'One of Satta's very remarkable achievements was the creation of a race of modern, mass-produced motor cars which, depending on the model, retain or improve upon the competition-bred thoroughbred qualities of Alfa Romeos of the artisan past.' - Griffith Borgeson, 'Alfa Immagini e Percorsi', 1985.

By the time of the Giulia's introduction in 1962, Alfa Romeo's highly successful 'small car, big performance' formula, begun by the Giulietta in 1954, was well established. The Giulia is one of Alfa Romeo's many imaginative and successful designs produced under the aegis of Dr Orazio Satta Puglia, the company's esteemed Central Director. It was Satta who brought high-volume production to Alfa Romeo with the Giulietta, thereby ensuring the company's future.

Alfa's classic twin-cam four was downsized to 1,290ccc for the Giulietta, gaining an alloy cylinder block in the process. The original Bertone-styled Sprint Coupé was soon joined by Berlina (saloon) and Spider (open) versions, and then in 1957 came the model now recognised as the ultimate Giulietta - the Sprint Speciale – which was the first of the new 101-Series cars. Built on a slightly shorter wheelbase than the standard Sprint, and again the work of Bertone, the mouth-wateringly curvaceous 'SS' came with 100bhp on tap, a five-speed gearbox, and a top speed of 125mph. Compact, aerodynamically efficient and very powerful for its size, the SS proved highly successful in 1,300cc class racing the world over.

Outwardly almost indistinguishable from the outgoing Giulietta, the Giulia version boasted front disc brakes and a more powerful (112bhp) and much less fussy 1,570cc version of Alfa's classic twin-cam four. Other notable improvements over the Giulietta version included a redesigned dashboard with additional instrumentation. Only 1,399 of the Bertone-bodied Giulia Sprint Speciales were built up to 1965, and today this rare model is highly prized by Alfa Romeo connoisseurs. The Giulia SS offered here is a particularly rare right-hand drive example, only 25 of which - it is estimated - were produced. Delivered new to the UK, the Alfa was first registered on 22nd January 1963 and retains its original registration. Documentation on file shows that the car underwent a long-term restoration while in the possession of Mr Jeremy Upsall before being sold to Mr Sean Costello in 2010. It was then almost immediately sold on to Mr John Hewitt in Warwickshire. The aforementioned file contains invoices and correspondence detailing the many thousands of pounds spent on renovation and maintenance with specialists including Alfaholics and Classic Alfa, plus a complete interior re-trim by Messrs TA and JM Coburn. Since the restoration's completion, a mere 1,075 miles have been covered.

The current vendor purchased '7925 PK' at a UK auction in March 2015, since when it has been serviced and maintained by his own in-house mechanic. Additional documentation consists of six expired MoT certificates and a V5C registration document. A beautiful limited edition Alfa Romeo, this rare Bertone-styled jewel would enhance any private collection.

UPDATE: HISTORICS AUCTIONEERS WEBSITE JUNE 11, 2016

he first prototype of the Giulietta SS was presented in 1957 at the Turin Motor Show. After two more prototypes were presented in car shows, the official presentation of the production version for the press was on the 24th June 1959 on the Monza race track. The bigger engined 1.6 litre Giulia series replaced the Giulietta and was introduced at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. As Giulietta is the diminutive for Giulia in Italian, the new Giulia name was a wordplay hinting that the new car was a grown-up version of the Giulietta. In spite of a Giulia SS prototype, Alfa Romeo decided to retain the Giulietta-shaped SS in production. The 1,570cc engine made up to 200km/h (120mph) possible. The 1,570cc engine with Weber 40 DCOE2 carburettors was taken from Giulia Sprint Veloce and delivered 112 hp (84 kW) of power. Production ended in 1965, with a last single Sprint Speciale completed in 1966.

Only 1,366 examples of the Giulia Sprint Speciale were built, this however is a particularly rare motor car as it is 1 of only 25 righthand drive examples produced. Delivered new to England, it still retains the original registration plate, first designated to the car on the 22nd January 1963.

The accompanying file contains invoices and correspondence detailing thousands of pounds worth of renovation and maintenance from specialists including Alfaholics and Classic Alfa. An MoT test certificate with no advisories valid until the 3rd September 2016 along with five old certificates complete the file. Inside, the upholstery has been completely re-trimmed in the beautiful two-tone design in red and cream leather carried out by specialists TA & JM Coburn. The headlining and carpet are both in great condition, showing little sign of wear. Since completing its renovation some 10 years ago, this little Giulia has travelled a mere 851 miles with the coachwork showing a delightful patina. With a five speed gearbox, fast, comfortable driving is easily achievable in this gem of a car. A superbly rare motorcar of one of the most iconic post war designs, this UK supplied Giulia would be a fantastic addition to any collection.