red piping matching the exterior color to the highly detailed engine compartment, engine, chassis and instruments, has been treated with care and respect for accuracy and quality.
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photo and text credit: © 2012 Hyman Ltd.
