Alfa Romeo’s first post-war production car, the Giulietta Sprint 2+2 Coupe with coachwork by Bertone, debuted to the public at the Turin Motor Show in 1954. Demand for the then-handbuilt car quickly outstripped supply leaving Alfa Romeo to rethink their production strategy with a look towards becoming a high-volume manufacturer. In 1956, Alfa accepted Pinninfarina’s design over that of Bertone’s for their latest Giulietta Spider. Built on a modified coupe chassis, the Spider was built at the insistence of famed New York importer, Max Hoffman, who had seen how well open-top British and German cars were received stateside.

The first Giulietta Spider carried a revy 1.3L, all-alloy, twin-cam 4-cylinder engine. The drivetrain sat within a steel unibody chassis that weighed less than 1900lbs. As was the case with pre-war Alfas, dealers soon saw a demand for an uprated, more powerful version for customers with competition in mind. Giulietta Sprint and Spider Veloces arrived, complete with high-performance engines which raised the power by 15%, and modified bodywork. Just 1,203 Giulietta Spider Veloces were produced and today remain among the most desirable and collectible of the post-war Alfas.

We are very pleased to offer this restored example of the desirable Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F. Chassis 5660, was completed at the Milanese plant on January 3, 1959, finished in white and delivered to the US where it was sold through Hoffman Motor Car Co. of New York days later on January 20. It appears in the 1990s in the hands of Mr. Ralph Day. Day, owner of BMW of Concord in Concord, CA, embarked on a 3-phase restoration beginning with an interior refreshing by marque specialist Myron Ash of Ashcroft Restorations in Phoenix, Arizona, and exterior repaint by BMW of Concord in its present and current shade of BMW 308 Red. The restoration of the driveline, by Conrad Stevenson of Berkeley, CA, is most notable. Stevenson adapted the Veloce’s exhaust manifold, carburetors, air box and filter, headers, and oil sump, to a 1,750cc block, then mated the engine to an uprated 5-Speed manual transmission. The charging system was converted to an alternator while a larger front sway bar was added along with other suspension changes. Just before the turning of the new millennium, chassis 5660 appears as a participant on the storied California Mille and continues to wear its Nardi steering wheel, issued to tour participants, today.

In 2004 with 86,000 miles recorded, the Spider found its newest and current owner, a Philadelphia, PA-based European car collector. The car has been cared for and looked after since thanks to consistent service records on file, and now shows a scant 87,500 on the odometer.

An instantly recognizable styling form, and remaining one of the most popular Italian sports cars still, the Giulietta Spider is widely regarded as an ideal Alfa for tours and rallies. The uprated Spider Veloce with its nimble handling and revy twin-cam motor, together with the Pinin Farina styling, truly complete the package of classic motoring. This luscious red Spider certainly affords turn-key access to the country’s best and most exciting tours, rallies, and Concours events.

Body And Paint This Giulietta shows as an excellent older restoration that has aged nicely and remains a wonderful and inviting driver quality example. The body is straight overall and it appears to have been a relatively rust-free example prior to its restoration. There are numerous correct/original spot welds to be found throughout and the nose area and front chassis section show no obvious signs of repair (a common weak spot on these cars). The shut lines and panel gaps are good as well.

Glass And Trim The door glass appears to be the original Securit glass. With the windscreen an older VS unit. All panels are flawed however in one form or another. Perfect if the intent is to drive/use, but technically blemished with little pencil point chips and scratching. The brightwork is excellent overall, however, some pieces show minor flaws or fading.

Wheels The wheels are correctly restored but have aged nicely with one of the hubcaps slightly loose. Otherwise, everything is present and in good driver quality condition.

Notable Flaws Looking closely at the car we can see minor flaws in the form of minor bubbling on the driver ¼ lower wheel arch section, some minor bubbling on the bottom of the trunk lid and near the top as well as some primer shrinkage in the right light. Minor overall and not obvious or worth refinishing if the intent is to enjoy the vehicle by driving rather than showing. There are some cracks in the paint near the rear trunk emblem, tonneau hardware, top of the driver door, and front fender. Minor blemishes can be found in the paint toward the front from use and at the bottom of the wheel arches.

INTERIOR Seats And Surfaces The interior is a very inviting place to be. The special Nardi wheel, issued to participants of the 1996 running of the California Mille, along with the Sparco shift knob gives hint to this car's performance capability. The interior, specifically the seats, are worn in nicely, but present wonderfully with everything complete down to nice brightwork, accessories, and trim. The dash is finished in the correct crinkle coating, all buttons, pulls, knobs, etc… are present and the carpets (though a little faded) door trim and rubber items are all in excellent condition. It should be noted however that the tonneau cover does have a missing piece of hardware and a minor tear on the driver's side. The driver's seat back does have a tear and the seats overall do show some wear/use.

Functionality And Accessories The only item that did not work at the time of testing was the blower motor, which may need simple fiddling as it was likely not used often. Otherwise, everything appears to be in correct working order.

ENGINE BAY AND TRUNK Engine Bay The engine bay to the knowledgeable Alfa enthusiast will be a combination of correct and incorrect. Overall though one can see that this is where this car had the most money spent. The well-built 1750 by Conrad Stevenson is the most obvious incorrect item but the heart of this car's performance. The surrounding area is well restored and correct down to reproduction stickers and correct clamps. Notable modifications include items such as a modern alternator. A smart upgrade. Otherwise, the engine bay shows signs of use but is well serviced overall.

Trunk Area The trunk area is tidy and appears mostly correct again with reproduction stickers. Under the mat shows a solid trunk floor with body stamping.

Underside The underside shows to be straight and serviced with signs of use, some leaks, and flaws but nothing warranting major work to be undertaken. Please reference the photos provided.

MECHANICALS Engine The engine starts easily, idles easily even when cold, and is very responsive to throttle input. The car runs at a consistent temperature for both coolant and oil and is very fast. The 1750 changes this car completely and really brings it into a different league. It is very usable and should be considered capable for any task should the new owner want to take it on long-distance journeys and keep up.

Transmission The transmission has excellent synchros and works as intended with a strong clutch.

Brakes And Suspension The brakes work as intended and the suspension is firm and slightly lower than stock, a sensible upgrade to match the power plant.

Tires The tires are Vredestein 175/70/HR15 86H’s on all 4 corners, date codes are unknown, but they are crack-free with a nearly new amount of tread and are supple.

Notable Flaws The oil temperature gauge works intermittently. The second gear is a little noisy until the car is warm.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE This Giulietta Veloce is worlds different from a standard-powered example. The upgraded and well-built 1750 changes the experience completely. This car is meant to run and be run hard which is why it was built in the first place. A very capable and exhilarating example from the golden age of Alfa Romeo.