This 1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce is an “Alleggerita“ variant that was delivered on July 26, 1956 to its first owner in Angoulême, France. After being refurbished in the 1990s in Europe, the car was imported to the US in 2001 by a California enthusiast who commissioned further mechanical freshening by marque specialist Conrad Stevenson, which continued after the current owner’s purchase in 2014. Power is from a replacement Tipo 1315 twin-cam inline-four that was rebuilt by Stevenson with a displacement increase to 1.5 liters and installed in August 2021 along with twin Weber 40 DCO3 carburetors. Additional features include lightweight bodywork finished in blue, a Tipo 101 five-speed manual transmission, a 4.55:1 limited-slip differential, gray leather upholstery with blue accents, sliding plexiglass side windows, and TZ-style alloy wheels. A previously-installed 1,750cc engine also accompanies the car. This Tipo 750E is offered on dealer consignment with service records dating back to 2001, a copy of a FIVA Identity Card issued in 1998, a Giulietta owner’s manual, a car cover, a lug wrench, and a clean California title.
Built between 1956 and 1958, the Alleggerita (lightweight) version of the Sprint Veloce was bodied by Bertone and featured an aluminum hood, trunk lid, door skins, bumpers, grille “eyebrows,” and headlamp bezels. Additional weight-saving measures included sliding plexiglass side windows, the omission of rear seats and sound-deadening material, and magnesium alloy engine elements.
Finished in blue, this example is said to have been refurbished in Italy and France in the 1990s. Chrome pieces were replated and aluminum and stainless steel trim polished in 2019. Carello headlights were also installed at that time along with replacement front turn signal assemblies and taillight gaskets. Three Marchal driving lights are mounted to the front bumper.
Reproduction TZ-style 15” alloy wheels are finished in silver and mounted with 175/70 Vredestein Sprint Classic tires. A matching spare is housed in the trunk. The brake master cylinder was rebuilt with a stainless steel sleeve and an upgraded piston in 2015. Finned aluminum brake drums were resurfaced in 2019, at which time the shoes were also relined and the wheel cylinders replaced.
The cabin was retrimmed following the current owner’s acquisition and features bucket seats upholstered in gray leather with blue side panels and piping. Gray carpets bound in blue line the floors and rear shelf, and are complemented by a gray headliner. New aluminum seat rails were fabricated in 2014, at which time the aluminum inner door trim was also repaired.
A wood-rimmed steering wheel frames Veglia instrumentation including a tachometer with a 6,600-rpm redline, a 220-km/h speedometer, and gauges monitoring oil pressure, oil temperature, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 24k kilometers (~15k miles), approximately 3k of which have been added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown. An aluminum block-off plug was fabricated for the choke position on the dash in 2021.
The Tipo 1315 twin-cam inline-four (*30242*) was installed in 2021 after being rebuilt by Conrad Stevenson with a displacement increase from 1,300cc to 1.5 liters using 81mm-bore pistons and Darton cylinder sleeves. The block, crankshaft, and connecting rods were machined, and the cylinder head was overhauled with Pittatore camshafts and DLC-coated tappets as well as new valves, guides, and springs. Induction is from twin Weber 40 DCO3 carburetors, and a 123ignition distributor and an alternator were added.
The five-speed manual transmission was fitted with replacement second-gear synchro teeth, front and main bearings, and seals in 2014. The 4.55:1 limited-slip differential is said to be from a 115-series Alfa Romeo and received a new pinion seal, outer axle seals, and pinion and carrier bearings in 2019. The rear suspension was also refreshed at that time with new upper control arm bushings and ball joints. The coil springs were replaced and the Koni front shock absorbers adjusted in 2015.
The removed and included 1,750cc inline-four (AR00531*01267*) wears a black crinkle-finished valve cover, was rebuilt by Stevenson in 2001, and was fitted with a new head gasket in 2019. Videos below demonstrate the car being driven with each engine installed.
Invoices from Stevenson include those documenting the rebuild of the currently-installed 1.5-liter engine along with an August 2021 dyno sheet showing peak output of 135 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque. Additional records detail work carried out by One Eight Zero, Alfaman, and Laurence Anderson Company in California.
The FIVA Identity Card issued in 1998 lists original delivery to Marc Peccolo in France as well as subsequent ownership in Nice, refurbishment work in the 1990s, and the addition of a five-speed gearbox.